Missouri Authentic Research Experiences
Missouri Authentic Research Experiences (AREs) provide students throughout Missouri with meaningful, hands-on research opportunities grounded in real scientific inquiry. At the Danforth Center, AREs immerse students in foundational scientific research, enhancing academic achievement, shaping future career aspirations, and fostering interest in STEM fields. Through these experiences, Missouri students begin to see themselves as future scientists. (Participation as funding allows.)
Mutant Millets Hormone Quest (MMHQ)
Length: 6 weeks
One of the most significant agricultural developments during the Green Revolution was the reduction of plant height in some crops, which contributed to improved grain yield. Plant hormones are small chemical compounds that regulate various aspects of plant growth and development, as well as plant responses to the environment. Gibberellic acid (GA) is a hormone that promotes stem elongation in plants and regulates inflorescence architecture, thereby influencing grain production.
In this ARE, students contribute to the research program of Dr. Andrea Eveland, Danforth Center Principal Investigator, who studies the genes involved in hormone regulation of seed production using the foxtail millet (Setaria viridis). Students grow mutant setaria plants, apply hormone treatments, screen for mutant phenotypes, and photograph specimens in order to identify mutant plants that do not show excessive stem elongation and that retain seeds despite GA3 treatment. Students contribute to a catalog of traits that scientists can use to improve genetically related crop grasses and gain knowledge and understanding of plant biology and hormone effects on plant growth and grain production.
AgGeoX – Predicting Sorghum Success
Length: 1-2 weeks.
On-line authentic research experience for high school level.
Sorghum, the fifth most cultivated cereal crop worldwide, excels in converting solar energy into biomass and is resilient to drought and heat stress. Sorghum is not only a food source for humans and animals, but it is also used as a bioenergy crop, meaning it can help produce fuel from plants, and is a powerful tool for carbon sequestration, making it a key player in combating climate change while supporting sustainable agricultural practices.
At the laboratory of Dr. Nadia Shakoor, Danforth Center Principal Investigator, scientists study how sorghum grows under different management practices (no-till farming, precision nitrogen application, and cover cropping) to identify which sorghum types perform best in each system in terms of yield and overall production. This information can help farmers choose the right variety for their land, which improves both economic outcomes and environmental sustainability.
In this ARE, students combine plant science with geospatial science and machine learning to predict sorghum traits using climate, plant, and soil data. Students create heat maps to visualize real sorghum field trial data. They also build predictive models for important traits (e.g., yield, protein content), which provide insights for refining scientists’ models to improve plant performance. Students develop data science and machine learning skills and learn to use professional coding environments while exploring precision agriculture applications.
For more information visit the AgGeoX website at aggeox.org.
Genotype to Phenotype
In this program, college students can grow their own corn seedlings, learn ways to measure leaf angles, and contribute real data to the laboratory of Danforth Center Principal Investigator Andrea Eveland, Ph.D. Through this experience, teachers and students are trained in concepts of genetics as they relate to agriculture, food security, and data science.
Through Genotype to Phenotype, students will grow corn seedlings of hundreds of corn genotypes and measure the leaf angles manually and through image analysis. In a second exercise, students test for the presence of specific changes in the DNA of the corn plants in order to understand the correlation between these genotypic changes and the variation in the phenotypes (physical characteristics) of the plants. By screening hundreds of corn genotypes, students contribute molecular and phenotypic data that can help the Eveland lab develop predictive models to determine the leaf angle of an adult plant based on the seedling data.
Mutant Millets
Our Mutant Millets program brings real science research into classrooms and allows students to begin engaging in the scientific process. In Mutant Millets, we focus on a plant called Setaria viridis, or green foxtail millet. While Setaria is often considered a weed, it is extremely valuable to scientific research. Not only is it related to economically important plants like corn and sugarcane, but scientists have also sequenced its entire genome, making it useful for comparative genomics with cereal crops. Through Mutant Millets, students can help our researchers identify mutant traits in Setaria plants, and contribute to our scientific research.
Mutant Millets equips teachers with professional development training, supplies, and laboratory-generated mutant seed populations of Setaria viridis for their students to grow in their classrooms to familiarize them with skills in scientific research. As data is collected, students will also input their findings that will be utilized by scientists at the Center.
Discovering Volvox Development
In our Discovering Volvox Development (DVD) program, middle and high school students can contribute to real scientific research happening at the Danforth Center. Through DVD, students will screen for developmental mutants in the green algae Volvox carteri. Volvox is a visually-engaging organism that students use for learning important lessons on the concept of organismal life cycles. Volvox is an experimentally tractable multicellular species with recently evolved germ and somatic cell types, which is under investigation in the laboratory of Danforth Center Principal Investigator Jim Umen to understand the origins of multicellularity.
The highly-visual nature of Volvox makes scientific research exciting for students. It is also easily cultured and screened for mutants, making DVD a great opportunity for students to engage in an authentic research experience. Students document their contributions by uploading their data to the ARE Portal that will also provide updates on how with Volvox discoveries are being utilized in the laboratory. This program offers professional development to educators and supplies and support for classroom settings and for independent projects conducted at home by students.
Plants Fight Back
Fungal diseases such as wheat head scab, wheat rusts, rice blast and sheath blight, soybean rust, banana black sigatoka are a major threat to food security and food safety. Some fungal pathogens produce mycotoxins that pose a major threat to human and animal health. Fungal diseases cause 12-15% yield loss in crops. The fungicide market will be a 17 billion industry by 2022. Fungal resistance to fungicides and environmental damage are major global challenges. In this authentic research experience, students will learn about the ways in which plants fight off fungal pathogens and how this is important to global food production. Students will have the opportunity to observe the effect of antifungal peptides such as defensins and understand how these peptides work to fight off fungal pathogens without the use of synthetic fungicides.
A Brighter Tomorrow
Through our authentic research experiences and course-based undergraduate research experiences, the Danforth Center is dedicated to supporting future and early-career scientists and believes in the power of education and outreach to create a better future for all. If you would like to support the next generation of scientists, click here to make a donation today.
Questions? Contact Us
