BotanyMariah Garneau
2026 The Joan K. Hunt and Rachel M. Hunt Summer Scholarship in Field Botany
The Reproductive Microbiome: Investigating How Microbes Inhibit Pollination in Asclepias syriaca
Some microbes in milkweed nectar have been found to reduce or prevent pollen tube germination which ultimately reduces the reproductive success of the milkweed plant. My research focus is to determine the mechanisms of this inhibition - how, exactly, do these microbes cause the observed reduction in pollen germination? Through this research we can begin to understand the plant reproductive microbiome and how it may play a more important role in successful plant reproduction than we have previously recognized.
School: William & Mary
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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