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Colonel's Cup Challenge Symposium

Promising Young Scientists Receive Awards from the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Internship Program

Photo Gallery from the Colonel's Cup Challenge symposium

For a sixth year 19 students from universities all over the nation participated in the Plant Genome Research Program's summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) internship, sponsored by the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) in Ithaca, New York.

The internship project concludes each year with a symposium called the Colonel's Cup Challenge, where students present their research findings to other project participants, invited scientists and guests. Two awards, the Colonel's Cup and PGRP award, are given to students for best individual presentation and best poster. Several distinguished scientists including Boyce Thompson Institute emeritus faculty selected the two winners.

The Colonel's Cup was awarded to Vivian Smith from the Joss Rose Laboratory. While participating in the internship project, Vivian worked on "Nature's Shield", mapping genes associated with tomato fruit cuticle biosynthesis, with her mentor Dr. Tal Isaacson. The PGRP award went to Ashley Hipps from the Hua Laboratory at the Boyce Thompson Institute. Ashley worked on "Mechanisms of Temperature Modulation of Defense Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana through int Mutants."

"The Research Experience for Undergraduates internship gives students an opportunity to perform actual research in a university laboratory setting, and to explore plant molecular biology topics," said Dr. Elizabeth Fox, outreach coordinator for the internship project. "The symposium displays what everyone worked on during the summer, and recognizes the most outstanding participants."

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates internship was designed to introduce qualified undergraduate students to laboratory and field research in plant genomics, or the study of plant genes. It is part of the larger Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP), a cooperative effort between the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and Cornell University. The PGRP includes curriculum development for teachers, workshops and tours, as well as an internship project for high school students living in communities around Cornell University. More information about PGRP can be found at http://bti.cornell.edu/pgrp/index.php

The Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) is an independent, non-profit research facility affiliated with and located on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York. The Colonel's Cup Challenge was named after the founder, Colonel William Boyce Thompson, who in 1920 established the institute for the purpose of researching plants. Today the Boyce Thompson Institute continues this mission by researching plants on the scale of genes and proteins, and provides education and outreach to teachers, students, and community members.