Research Program Details
- USU Main Campus, Logan, UT
- 10-week program
- $6,000 stipend (i.e., ”salary”)
- On campus housing included
- All travel costs reimbursed
- Meals provided
- Rec facilities access
- Group activities and outings
- Research opportunities in 4 departments and 7 labs
The program will initiate May 13, 2024
Benefits
- Hands-on research in faculty labs
- Personal mentoring and guidance
- New research skills and training in core microscopy facilities
- Interactive tours of related industries
- Training in technical writing, communication, and presentation in person and online
- Guided tour of the Utah Museum of Natural History
- Excursions to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
- Paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing at Bear Lake, UT
Eligibility
- Completion of two semesters
- Preferred classwork in agriculture, engineering, biology, plant biology, microbiology biochemistry/chemistry, and physics
- U.S. Citizen or permanent residency
- Preference will be given to students from primarily undergraduate institutions with limited research opportunities on campus
Applications
Program Overview
Healthy plants are essential for our life. Participants in the STEM REU will focus on how interactions between plants, microbes and soil work to create a productive plant. Association of plants with organisms that act like probiotics are important for plant and soil health. Examples of the REU projects include:
- How engineered nanoparticles will aid the health of the plant and their associated microbes
- How soil management influences plant and microbe health
- Importance of nitrogen cycling, and symbiotic relations in plant health
- Role of elements in plant health
- Discovery of natural products from plant and their microbes that influence ecosystem (e.g. inhibition of weed species)
- Understanding how microbes cause disease in plants and how other microbes lead to their control. Mentors for this array of research topics are from the Biological Engineering, Biology, Plants Soils & Climate, and Environmental Engineering departments housed in three different colleges (Engineering, Agriculture, Science).
Check out some photos from the the Plant-STEM REU 2022 participant projects.
Students will have hands on experience with “state of the art” instrumentation. For example, high resolution microscopy, using both scanning electron microscopy and laser confocal microscopy allow examination of cellular structures and interactions. Chromatography and mass spectrometry will be tools to characterize metabolites. Discussions will inform students of the importance of ethics and the responsible conduct in research. Industry tours and meetings with Utah State University alumni working at local bio/agro-tech companies will show how university research experiences relate to job opportunities and the development of commercial products.
If you have any more questions contact the PI (Dr. David W Britt, david.britt@usu.edu) or the co-PI (Dr. Anne Anderson, annejanderson33@gmail.com).