Edward Bernard

Edward Bernard serves as a Lecturer at the University of Maine's Honors College, where he functions as Primary Instructor for the SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) program. He leads Section 02 during Fall terms with intensive 7-8 hour weekly commitments, instructing 20-22 undergraduate students primarily composed of freshmen across Fall 2024 and 2025 cohorts.

His research centers on bacteriophage discovery and host-pathogen interactions, with specialized focus on bacterial hosts including Mycobacterium smegmatis, Arthrobacter sp., Gordonia rubripertincta, and Corynebacterium glutamicum. This work bridges laboratory microbiology with genomic evolution studies:

• Microbial diversity in environmental phages
• Comparative genomics of mycobacteriophages
• Host range determination mechanisms
• Evolutionary adaptation in viral-bacterial systems
• Bioinformatics pipeline development
• Undergraduate research pedagogy

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

Bernard actively mentors 22 students in authentic research experiences through the SEA-PHAGES program, guiding them from phage isolation through genomic sequencing and annotation. His teaching model emphasizes hands-on discovery where students characterize novel bacteriophages while contributing to larger genomic databases.

The program operates within institutional frameworks rather than dedicated physical laboratories, utilizing shared university resources for microbial culturing and genomic analysis as part of the national HHMI-funded initiative.