Amy Gehring at Williams College Awarded $202,337 NIH Research Grant

12:00AM / Tuesday, April 04, 2006Print Story | Email Story

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have awarded Williams College a grant in the amount of $202,337 to support the research of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Amy Gehring. She is researching "Regulation of Streptomyces coelicolor Development." The Streptomyces, a genus of common soil bacteria, are responsible for producing the characteristic odor of fresh dirt â€“ and the majority of known antibiotics. These medicinally important compounds are manufactured by the bacteria during the course of their unusual and complicated differentiation process. The bacteria grow in a relatively complex manner, first forming a network of branching, interconnected filamentous cells down into the soil, and then producing aerial filaments that divide into small spores to allow easy dispersal of the organism. It is during this sporulation process that Streptomyces produce a variety of secondary metabolic compounds, many of which have found use as pharmaceuticals. Gehring's work with Streptomyces coelicolor's developmental cycle has led her to focus on several transcription factors, which are thought to be key regulators of the sporulation process. "The more that is understood about these processes," Gehring said, "the more likely it becomes that we can engineer these bacteria to produce increased yields or varieties of life-saving drugs." Gehring has been at Williams since 2002. Her work has been published in several academic journals, including Biochemistry, Chemistry & Biology, and the Journal of Bacteriology. She received her B.A. from Williams in 1994 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1998.

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St. Stan's Students Spread Holiday Cheer at Williamstown Commons

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
12:50PM / Sunday, December 21, 2025

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Students from St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Adams brought the holiday spirit to Williamstown Commons on Thursday, delivering handmade Christmas cards and leading residents in a community caroling session.

"It honestly means the world to us because it means the world to them," said nursing home Administrator Alex Fox on Thursday morning. "This made their days. This could have even made their weeks. It could have made their Christmas, seeing the children and interacting with the community."

Teacher Kate Mendonca said this is the first year her class has visited the facility, noting that the initiative was driven entirely by the students.

"This came from the kids. They said they wanted to create something and give back," Mendonca said. "We want our students involved in the community instead of just reading from a religion book."

Preparation for the event began in early December, with students crafting bells to accompany their singing. The handmade cards were completed last week.

"It's important for them to know that it's not just about them during Christmas," Mendonca said. "It's about everyone, for sure. I hope that they know they really helped a lot of people today and hopefully it brought joy to the residents here."

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