Graduate Research
The integrative learning environment of the Plant Sciences Graduate Program provides students with a rich opportunity to learn cutting-edge research initiatives in plant science. Faculty members in the Plant Sciences Program encourage students to rotate through different laboratories during the first year of graduate study. These laboratory rotations provide students with the opportunity to experience different lab environments before making their selection, and to develop associations within the Center for Plant Science Innovation.
The program is located in the George W. Beadle Center for Genetics Research, an excellent quality research facility designed to serve students, faculty, staff and the state of Nebraska for decades to come. Its primary goal is to be a catalyst for advances in science teaching and research.
Such multidisciplinary interaction is becoming an essential for breakthroughs in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and biotechnology.
It is hoped that discoveries in these areas, in turn, will lead to the development of new vaccines, the genetic engineering of plants and farm animals for production of higher quality foods, the modification of microorganisms to produce more effective medicines or to deal with the elimination of environmental pollutants. The modern resources offered by the Beadle Center will allow students and researchers to work far into the future toward achieving the goals which prompted the creation of this outstanding facility.
Tejinder Mall at bench in Dr. Clemente's lab.
Facilities
State of the art greenhouses and controlled environment growth rooms provide students and researchers with ready access to a variety of plants for both teaching and research. Integral to the greenhouse facility is a botany research laboratory and a research laboratory for working with genetically engineered plants.
Core Research Facilities provide access to state-of-the-art instruments and expert assistance in many of the leading-edge methods in plant transformation, bioinformatics, flow cytometry, genomics, mass spectrometry microscopy, and protein. The Core Research Facility services are available to researchers in all Nebraska universities and colleges as well as those in private industry. More facilities…
Undergraduate Opportunities
We also offer summer internships for sophomore/junior undergraduate students to participate in the Nebraska Summer Research Program. Students will gain a broader knowledge of plant science, learn new techniques, participate in scientific discussions, and take away a better understanding of genuine scientific research.