CURE Projects

UnPAK CURE Partner Information

CofC (each semester): The Ecology and Genetics of Responses to Changing Temperature

In BIO 211 (Sophomore level course called “Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation Biology”) we will be working with Arabidopsis thaliana plants from natural populations collected throughout Eurasia as well as SALK T-DNA single gene knockouts that have been grown at two different temperatures (control and high temperature).  Data are collected at two time points and shared with the Arabidopsis research community via our public database and analyzed by students to test hypotheses related to ecological and genetic responses to changing climate.

CofC (various fall semesters): Ecological and genetic responses of natural accessions 

In Plant Ecology we work on examination of phenotypic variation among natural accessions from latitudinal and longitudinal gradients in native or non-native ranges in response to ecologically informed environments. We also examine functional, phenological, above ground, and below ground traits.

Hampden Sydney (Fall semesters): CURE project

In Genetics and Cell Biology, students work with T-DNA insert mutants to investigate the cellular pathways influenced by the disrupted open reading frames. With this information, students design experiments with mutants and controls, then expose plants to the moth larvae Plutella xylostella and characterize the plants’ resulting phenotypes. 

Santa Rosa Junior College

Tri County Technical College

University of Washington- Bothell

Francis Marion College

Benedict College

Barnard College

West Valley College

Bethel University

Cedar Crest College