Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Alexander Parisky L&S Sciences

Tracing the transgenerational epigenetic function of rmr-4 in Zea mays

This summer, I will find the precise location of a gene known as rmr4 in the Zea mays genome. This process is known as mapping, and will require me to spend time at the lab bench, in the greenhouse, and on the internet. I will use bioinformatics tools available online to design specialized markers in order to determine the recombination frequencies between known loci and my gene, enabling me to identify exactly where the gene resides. I will employ DNA extraction methods, PCR, and gel electrophoresis in order to gather most of the data for this project. Once I have located the gene, I will sequence it and begin characterizing its function in order to further understand the phenomenon of paramutation in maize.

Message To Sponsor

This summer, I will find the precise location of a gene known as rmr4 in the Zea mays genome. This process is known as mapping, and will require me to spend time at the lab bench, in the greenhouse, and on the internet. I will use bioinformatics tools available online to design specialized markers in order to determine the recombination frequencies between known loci and my gene, enabling me to identify exactly where the gene resides. I will employ DNA extraction methods, PCR, and gel electrophoresis in order to gather most of the data for this project. Once I have located the gene, I will sequence it and begin characterizing its function in order to further understand the phenomenon of paramutation in maize.