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ASPB
EDUCATION FORUM
ASPB Undergraduate Fellowships
For the eighth year
in a row, the ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program
will make a big splash in the summer plans of 15 SURF winners and their
mentors from ASPB. Each student has won a $3,000 fellowship to support
full-time work on his or her plant biology research project for a 10-week
period this coming summer. The award also includes a free student membership
in ASPB through August 2009 and travel grant assistance to attend the
Plant Biology 2009 meeting in Hawaii. Each recipient’s project mentor
also receives $500 for lab supplies.
ASPB is pleased to
recognize the hard work and expertise of the two new SURF cochairs, Amy
Clore of the New College of Florida and Ken Helm of Siena College. With
timely consultation from seven-year veteran past SURF chair Mark Brodl
of Trinity University, Clore and Helm managed the challenging selection
process very effectively.
Clore and Helm concur
that the SURF program is so effective because it allows awardees both
to engage in potentially publishable research and to get feedback from
experts in the field. The research experience can inspire a graduate degree
in science, and attending a major conference can “seal the deal”
for selecting a plant program. Additionally, faculty members who mentor
a SURF recipient can discover the rewards of collaborating with undergraduates,
who often prove to be reliable and enthusiastic research colleagues. Potential
SURF mentors should check the APSB home page starting in December 2008
for the next SURF announcement and review the e-mail announcements of
SURF opportunities sent to all ASPB members.
Clore and Helm appreciate
the ASPB Executive Committee’s devotion to helping propagate the
future of plant biology research by providing ASPB Good Works funds that
support this fellowship program. The cochairs especially appreciate the
SURF reviewers who volunteered their time and expertise to select this
year’s recipients.
The SURF reviewers
were impressed by the quality of all the 2008 applicants’ projects,
as well as the commitment of the students and their mentors to their ongoing
research. The high quality of the applications made it very difficult
for the review committee to select this year’s 11 Category A (research
and doctoral universities) and four Category B (master’s universities,
baccalaureate colleges, and associate of arts colleges) awardees. Congratulations
to this year’s recipients.
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2008
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Recipients
CATEGORY A
Research and Doctoral Universities
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Erin Beisner,
Rice University
Project: Elucidating crosstalk between auxin and ethylene
signaling pathways
Mentor: Bonnie Bartel
I am very excited
to be given this fellowship to continue my research during the summer.
This award has encouraged me to further consider a career in research.
I thank Dr. Lucia Strader and Dr. Bonnie Bartel for their encouragement
and guidance. I look forward to presenting my research and learning
from others’ research projects in Honolulu next summer.
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Edgardo Bresso,
National University of Rosario, Argentina
Project: Structure–function relationships in miRNA
processing in Arabidopsis thaliana
Mentor: Javier Palatnik
I thank ASPB
and Dr. Javier Palatnik for granting me this great opportunity.
The application process has already been a rewarding experience,
so I’m really looking forward to starting my research, since
I’m sure I’ll learn a lot during this summer.
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Alyssa DeLeon,
SUNY, College of Environmental Science & Forestry
Project: Differential expression of genes related to arsenic
uptake and detoxification in sensitive and tolerant varieties of
shrub willow
Mentor: Lawrence B. Smart
I am thrilled
to receive the ASPB SURF, as the award will enable me to pursue
my honors thesis pertaining to phytoremediation. The environment
has always been my passion, so I am particularly interested in the
applications of plant biology to environmental conservation. I am
fortunate to be conducting research in the laboratory of Dr. Lawrence
Smart, working on a project concerning the uptake, transport, and
detoxification of arsenic by shrub willows (a viable bioenergy crop).
I welcome the opportunity to meet scientists in the field of plant
biology at the 2009 ASPB conference and to benefit from their insights.
I am eager to learn what topics or organisms are currently being
explored, what future research might be done, and how I might find
my niche in the field.
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Cory Frederick,
Ohio University
Project: Investigation of paramagnetic effect on the development
of Arabidopsis thaliana
Mentor: Sarah Wyatt
I am ecstatic
that I have been awarded a 2008 SURF, and I look forward to conducting
my research and presenting at the annual conference next summer.
The recognition for my work will bolster my confidence and prepare
me for future professional work. My experience with ASPB has been
positive and wholly rewarding, and I hope that other students are
encouraged to excel.
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Rachel Hesler,
Clemson University
Project: Effect of humidity and temperature on seed stability
in A. thaliana AtEm mutants
Mentor: William Marcotte
I am looking
forward to a rewarding research experience this summer working with
my faculty mentor. It is great to have an opportunity to contribute
to meaningful research in the field of plant biology, and I am excited
to learn firsthand about research techniques. I will be working
with my faculty mentor on the effects of humidity and temperature
on seed stability in A. thaliana AtEm mutants.
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Matthew Juergens,
Webster University
Project: Molecular basis of cyanide detoxification in
plants: Structure and mechanism of B-cyanoalanine synthase
Mentor: Joseph Jez
I am excitedly
looking forward to my summer SURF experience. I will be continuing
a current project involving the solving of the crystal structure
of B-cyanoalanine synthase and determining why it differs from o-acetylserine.
Already from the SURF experience I have gained a respect for the
amount of work that goes into applying for grants, along with a
greater knowledge of my project in having to describe it. Science
excites me, and I am truly grateful for the ability to do my own
research over the summer. What I learn now will be invaluable to
me later on, helping me to set up my future.
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David Kern,
Brown University
Project: Role of B-galactosidase in pollen tube growth
Mentor: Mark Johnson
I am excited
to receive SURF funding for this summer. My project involves pieces
of genetics, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. I am interested
in the intersection of these disciplines, so hopefully these pieces
will combine for some cool results. I am looking forward to a productive
summer and to presenting at the meeting next year. Thank you for
the opportunity.
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Kelli Pattavina,
University of Massachusetts–Amherst
Project: Genotyping moss ADF overexpression lines
Mentor: Magdalena Bezanilla
It is an honor
to be chosen for this prestigious award. The ASPB SURF will give
me the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience working
in a research lab. I’d like to thank my mentors, Dr. Magdalena
Bezanilla and Dr. Robert Augustine, for helping me with the application
process and for helping me in the lab. I’m very excited that
I have been given the chance to do something I love to do and can’t
wait to contribute significant research to the plant biology community.
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Adam Perricone,
University of Alabama
Project: Characterization of an Arabidopsis E3 ligase
involved in plant defense
Mentor: Katrina Ramonell
I was ecstatic
when I found out that I was a recipient of an ASPB SURF. The fellowship
will provide me with valuable experience in researching plant biology.
I am very excited to be given the opportunity to discover some unique
features regarding plant defense. I am also looking forward to discussing
the results of my research at the 2009 ASPB meeting in Hawaii. Many
thanks to my mentor for all her support and to ASPB for selecting
me for the award.
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Ross Peterson,
University of Minnesota
Project: Characterization of homologous chromosome pairing,
synapse, and recombination during Arabidopsis autotetraploid meiosis
Mentor: Changbin Chen
One foot in
the door! After working in the plant genetics lab for more than
half a year, I am enthusiastic about what this ASPB fellowship will
teach me. My mentor, Dr. Changbin Chen, always urged me to consider
individual research, and often I was unsure of whether or not an
opportunity like this one would come along. Since I found out our
proposal was chosen, I decided to learn more about what others have
discovered in the research surrounding my topic of investigation.
Now, I am ready to begin my first guided research as a sophomore,
and this is only the beginning of my chance to learn more about
the field of plant biology!
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Molly Simis,
West Virginia University
Project: Genetic analysis, characterization of freezing
tolerance, and population distribution of Cornus canadensis
Mentor: Stephan DeFazio
I am extremely
grateful to ASPB for this exceptional opportunity to continue my
research. This opportunity is an invaluable beginning to my career
as a scientist. I’m looking forward to joining the community
of plant biologists. Thank you, ASPB!
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CATEGORY
B
Masters Universities, Baccalaureate Colleges, and Associate
of Arts Colleges |
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Geoffrey
Bader, Roanoke College
Project: Studying the evolution of uptake and efflux of
auxin and the polar auxin transport in land plant gametophytes
Mentor: DorothyBelle Poli
Getting to be
at the forefront of biological research at such a young age really
is a wonderful opportunity. Preparing an application for such a
prestigious grant was an arduous yet rewarding task in itself. Winning
one is simply amazing! My thanks to ASPB for providing me such an
exciting opportunity. I cannot wait to be able to give my complete
focus to the study of plant evolution this summer.
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Jordyn Brandsma,
King’s University College
Project: Influence of growing conditions on the metabolite
profile of the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii determined
by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Mentor: Hank Bestman
I want to tell
you how unbelievably grateful I am to have received this award!
It is an incredible honor, and I am so excited to get started on
my summer research.
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Elizabeth
Mayers, Ohio Wesleyan University
Project: Phototropism and auxin flux in mutants of
Arabidopsis thaliana
Mentor: Chris Wolverton
I am honored
to be a recipient of the prestigious SURF sponsored by ASPB for
the summer of 2008. Over the course of the past semester, I have
begun preliminary research that can now be continued with the help
of the ASPB fellowship. I look forward to a productive summer of
research and hope to draw valuable conclusions, which I will bring
to the annual ASPB meeting in 2009. Again, I would like to express
my sincere appreciation to ASPB for providing me with this invaluable
research opportunity.
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Toussaint
Mears-Clarke, Oberlin College
Project: Pectate lyase gene expression and lateral root
emergence in Arabidopsis thaliana
Mentor: Marta Laskowski
I am honored
to be a 2008 ASPB SURF recipient. I am grateful and extremely excited
about the summer experience. During the summer, I plan on investigating
the potential role of candidate pectate lyase genes in lateral root
emergence in Arabidopsis thaliana. I will visualize expression
of pectate lyase genes AtPLA1 (Atlg04680) and AtPLA2 (Atlg67750)
using a reporter construct. This experiment will allow us to better
describe AtPLA1 and AtPLA2 gene expression as it relates to auxin
response in the root. I am very excited to begin my work with transgenic
plants.
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