Turns out humans aren't the only species that prefer to remain horizontal. Plants can be lazy, too.
This summer, in the lab and in the greenhouse on the roof of Thompson Hall, Maya Sealander ’20 studied the genes of tomato plants to find out what makes some lazier than others. As one of more than 80 Puget Sound students completing summer research projects in the sciences and humanities this year, she is getting her first real research experience in the field.
But the experience began before Maya set foot in the greenhouse. In April, her grant proposal made it through a rigorous and comprehensive application process that required her to work with a professor to select a subject that interested her, take a class to learn how to write a competitive proposal, and submit the proposal for review by a panel of faculty members.
She and the other 80 students chosen received up to $3,750 to support their research efforts over the course of at least 10 weeks. Maya's project, like the others, will culminate with a poster presentation at the annual Fall Student Research Poster Symposium.
