Do you know a student who loves plants and science? Exploring plants at the molecular, cellular, organismal, whole plant, and ecological levels is a lot of what the plant biology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is all about. The coursework is flexible, so it’s all about helping you discover the right career path.
High school or college transfer students interested in a plant biology major will have an opportunity to learn more April 27 starting at 3:30 p.m. Students and their families will tour the Beadle Center and meet with Assistant Professor Rebecca Roston and Jenny Myers, an undergraduate plant biology student at the Roston lab.
The Roston lab studies lipids to better understand how plants adapt to the freezing cold and how photosynthetic membranes are formed. Lipids are important parts of the plant cell, forming major light-harvesting pigments like chlorophylls and carotenoids and all of the membranes. Students will see how lipids are separated and analyzed.
Students and their families will also tour The Morrison Microscopy Core Research Facility — the largest microscopy lab at Nebraska. Christian Elowsky, assistant professor of practice, will show cellular images of plant samples on light microscopes, the confocal laser scanning microscope and the scanning electron microscope and explain how these images are used in plant research and discovery.
A tour of Keim Hall on Nebraska's East Campus will then take place. Professor Walt Schacht, Herbarium Curator Cheryl Dunn, and their students will lead students and their families through a review of the dynamics of plant systems on rangelands, including invasive species and management practices that threaten plant production and health of rangelands.
Professors Eric North and Dave Wedin and their students will show how tree rings have been used to reconstruct past droughts and other stresses on trees. Students will look at tree cores from ponderosa pine and eastern redcedar, as well as computer analyses of tree ring data.
An optional East Campus Tour will be available following the tree ring presentation.
REGISTER for Explore Plant Biology April 27 and Grow Your Story at Nebraska.
