Plant adaptation to high temperature stress
Ellen Simms, Professor
Integrative Biology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2025.
High temperature is an abiotic stress that impedes the growth and productivity of all crops irrespective of their heat tolerance. High temperature affects the development of both vegetative and reproductive structures. It arrests cell proliferation arrest, increases vacuolization, causes over-development of chloroplasts, certain abnormalities in other organelles, and comprehensively alters transcription in developing organs of plants. Thus, high temperature causes abnormality in the development of reproductive organs, which severely decreases crop yields. The goal of this project is to observe the changes in a wheat crop grown under high temperature stress. The changes will be observed at morphological, physiological, histological and molecular levels.
Wheat plants are currently growing in the greenhouse and will soon be subjected to a short period of heat shock. After heat shock they will be harvested and preserved for various analyses. Physiological parameters such as chlorophyll contents and gas exchange parameters will be measured before harvesting.
Role: Working with the project supervisor, you will collect leaf samples and preserve for electron microscopy, metabolomics and genomics analysis. For electron microscopy, i.e. SEM or TEM, samples will be prepared according to the defined protocols before getting their images. To observe the changes in different metabolites and gene expression, we will prepare samples for metabolomic and genomic studies. You will be expected to keep laboratory a notebook, attend lab group meetings, and write a project report by the end of the semester. The project includes a small amount of greenhouse research followed by a large amount of laboratory work (preparing samples for histological, metabolomic and genomic studies).
Qualifications: You must have a strong work ethic and an interest in plant physiology, molecular, and environmental biology. You must be dedicated to learning from and contributing to the project, which involves meticulous laboratory procedures, attention to detail, taking electron microscopy training, and following protocols for DNA and RNA extraction. There will be exciting and rewarding results. Experience with plant anatomy and molecular biology is a plus, but not required. Applicants with a genuine interest in plant biology will be favored. We prefer that you be at least a sophomore in a Biological Science major with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Hours: 9-11 hrs
Related website: http://www.simmslab.org
Biological & Health Sciences