During the summer of 1995 I was accepted into the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Summer Research program at MSU-Bozeman. This program is for high school students interested in a science career, and who wish to gain experience in a scientific research laboratory. Through the program I had the opportunity to work on Dr. Luther Talbert s Spring Wheat Genetics project. My job, over the course of the six week period, was to test RAPDs(randomly amplified polymorphic DNA s) primers to find a genetic marker that would distinguish between wheat lines which were susceptible or resistant to the curl mite. This insect transmits the wheat streak mosaic virus which causes severe economic losses in wheat. The goal of this project was to find a rapid, efficient way to screen for curl mite resistance without actually having to grow the mite on the wheat plant. Identification of a genetic marker using the technique of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) would accomplish this goal.
My interest in genetics began during my sophomore year in high school, when I learned about genetic traits in biology. Through the EPSCoR program I have received hands-on-experience in an area which I have always been interested in. Techniques such as the polymerase chain reaction, which I had only read about, were now part of my job in the lab.
What I learned in the lab, through the experiments I carried out, through the training I received, and through the use of technology I never knew existed, is so valuable. An opportunity such as this is the perfect step in preparing for a future career not only in genetics, but in any area of science. And with only one year left of high school, it has given me the chance to step out of my sheltered world and see what is waiting for me down the wheat line!