Featured Student Research
Lisa Robbins
Master's Student
Co-advisors: Joe Scheerens and John Cardina
Focus: Medicinal uses of Burdock weed
Lisa Robbins is researching the phytochemical compontents of Burdock weeds, Arctium lappa and Arctium minus, to identify what compounds in the leaf are responsible for improved wound healing. It is her ultimiate goal that this research will result in FDA approval of Burdock leaves, or the chemicals there in, for a new and improved treatment for severe burns that does not require skin graphs and months of recovery and scarring.
Shan Wu
PhD Student
Advisor: Dr. Esther Van der Knaap
Focus: Gene control of fruit shape
Shan Wu is studying the genes SUN and OVATE which control fruit shape in tomatoes. While her research will not have immediate impact on crop production, her ultimate goal is to contribute fundamental knowledge about how genes impact fruit and vegetable development.
Carlos Hernandez-Garcia 
PhD Student
Advisor: Dr. John Finer
Focus: Promoter regions in soybean DNA
Carlos focuses on the discovery of soybean gene promoters, which are DNA regions that determine how, when, and where a gene is activated and thus, the proteins produced in the plant.