Keaton Adams, a senior at the University of Idaho, will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and has accepted an offer to enroll in a doctoral program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Adams’ academic journey highlights the impact of early exposure to science and research opportunities. He credits his participation on Hillcrest High School’s science team, which competed in the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington D.C., as an influential experience that deepened his interest in biology and science.
During his time at the University of Idaho, Adams worked under Professor Chris Marx researching how genetically identical bacteria can display different survival characteristics during periods without food. His work focused on PHB, a substance produced by cells that acts as stored energy and protects them during scarcity. “If you grabbed a thousand people off the street, representing bacteria with a different genetic make up, and had them run a marathon, you’d expect to get vastly different finishing times. But if you cloned a person a thousand times — representing bacteria with the same genetic make up — and had those people run a marathon, you would expect very similar finishing times,” Adams said. “We’re not seeing anything close to that with these starved bacteria.”
Marx said this research is important because non-genetic variation often determines whether bacteria survive antibiotic treatments or become pathogens: “Cells differentiate into discrete types to either hedge their bets regarding future environmental fluctuations or to have division of labor and take advantage of two distinct strategies that can cooperate with each other.” Marx also praised Adams’ contributions: “He has been fantastic. He analyzed all the data he generated, made the figures and wrote the paper. Being the lead author as an undergraduate is incredible.”
Adams’ achievements—including participating in national competitions, earning an associate’s degree while still in high school, securing an internship at Idaho National Laboratory, and receiving scholarships—played significant roles in shaping his educational path.
Looking ahead to MIT, Adams said: “Research is important to me. It keeps the world moving forward, and I would like to continue doing that.”
