Frolicking in FranceSummer Enrichment Trip

2011By Brittany Hubert

Getting Started Interested in Molecular Biology Medical School?

› Not Really.. Research?

› I think so… Started Lab Work with Dr. Perlin Growing Interest in Research

My Project Biology Research from

different aspects› University lab, service

work, research facility, other..??

Different Areas of Molecular Biology› Virology, Immunology,

Bacteria, Fungus› Find what fits me

Gain experience in all areas› Learn to think like a

“scientist”› Use experience to

advance in my personal education experience

Form lasting relationships with experienced professionals

Summer 2011 Seven weeks at University of

South Paris› Orsay, France› About 13 miles outside of

Paris Work with Tatiana Giraud PhD

and lab team › The fungus, Microbotryum

3 Goals of Project› Learn as much as possible

about plant infections, microsatellites, and inoculations

› Gain general lab experience› Immerse myself in French

culture and practice language for possible minor

Gettin’ Down to Business Fungus Microbotryum: Anther Smut Disease

› Infects anthers of flowers in carnation family (Silene latifolia & Silene dioica)

Topics› Glacial refugia using microsatellites-

repeated units of DNA characteristic of different strains

› Hybrid Sterility/Gene Flow between and within clusters

› Competetive Exclusion My Jobs

› PCR with Odile and Pierre (microsatellites)

› Making and recording conjugations› Garden work with Laetitia› Replating and recording good

strains

Healthy Infected“Smutted”

My Lab Team!Tatiana

PierreMandyOdile

ElsaMarina Alex

Microbotrym in a Nutshell..or MeristemThe Labo Lab techniques

o PCR, Pipetting, Conjugations

o Working with a Team

o Reading (and understanding) research articles

o Making Chartso Reasoning

Microbotryum Easily cultured in lab

› Reproduces quickly› Grows easily on petri dishes

Spread by pollinators in nature› (bees, bugs..etc)

Infects only meristems-embryonic tissue in plants; undifferentiated, growing, actively dividing cells.

(dictionary.com) Host specific

› Followed same speciation path as hosts after glaciations

High selfing rate/low crossing rates

Closely related species can reproduce› Genetic distance determines

reproductive ability

Why it Matters! Allows us to:

› Understand other past disease patterns

› Predict future patterns

› Understand interactions between host-specific or parasitic organisms

› Start work on disease prevention or curesSilene latifolia

Silene dioica

Smut Life Cycle

Glacial Refugia

Biology on the Beach Four Day Biology Conference

› In Roscoff (Brittany), France

› On New and Emerging Fungal Diseases of Animals and Plants in the context of evolution

Interesting talks on many different areas› Eye-opening› Confusing› Learned

What conferences are all about

New material What I don’t know..

Met many important people/Made new acquaintances

Spent a day on the beach!

Things you learn when you travel completely alone! Goals

o Gain more self-confidence-check!

o Become more independent-check!

o Expand my comfort zone-check!

How (and who) to ask for help

How to use multiple maps What it takes to entertain

myself How interesting other

people’s lives can be The Paris metro system

(after a while) Exactly what you like and

don’t like How to adjust to different

cultures › Travel to France,

Switzerland, Germany, and Rome

Goals for the Future Continue work in Dr.

Perlin’s lab Explore different areas

of Molecular Biology research› Not lab work

(monotonous)› More dynamic area

Possible work with Pasteur Institute or Marie Curie institute in Africa

Look into forensic fields

Pictures with no citation are from google.com or my camera!

Special thanks to the James Graham Brown Foundation!!

And thanks to:-Andrew Grubb -Dr. Michael Perlin