Steamboat students present research findings
(May 22, 2008) Fifty eager young scientists presented their research projects using 
Arabidopsis mutant plants in a poster session in the North Classroom Atrium on Thursday, May 22. The students have been working with Lisa Johansen, assistant professor of biology, in a program called Partnership for Research and Education in Plants (PREP), which is supported by a grant through Virginia Tech. PREP brings hands-on research experiences into the high school classroom while assisting scientists with their research on uncharacterized plant genes.
The students came from advanced placement biology classes at Steamboat Springs High School. As one of many high schools in Colorado that Johansen has been working with, they created student-designed projects to study environmental stress responses in the mutant plants. The projects included effects of pesticides and acid rain, responses to population density and drought, as well as reaction to salinity levels.
Charles Stoddard, Anna Roder and Alexa Rupple found that their mutant plants adapted well to the stress of acid rain. However, Wiley Thayer, Michael Lyon, Michael Weston, Sam Chovan and Jace Hanbsel, found that under the same acid rain stress, the plants tended to move through their life cycle faster. Their plants didn’t grow as tall, but they did grow faster. Although all of them still produced seeds, their leaf widths were thinner and they died sooner.
To learn more about PREP, contact Assistant Professor Lisa Johansen.
Photos: Top from left, Anna Roder, Charles Stoddard and Alexa Rupple share their acid rain research project with UCD faculty, staff and students. Bottom, Wiley Thayer, Michael Lyon, Michael Weston and Jace Hanbsel present their acid rain research results during the poster session.