FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 18, 2025
Mid-Atlantic Christian University (MACU) is proud to celebrate the global academic contributions of its faculty and students who recently presented cutting-edge research and scholarship across Europe.
Dr. John Pace, Professor of Microbiology, and Dalon Arrington, a senior biology major, represented MACU at the prestigious Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global) in Vienna, Austria. On Monday, April 14, Arrington presented his senior capstone project at a research poster session. The project, titled “In vitro antibacterial activity of a fosfomycin/trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole combination plus anti-mycobacterial agents against reference strains of non-tubercular Mycobacterium spp.”, explored the effectiveness of combination antibiotic therapies against a group of particularly difficult-to-treat bacteria.
A key finding from their research is that combining two existing antibiotics with the current medications used as therapy for these organisms produces a significant improvement in antimicrobial effect. This is a promising advancement in the treatment of non-tubercular mycobacterial infections since it may lead to lower cost and lower toxicity.
Dr. Pace expanded on this work in a series of academic presentations abroad. On Tuesday, April 15, he delivered a lecture titled “Unique broad-spectrum antibacterial synergy of fosfomycin plus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole exerted against aerobic and anaerobic pathogens, including multidrug-resistant isolates” at the Slovak Academy of Sciences – Institute of Molecular Biology in Bratislava, Slovakia, followed by a presentation at the University of Prešov on April 16.
Simultaneously, Dr. Kevin Larsen, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of New Testament at MACU, presented lectures on April 15 and 16 at Comenius University in Bratislava and the University of Prešov. Speaking to both the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Faculty and the Greek-Catholic Theological Faculty, Dr. Larsen shared insights from his archaeological work at the site of ancient Shiloh in Judea and Samaria (Israel). This work is part of an ongoing expedition led by Dr. Scott Stripling and sponsored by the Associates for Biblical Research.
These international academic engagements highlight MACU’s growing presence on the global stage and its commitment to research that not only advances scientific and theological understanding but also has a meaningful, real-world impact.
Pictured:
Dr. John Pace, Professor of Microbiology, and Dalon Arrington, MACU student