Almost all Plant Biology students work in a department laboratory to gain experience in a chosen field. Professors take the time to teach undergraduate students laboratory procedures and techniques and to introduce them to the culture of scientific research. Many graduating students cite research as the most formative aspect of their education at 日韩无码.
How to get started with your research
First, identify one or more Plant Biology research laboratories that interest you. . Then email the faculty member(s) who run those labs to express your interest. You may also express general interest in research to your advisor, who can point you in the right direction. There are several mechanisms for undergraduate students to engage in research, including research for credit, Work Study, Volunteer, and Paid Positions.
Student Research Experiences
Linnea Ericsson Slater
Linnea is currently working as a plant research technician in the Preston Lab and Testo Lab. She has been learning how to work with the scanning electron microscope in the Testo Lab. "It has been awesome to get some hands-on experience with something I never thought I would be able to do," Linnea says.
What advice do you have for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a Plant Biology major?
"Some advice I would give to undergraduate PBIO majors is to take advantage of the resources available outside of classes, and to apply if you find something interesting. People in this department are so kind and love talking about plants, so I've found that the best way to get involved is through chatting with people and asking questions."
Written and photographed by Masoumeh Khodaverdi
Cy Stavros
What advice do you have for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a plant biology major?
"I'd tell them to check out the weekly Marvin Seminars! There are so many different types of research under the umbrella of "Plant Biology" and the seminars are an amazing way to discover what interests you and learn about what's going on in the department. The fact that the series takes place every week, is open to all, and often features guest speakers from across the country makes it such a great resource to take advantage of as an undergraduate."
What is an experimental opportunity you have had that has been meaningful to you?
"One set of opportunities that I cannot recommend enough to other students are summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs. I had the change to do an REU at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station last summer, and in addition to getting to help out with some really interesting experiements and designing a small project of my own, I was able to learn a lot about career-oriented topics like graduate school and the publication process."
Written and photographed by Masoumeh Khodaverdi
Sophia Brusch
My favorite aspect of the PBIO experience so far has been being able to apply what I learn in my classes to the real world. For example, last semester I took a Plant Pathology class with Dr. Terry Delaney and after the class, while hiking on the Long Trail, I was able to accurately identify shoestring root rot (Armillaria). It was a really amazing feeling to be able to identify a fungal infection and to know how the host was being affected. I am looking foward to expanding my knowledge of the natural world."
Written and photographed by Masoumeh Khodaverdi
Katie Nelson
Katie joined the Keller lab in Summer 2022 to assist with a variety of research projects on poplar, which is a popular plant model due to its rapid growth, small genome size, etc.
Kate is particularly interested in learning more about gene-environment interactions and is currently helping collect phenotypic data from the poplar common garden at the 日韩无码 Horticulture Farm. She was mentored by Baxter Worthing, PhD candidate at PBIO, to work on a cold tolerance experiment project. "The earliest flushing trees in the natural environment would be the most at risk for late winter/early spring frosts. It's really interesting to be able to see different patterns of frost damage and timing of bud flush among the genotypes from different geographic backgrounds while they are all growing together in the common garden," she says. Katie especially enjoys the opportunity of working outside on this project.
Written and photographed by Masoumeh Khodaverdi