This summer, I worked in the Facette Lab studying asymmetric cell division in maize. My main focus was on a specific gene, abs1. This gene has a particularly high GC content that makes it very difficult to amplify via PCR. I spent the majority of my time in the lab creating and adjusting the PCR reaction mix until it yielded results. In addition to working in the lab, I also conducted fieldwork. We planted our seeds in the beginning of the summer and maintained our crops until they matured. As they were growing, we took samples of their leaves for phenotyping and genotyping. When the maize reached maturation, we were then able to cross pollinate specific plants and will be harvesting those seeds in the coming fall. I am very grateful for this opportunity and I am excited to continue my research in the Facette Lab this school year.
