REU: Project O.A.K. (Opportunities Alliance Network)

Hampton University, Hampton VA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Camellia Okpodu DBI# 9987900 This proposal requests three years funding for an REU Site at Hampton University in the Department of Biological Sciences (Hampton, Virginia). The Department of Biological Sciences proposes to provide laboratory research experience in Plant Physiology, Pathology and Molecular biology to undergraduate students, particularly women, minorities and the disabled, from other HBCU's in the established Washington-Baltimore Hampton Roads Alliance for Minority Participation in Science (WBHR-AMPS) consortium. The summer research experience, Project O.A.K. (Opportunities Alliance network), will center on tissue culture propagation of disease-free seedlings from offspring of the "Emancipation Oak". The "Emancipation Oak", a Quercus virginiana, is located on the campus of Hampton University in Hampton Virginia. A member of the Fagaceae family, over 450 species of ornamental trees and shrubs make up the genus. Oaks can be propagated easily from acorns and grown well in rich, moderately moist soil or dry sandy soil. Oaks are hardy and long-lived but not shade-tolerant and may be injured by leaf-eating organisms or oak wilt fungus. The program has used acorns to propagate a few trees however they will still be susceptible to diseases. The program proposes to train students in the use of tissue culture to propagate disease-free cultures from the Emancipation Oak. The Project O.A.K. REU will have three main features it will: 1) offer research opportunities; 2) offer course work with transferable credit hours to the participants home institution; and 3) provide minority students the opportunity to participate in plant research at an HBCU. Participants will be exposed to many microbiological, biochemical and molecular techniques.