Nicole Huser participated in Iowa State University's Science with Practice program.

2017 May 2

Nicole Huser, majoring in Genetics (AGLS) at Iowa State University, was a participant in Science with Practice. Science with Practice is a learning and work experience program in research and related laboratories for undergraduate students. Students work closely with faculty and graduate students to gain experience in their field of study.

Students are able to conduct research and form mentoring relationships with faculty while earning money and academic credit. The program allows students to develop an understanding of the links between research and practical real-world situations and problems.

Huser was advised by Dr. Yanhai Yin and Trevor Nolan, genetics, development & cell biology, on a project titled "Growth Response in Mutant Arabidopsis Lines Studying Brassinosteroid Related Transcription Factors." This project focused on the research of how Brassinosteroids regulate plant growth, with the hopes of discovering key genes that play a role in improving plant growth under adverse climate conditions. Nicole did this by studying the phenotypes of mutant Arabidopsis lines using large-scale genetics.

In total, almost 25 undergraduate students and mentors participated in the program during spring 2017. As part of the program, students establish individualized learning agreements with faculty mentors, create a final portfolio and complete biweekly journals of their semester progress. The semester concludes with a public poster presentation where students share their projects and experiences.

The Science with Practice program, administered through the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, has linked students with faculty research for over 10 years. Students may participate in the program multiple semesters. For more information visit https://www.ageds.iastate.edu/content/science-practice-swp.

This program is funded by the ISU Agricultural Endowment Board, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Van Wert Family Endowment.