Botanical Breakthroughs: Exploring the Biochemical Properties of Plants
Plant-derived products have been used to cure diseases throughout the course of human history. This two-week summer program will utilize multiple resources at UMass Amherst to explore this diverse area of study, including (but not limited to) the Herbarium, Conservatory, Plant Cell Collection Library (PCCL), permaculture gardens, research labs, and greenhouses.
High school students will have the opportunity to work closely with UMass staff and professors in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology to study plants and their importance to human life. Students will be introduced to exciting research currently underway in our labs, will explore the wonderland of plant-derived natural products, and will gain valuable hands-on laboratory experience.
This course is a great opportunity for students interested in pursuing a career in medicine, the pharmaceutical industry, plant biology, or anyone curious about plants, drug design, and plant-derived products.
This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus as a residential program. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.
We will meet daily in our teaching labs, and we will venture out most days for field trips on campus Our hands-on laboratory experiences will include:
- DNA extraction
- polymerase chain reaction
- agarose gel electrophoresis
- sequence analysis
- protein purification
- SDS PAGE
Final Project
The course will end with student poster presentations, a career panel discussion, and suggestions about how to highlight the Summer Pre-College experience on resumes and applications.
Pre-Requisites
There are no pre-requisites for this program.
Materials
- Please bring a laptop if you have one. We will also have loaner laptops if needed.
- All required materials will be provided to the students.
Students will:
- Acquire proficiency in multiple molecular and biochemical laboratory techniques, data collection, and analysis
- Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through scientific experimentation, collection, and interpretation of data
- Work effectively in a team setting
- Gain communication skills through scientific symposium-style presentations (students will create and present a research poster)
Class time is Monday - Friday from 9am - 4pm.
|
Time |
Activity |
|
9:00-10:45am |
Tour the UMass Conservatory |
|
11:00-11:30am |
DNA electrophoresis lecture and figure examples |
|
11:30am-12:00pm |
Set up gel apparatus for pouring practice gels |
|
12:00-1:00pm |
Lunch |
|
1:00-2:00pm |
PCR lecture and protocol |
|
2:00-3:30pm |
PCR protocol & pour practice gels (experiment with Thermal Cycler) |
|
3:30-4:00pm |
Review & clean Up |
In the evenings and on weekends resident counselors will run a series of social activities. Students are encouraged to join in, relax and have fun with new friends! With social events on campus and in the surrounding Amherst area, and access to the UMass Recreation & Wellness Center, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Learn more about student life at UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College
Meet the Faculty
Nancy Robbins, Manager of Laboratory Instruction, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Nancy Robbins is the Manager of Laboratory Instruction in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Nancy has a background in plant pathology, and spent time identifying fungal diseases in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the tropical rainforest before coming to UMass Amherst in 2017. In her free time she works with middle and high school students, monitors alpine plants in the White Mountains, and spends a lot of energy trying to keep her dogs from eating squirrels and small rabbits.
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