[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 61 (Thursday, May 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRATULATIONS TO MISS KATIE PROPST

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 14, 1998

  Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize 
Miss Katie Propst, a Merino High School Junior, residing in Merino, 
Colorado, Katie is the daughter of Ted and Penny Propst. Miss Propst 
recently drew honor to herself, her family, and her community by 
placing first place in the 43rd Annual Colorado Science and Engineering 
Fair.
  Propst placed first in the contest's senior division of Health and 
Behavioral Sciences. Her project in entitled ``Bacteriophage Therapy: 
Is It a Possible Alternative Treatment for Bacterial Infections?'' Her 
immediate prize is an all-expense paid trip to the International 
Science and Engineering Fair in Fort Worth, Texas. There, she will 
compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair.
  Katie has earned scholarships from Colorado State University and 
Colorado Northwestern Community College. She also received award prizes 
from the Colorado Association of Science Teachers, and the Rocky 
Mountain Inventors and Entrepreneurs Congress.
  Propst's personal interests are in pathology and microbiology 
sciences. She believes that microbiology will help find alternatives to 
antibiotic resistant viruses. Propst undertook the study of treating an 
infection with a bacteriophage (virus) instead of the traditional 
antibiotic. The test subjects Propst used were tobacco hornworms. By 
injecting them with a bacterial infection and then treating the 
infection with a bacteriophage, Propst observed, ``An antibiotic 
resistant alternative is needed for bacterial infections. If found 
successful in future studies, this form of treatment could possibly be 
used to treat infections.''
  At this point, Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record, the following 
newspaper article about Katie Propst taken from the May 2, 1998, 
edition of the Sterling Journal Advocate.
  Mr. Speaker, it is exciting to recognize Miss Katie Propst of 
Colorado's Fourth Congressional District. She is obviously very bright 
and certainly motivated to succeed. Please join me in wishing her well 
in her academic endeavors.

             Merino Girl Yops State Science Exhibitor List

                           (By Rebecca Giggs)

       Katie Propst, Merino High School Junior, will soon be 
     traveling to Fort Forth, Texas. It won't be a sightseeing 
     trip, she will be competing at the International Science and 
     Engineering Fair from May 10-16.
       Propst's project ``Bacteriophage Therapy: Is It a Possible 
     Alternative Treatment For Bacterial Infections?'' won top 
     exhibitor at the 43rd Annual Colorado Science and Engineering 
     Fair. Her prize is an all-expense paid trip to 
     Internationals.
       Propst placed first place in the senior division of Health 
     and Behavioral Sciences. She earned scholarships from 
     Colorado State University and Colorado Northwestern Community 
     College.
       Propst also earned $50 Colorado Association of Science 
     Teachers for excellence in the use of the scientific method 
     and $50 from the Rocky Mountain Inventors and Entrepreneurs 
     Congress. Other winners at the fair from Merino were Kari 
     Accomasso and Mackenzie Peake. Propst and Accomasso presented 
     their projects on Friday to the Colorado-Wyoming Junior 
     Academy of Science, and they hope to get their work 
     published.
       Propst's study was to inject tobacco hornworms with a 
     bacterial infection. ``Rather then treating this with an 
     antibiotic, the infection was treated with a bacteriophage 
     (virus).'' Propst said. The virus's job was to get rid of the 
     infection without harming the worm. Propst said she decided 
     to do this project ``Because I'm interested in a major in 
     pathology.'' She added, ``An antibiotic resistance 
     alternative is needed for bacterial infections. If found 
     successful in future studies, this form of treatment could 
     possibly be used to treat infections.''
       Propst decided on this project after reading about a 
     similar experiment in mice. She adjusted her experiment for 
     hornworms.
       Propst began her research in August and started doing 
     experiments in January. ``It's a 12-hour injection procedure. 
     Then I follow the data for a week,'' she said. Propst's 
     mother is a science teacher at Merino. Propst said having 
     access to the science room helped with her experiment. Propst 
     said that her mother ``Inspired me, she hasn't pushed me. 
     Whatever I want to do is okay with her.''
       Propst didn't expect to win at the state fair. ``I saw all 
     those awesome displays and didn't think I had a chance. The 
     key to winning is relating to the judges, be excited about 
     what you are doing. The others who won were also personable. 
     It's selling what you've found.''
       Propst said, ``The people that deserve recognition are the 
     school's faculty and administration. Without their financial 
     and emotional support I wouldn't be doing this. There's an 
     advantage to going to a small school. I'm looking forward to 
     representing a small school.''
       Propst has been interested in pathology and microbiology 
     since her last science project in the seventh grade. She said 
     microbiology will help find alternatives to virus that have 
     become resistant to antibiotics, viruses that have become 
     more deadly. ``It's amazing something so small can be so 
     powerful,'' she said.

     

                          ____________________