Lexi Peterson

My ten weeks at Michigan State University were spent in the Brandizzi Lab where we investigated the role of a chloroplast outer envelope protein as a receptor for stress induced chlorophagy, a process that degrades damaged chloroplasts. In order to accomplish this, we generated two mutations in the sequence of our protein of interest in Arabidopsis thaliana to study the effects of plant growth and development under salt stress. I was able to learn a variety of techniques such as western blotting, qPCR, agrobacterium infiltrations, and DNA, RNA, and protein extraction. These are skills I plan on taking with me into my future research experiences.

Aside from research, I had the opportunity to connect with other students in my program and tour East Lansing. There are plenty of activities to keep you entertained over the weekends from going to the local zoo, walking through botanical gardens, and spending the afternoons at coffee shops.

Overall, this is an excellent program for anyone interested in performing research that doesn’t require any previous experience. It is a great opportunity to meet other students with similar interests, explore a new area, and learn about graduate school. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this program, and look forward to where this will take me in the future.