Sigma Xi Poster Competition
Marigolds and More: The Power Behind The Plants
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Agriscience
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Alyx Shultz, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation - Murray State Access only
Abstract/Description
My research is based on Marigolds and their antimicrobial properties and what we can use them on such as E. Coli and other common bacteria. I came across this topic because of my mother’s physical health. My mom has restrictive lung disease and all of her medicine no matter what she was on was typically really expensive. I then recalled a lesson I sat in on for one of my classes that discussed the medicinal properties in certain plants and I started wondering what else we could make plants do. I then realized that there was a lot of people in my mom’s situation where they couldn’t afford a lot of medicine and I wanted to see how I could change that. Marigolds are a very versatile plant seeing as they are a mosquito And insect repellent and also an anti microbial. With this in mind I also remembered how common and easy to grow marigolds are and wanted to test them. I spent about a year growing five different breeds of African Marigolds to see which would be the easiest to grow that was still known for its medicinal effects. After that I started looking at research articles and studies about what bacteria is affected by the marigolds. Since then I have started writing a literature review over everything I’ve read so far so I have a good basis and have a better understanding of where to start and what to look for when I do the hands on study next semester. I have spoken with my research mentor and have met with one of the Pre Vet/Vet Tech professors to help me grow the bacteria next semester and test the effect on the bacteria from the marigolds extract. I am very passionate about this topic and I feel it is a very important topic and not discussed enough. I would like to present my Literature review with my findings as of right now from growing the marigolds and all the readings I have done so far.
Spring Scholars Week 2025
Sigma Xi Poster Competition
Marigolds and More: The Power Behind The Plants
My research is based on Marigolds and their antimicrobial properties and what we can use them on such as E. Coli and other common bacteria. I came across this topic because of my mother’s physical health. My mom has restrictive lung disease and all of her medicine no matter what she was on was typically really expensive. I then recalled a lesson I sat in on for one of my classes that discussed the medicinal properties in certain plants and I started wondering what else we could make plants do. I then realized that there was a lot of people in my mom’s situation where they couldn’t afford a lot of medicine and I wanted to see how I could change that. Marigolds are a very versatile plant seeing as they are a mosquito And insect repellent and also an anti microbial. With this in mind I also remembered how common and easy to grow marigolds are and wanted to test them. I spent about a year growing five different breeds of African Marigolds to see which would be the easiest to grow that was still known for its medicinal effects. After that I started looking at research articles and studies about what bacteria is affected by the marigolds. Since then I have started writing a literature review over everything I’ve read so far so I have a good basis and have a better understanding of where to start and what to look for when I do the hands on study next semester. I have spoken with my research mentor and have met with one of the Pre Vet/Vet Tech professors to help me grow the bacteria next semester and test the effect on the bacteria from the marigolds extract. I am very passionate about this topic and I feel it is a very important topic and not discussed enough. I would like to present my Literature review with my findings as of right now from growing the marigolds and all the readings I have done so far.