The Lindroth Lab of Chemical Ecology is looking for a highly motivated undergraduate student in a biology-related major who would be interested in applying for a prestigious Hilldale undergraduate research fellowship to conduct a research project on aspen-insect interactions.

About the project: Condensed tannins are polyphenolic compounds that can occur in high concentrations in the leaves of aspen and many other tree species. Historically, condensed tannins have been considered as herbivore defense compounds. Little research, however, has actually demonstrated such effects. Current thinking about condensed tannins in aspen is that they provide resistance mainly against coleopteran species (beetles) but not against lepidopteran species (moths and butterflies).

Together with an undergraduate student, we would like to test that hypothesis. The student will learn how to conduct bioassays with different herbivores on aspen, how to analyze plant defense compounds via chemical assays, and how to analyze and present research results to the broader scientific community.

Qualifications: A highly motivated and reliable student interested in plant-insect interactions. Should have a GPA of at least 3.70 to be competitive for a Hilldale Fellowship. The student will work with us to write and submit a Hilldale Undergraduate Fellowship proposal (due Feb 11, 2019).

Contact: To express interest or inquire further about this opportunity, contact Dr. Mike Eisenring (eisenring@wisc.edu). Please do so as soon as possible, but no later than Jan 1, 2019.

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