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Shields Library is closed through January 1. Requests for books, digitization services, and interlibrary loan will be fulfilled after the new year.

Katherine Hand

2nd Place

Science, Engineering and Math, 2021

Many of the studies I read… mentioned the limits of their findings due to a lack of understanding about the biology of viruses. I hope that one day my claims can be investigated and tested, and encourage others to continue uncovering more mysteries about viruses.

Katherine Hand

The Secret Life of Bacteriophages: How Did They Originate?

Research paper for UWP 101: Advanced Composition

Read Katherine’s Paper (pdf)

Project Description

Inspired to study viruses by a talk on COVID-19, Hand presents her own hypothesis on the origin of bacteriophages, viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria. With the guidance of the UC Davis Library’s Student Services librarians, Hand learned to navigate library databases like BIOSIS and Web of Science and make effective use of taxonomic restrictions, taxa notes, concept codes, and keywords to narrow her searches and find relevant sources in the peer-reviewed literature.

In Their Own Words

Read Katherine’s reflective essay from their Lang Prize application.