Pilot year
The program began as a discovery-based summer research experience inspired by SEA-PHAGES and adapted for RCC students working at HMS.
View 2022 rosterCommunity Phages history.
Community Phages began as a discovery-based summer research program for RCC students at Harvard Medical School. The archive records prior instructor teams, program years, acknowledgments, and student-facing materials.
Program history.
Prior years include student cohorts, instructor teams, field sampling, phage records, and poster sessions.
More instructors
The teaching team broadened across HMS labs, adding more phage defense, microbial evolution, and microscopy expertise.
View 2023 rosterExpanded public materials
Protocols, year-specific resources, and student materials were expanded.
View 2024 rosterPublic phage collection
Student discoveries were prepared for PhagesDB records, and poster-session practices became a stronger capstone.
Current program
The program continues as an 8-week May-July research internship with field sampling, bioinformatics, partner visits, and a final poster session.
Diversity and equity mission.
Community Phages provides paid research time at HMS for RCC students. Students learn lab methods, collect data from their own samples, and present their results.
Acknowledgments
The program was inspired by HHMI SEA-PHAGES, with protocols and materials adapted or reproduced with permission. HMS, RCC, sponsors, field-site partners, and instructors support the summer program.