Why do research as an undergraduate?
Students who do scientific research as undergraduates say it changes their lives. They get to be discoverers of scientific
information rather than consumers. It makes them more competitive when applying to graduate and professional schools. But
most of all, they join the ranks of scientists, seekers of knowledge following a centuries-old intellectual tradition.
What kind of research should you do?
It doesn't matter much what organisms you work on, though you might already know if you want to work in the field or in the
lab (or in both). What counts is doing the job, from reading papers to giving the final presentation at a professional meeting.
What else do I get out of this?
Usually you will get academic credit (840:190, 1-3 hours). If you have work study money, you can earn it doing science instead
of doing dishes. Sometimes there is other money to pay students, especially in the summer, but this is largely a learning
experience, so you can't count on being paid.
When should I do this? How much time will it take?
Most students start in the junior year, but there is no reason a sophomore can't do many of the projects. Starting in your senior
year is a little risky, because when you do real science, you don't know what the answer is, so you don't know how long it will
take. Freshmen who are really eager to do some research should ask...you might get involved with a project you want to work
on for four years.
It takes lots of time to do good research, and it's not worth doing any other kind. Three credits of research is like three lab
sessions a week. But many students put in much more time, because they have the key characteristic of scientists: they are
curious enough to keep going until they find out the answer.
How do I find out more?
Are you interested? One thing you can do is to go to a professor whose classes you have liked, and ask if there are any
projects you could work on. You will need lots of help, so the professor has to be eager to do this, too. Listed below are some
opportunities for undergraduates in the lab of Dr. Virginia Berg, based on ongoing projects. No special skills are needed to start
any of these projects; you will learn to do things as you go along. Look at www.uni.edu/berg and click on
"People & Times" to see where our past student researchers are now.
Here is an example of a project a student worked on last year. The results were presented at a national meeting of plant biologists this past summer.
Observation: In the alpine zone above 10,000 feet (3000 m), many plants freeze solid at night, so that they can be broken like
a fresh potato chip.
Questions: How can they do this without killing the cells? Do the cool
(but above freezing) nights make it possible for the plants to withstand
freezing nights? Is water pulled up into the leaves from below when this freezing takes place?
Where is the ice within the leaf?
General Method: We chilled plants by putting them in the refrigerator at
night, as if they were up in the mountains, then tested them by subjecting
leaves to different temperatures. These prechilled plants were compared to ones
that were not prechilled at night. Water uptake by frosted leaves was measured.
We also examined frosted plants with the scanning electron microscope.
Results: The chilling was necessary and just sufficient
to confer the needed freezing tolerance. The frosted leaves did not take up more
water than unfrosted leaves, but the cells in the leaves shrank when the leaves
were frosted, forming ice inside the walls of the cells.
You can see a display of this work on the wall opposite BRC 40.
Want more information? www.uni.edu/berg, email me at bergv@uni.edu, call me at 273-2770 or stop by the lab at BRC 40/41. There is a list of potential student projects on the wall opposite BRC 40. See if any of them appeal to you.
History: Our laboratory was established in August, 1984. Students have carried out research on acid penetration of
leaf cuticles, on leaf movements, and on assorted other topics since that time.
We have been supported by the U.S. EPA, USDA, the National Science Foundation and the UNI Graduate College, as
well as by the Biology Department and the CNS dean's office.
We always need more good students.