Student Study Finds Sagebrush Stops Bacteria

The next time you're in the desert with a cut, you might consider treating it with sagebrush.

At least that's what Francis Yang's science project suggests. Yang, a sophomore from , earned a spot at the 2012 California State Science Fair for his project, "Investigation of Anti-Bacterial Activity of Artemisia californica."

Yang already suspected sagebrush can inhibit bacterial growth. But he wanted to discover if it was a protein or a small molecule doing the work.

So Yang grew E. coli and measured its growth, and he collected sagebrush leaves from a local park.

Then he exposed the E. coli to the sagebrush using a method that cut protein out of the equation.

He found that the sagebrush still stopped E. coli dead in its tracks.

He had some help. Yang used lab equipment at Allergan under the supervision of Dr. Rong Yang.

Francis Yang will compete April 30-May 1 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.