An award-winning medical student, Rosmarin is honored for his development of an improved means of detecting bacterial infections in human tissue. Microbiologists often use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to amplify 16S ribosomal RNA genetic material to identify an organism. Rosmarin's innovation was to develop a new probe, the C-probe, to better detect these ribosomal genes after the PCR assay has been used. The C-probe has been shown to be superior to existing probe technologies, and Rosmarin has applied for a provisional patent for it. He has already used the probe to rapidly diagnose cases of meningitis caused by bacteria and viruses. Because it is more sensitive and accurate, the C-probe holds great promise as a rapid and efficient way for physicians to determine the cause of these serious infections.
Rosmarin is also pursuing other challenging research projects combining innovative uses of technology. These include using computer simulations to study how staggering different antibiotics in hospital patients may help prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant organisms. In other original research, he used 16S PCR technology to identify two microrganisms previously thought to be nonpathogenic, Lactobacillus gasseri and Lactobacillus intestinalis, as the causes of serious necrotizing inflammations in hospitalized patients.
Currently attending New York University Medical School, Rosmarin expects to graduate in 2005. He holds a B.A. in chemistry and physics and an M.A. in chemistry from Harvard University, and he plans a career as an academic physician-researcher after completing his studies.
The Raymond W. Sarber Awards will be presented at the 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), May 23–27, 2004, in New Orleans, Louisiana. ASM is the largest single life science society, composed of over 42,000 scientists, teachers, physicians, and health professionals. Its mission is to promote research and training in the microbiological sciences and to assist communication between scientists, policymakers, and the public to improve health, economic well-being, and the environment.