Team Genetics: Heidelberg scholars shine at Summer Science Program

The world of scientific research is full of unpredictability – but it also has its constants. For Heidelberg Biology Professor Dr. Noel Mano, one thing was certain when he accepted a role as lead academic faculty member at the Summer Science Program: exactly who he wanted by his side. He hand-picked two standout ’Berg scholars to assist him – 2025 ‘Berg grad Cale Horsch and current senior biochemistry major Kacy Connolly.

Noel, Cale and Kacy spent six weeks this summer on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, teaching a group of 36 high school students in the Bacterial Genomics area of the Summer Science Program, which is run by Summer Science Program International (SSPI). The residential research program taught the young participants how to conduct lab experiments and research complex, real-world life science problems.

Throughout the program, Noel collaborated with three fellow faculty members, while Cale and Kacy stepped into dual roles as teaching assistants and residential mentors, along with two others. They lived in the residence halls alongside the high school participants, who came from across the country and around the globe.

The team focused its research on how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics. Noel explained that the students experimented by gradually exposing a non-pathogenic bacterium to increasing amounts of antibiotics, observing how genetic changes allowed it to adapt and become resistant.

One unexpected finding was the consistency of adaptations: while students tested different antibiotics and methods of administering antibiotics, different bacterial populations often became resistant due to similar or common mutations. There were also interesting distinctions in how some mutations persisted through time, whereas others evolved initially but were absent in later generations.

For some students, it was their very first time in a lab and their first experience working as part of a research team. They quickly discovered the value of leaning on one another, even as they sometimes struggled to step back and see the bigger picture of their work.

“There are going to be setbacks,” Kacy said. “Things aren’t always going to go the way you expect them to, so you have to learn to overcome. It was a challenge for me too.”

At the end of the camp, the high schoolers had the opportunity to present their research to other students and professors, including many from Lehigh University. It was like a proud-mom moment for Kacy. “I was really happy to get to see them present. They worked really hard. They were all smiles,” she said.

In his second summer with the program, Noel appreciated the opportunity to manage a project outside of his typical work. “It was a chance to connect with students who are likely to be in my classes 2-3 years from now and experience what young people are like,” he said. “It was good to get a chance to manage a project beyond my classes, in a different environment.”

And, it was a complex project with a lot of moving parts, which is why he chose Kacy and Cale as his assistants. Kacy has served as a teaching assistant for two of Noel’s classes and has been a student in three of them. Here, familiarity was a bonus. “They were really great because they represent the best Heidelberg has to offer,” Noel said. “I was very happy to have the chance to work with them.”

And the experience had unexpected benefits beyond the classroom for Kacy too.

Following graduation in May 2026, she’s off to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. When she arrives at LECOM, she will have learned the importance of patience and working with people from all over the world.

“I’ll see that a lot in medical school. It was one of the main takeaways of the summer program for me.”

Cale has already started his next chapter. This month, he began his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Illinois as he pursues his dream of becoming a veterinarian.