BotanyHannah Machiorlete
2023 The Joan K. Hunt and Rachel M. Hunt Summer Scholarship in Field Botany
The Impact of Microbial Communities on Nectar Sugar Chemistry and Plant Fitness in Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Machiorlete will look closely at how insects regularly introduce microbes into nectar in common milkweed flowers. After collecting nectar from milkweed plants in Northern Virginia, Machiorlete will use DNA sequencing to characterize sugar chemistry and microbial diversity. Pollen germination tests will quantify the impact of microbial activity in nectar on plant reproduction.The Joan K. Hunt and Rachel M. Hunt Summer Scholarship in Field Botany
To promote the importance of botany to horticulture by encouraging young students to study field botany in the U.S., and to offer an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in the field beyond the regular course of study.
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