Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists
Our K-12 STEAM+Ag® programs and curricula aim to engage diverse students to explore STEM concepts. Through virtual laboratories, professional development training for teachers, and authentic research experiences, we are increasing the accessibility of plant science education opportunities. Our Education Research and Outreach Lab bases our outreach on cutting-edge research questions that continually increase our understanding of how students learn STEM.
Research Opportunities for High School Students
Become an Intern!
Are you a high school student interested in STEAM research? Apply to our high school internship program to work in a plant and agricultural research center. You will have the opportunity to get hands-on research experience by collecting data, collaborating with teammates, disseminating your results and learning from scientists.
Prior to applying for an internship, it is important to understand the type of research being done in the labs at the Center. On the application (question 16), you will be asked to list up to three labs that match your research interests, and why. To get you started, you can see the research areas at the Danforth Center. We then invite you to look through our list of Principal Investigators (PIs) to determine which labs align with your interests.
Things to think about: Our scientists work in various settings. Some work in a traditional or “wet” laboratory, doing bench research. Others work in outdoor field plots, or in greenhouses. Some do most of their work computationally. Often there is a combination of all of these modalities. Which setting, or “modality”, fits your interests?
Students must be 16 years or older to apply.
(Applications for this position are open February 1st - March 1st each year.)
Questions about high school internships? Contact Shannon Gabbert.
Authentic Research Experiences
Engaging student scientists in foundational research happening at the Danforth Center.
Authentic Research Experiences (AREs) engage student scientists in foundational research taking place at the Danforth Center that allow students to start to see themselves as future scientists. Students participate in the scientific process and learn science content, conduct experiments, interact with scientists, share data with Danforth research labs through student data portals, and disseminate their results at public and scientific events.
Mutant Millets
Did you know students contribute to foundational research happening at the Danforth Center? 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 an economically important plants like corn and sugarcane, but scientists have also sequenced its entire genome, making it useful for comparative genomics with cereal crops.
At the Danforth Center, scientists have over 3,000 different Setaria viridis mutant families. Mutant plants are those whose genetic make-up has been changed, and mutations help scientists identify and study the functions of genes. Through Mutant Millets, students can help our researches 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 development 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 DVD website that provides updates on how their 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.
Contact Ash Kass to get started with DVD.
Genotype to Phenotype
In this program, high school and 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.
Leaf angle in corn plants plays a role in determining plant density (how many plants can be grown per acre) and yield (the number of ears of corn that are produced per acre). In Dr. Eveland’s Lab, research is being conducted to identify genetic factors that regulate the variation in leaf angle. 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.
Contact Ash Kass to get started with Genotype to Phenotype.
Education Technology
Using cutting-edge technology to inspire students to pursue STEM careers.
The Education Technology Program uses cutting-edge technology to engage and inspire students to pursue STEAM careers. Immersive educational experiences are offered through augmented and virtual reality, 3D modeling, computer gaming, and more, making science accessible to all.
Undergraduate Research & Outreach
