Summer Lab Assistantship Program

This program is designed for undergraduate and graduate students who are ready to actively participate in a research project for the summer semester. Graduate students, especially those working on their thesis research, can greatly benefit from this program. Junior/Senior undergraduate students enrolled in UH (NSM/CCE) are also welcome. The students will be actively involved in Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research. Interested students must apply online using a QR Code or complete the Program Application. Ten positions are available, and selected students must work in the lab for two months (Full time). The following are the benefits: Summer financial support (undergraduate $2,400; graduate $3,200) Project-based learning opportunities in a laboratory environment Participation in Farm Day to visit industries related to Food, Agriculture, and Biotechnology Opportunity to participate in other events such Research Day, Instrumentation Day and Seminars. Improve knowledge and skills in specific areas of plant biotechnology and genetic engineering. Registration is Closed. Summer 2024

Past Students

 

Emily IP

Using Watermelon as a Bioreactor to produce therapeutic enzyme – Human Glucocerebrosidase; Developing watermelons as a self-contained, sterile, and environmentally friendly substitute for traditional bioreactor systems for producing therapeutic enzymes

 

Naomi Pluma

Phytohormones have been known to defend tissues and roots, cell elongate and get rid of unwanted microbes. Now what we want to test is whether these hormones can keep the same abilities when placed in a sterile environment and applied drought as opposed to a non-sterilized environment.

 

Kayla Zinsmeyer

Using a greenhouse experiment, we investigated the differential impacts of native soil amendments from 11 established dunes across the Texas Gulf Coast on communities of dune plants. All live amendments improved plant performance, diversity, and the amount of fungal hyphae in the soil, which is strongly correlated with soil stability, though the extent of improvement varied by the soil amendment’s location of origin.

 

Ashley Tseng

Determine which combination of gene knockouts results in a higher yield of salicylic acid

 

Margaret Okeowo

My study aim is to analyze the immunostimulatory and anti-cancer properties of compounds derived from various edible mushrooms. The significance of this lies in its potential to pioneer cost-effective methods for extracting metabolites that exhibit immune-modulating and anti-breast cancer properties. By fractionationating crude polysaccharides and metabolites, I aim to pinpoint the specific compounds responsible for triggering immune responses and showcasing anti-cancer effects on breast cancer cells.

 

Presley Greer

My research has been conducted into cotton yield estimation methodologies. From the literature, a few methodologies of potential testability have been identified. This study is focused towards using Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) on an Uncrewed Areal Vehicle (UAV) to extract a bare earth digital surface model (DSM) and crop height model. The DSM will be used to identify any recessed areas within the field which could cause water to pool leading to water stress decreasing yields.

 

Frida Orbe

Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) refers to the byproduct generated by the mushroom industry, constituting a notable contributor to environmental pollution. The primary objective of this undertaking is to ascertain the compositional analysis of SMS biomass, with the ultimate goal of exploring its potential applications in various environmentally sustainable endeavors. SMS comprises several key components, including hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin macromolecules. A particular emphasis in this investigation is the identification and utilization of lignin macromolecules, given their significance within the SMS as a valuable resource.

 

Yiyi Zhang

Check the sterilization ability for ozone on mushroom substrate

 

Rodrigo Costabella

I am designing a vector plasmid construct that will allow for the CRISPR/Cas9 protein system to be introduced into B. subtilis and cut the abrB gene and neutralize its effects.

 

Vanna Nguyen

In my project, I will be altering the regio-specific hydroxylation site of phenylalanine hydroxylasen to produce m-tyrosine.