Mentor: Dr. Pamela Soltis
Florida Museum of Natural History
"I applied to the USP to build connections with fellow researchers, gain recognition as a student scientist working with plants, and to be financially supported in my research. Through my work in the USP I will gain a more thorough understanding of phylogenetics, its importance in botanical studies, and the array of molecular techniques used in these studies. During the academic year I aim to maintain my GPA, further relationships with current and previous professors, and to determine what topic within plant science I would like to pursue in my graduate studies."
Major
Botany, Geography
Minor
N/A
Research Interests
- Phylogeny of the genus Agalinis
- Epidemiology of grapevine powdery mildew
- Phylogenetics
- Plant pathology
- Agroecology
- Mycology
Academic Awards
-
Cornell Summer Scholars REU, Summer 2012
Dean's List, 2009 - Present
Florida Bright Futures, 2009 - Present
Organizations
- Geography Student Organization
- Gamma Theta Upsilon
- American Phytopathological Society
Volunteer
- Geography Student Organization
Hobbies and Interests
- Gardening
- Cooking & baking
- Cycling
- Reading
- Traveling to new places & exploration
Research Description
Phylogenetic relationships of Agalinis kingsii and conservation implications
The genus Agalinis (false foxglove; Orobanchaceae) is distributed in North, Central and South America. Agalinis kingsii is a rare species endemic to Grand Cayman Island and is known from a single sedge wetland in the Salina Reserve. Despite being listed as a top conservation priority by the Cayman Island National Trust, no phylogenetic study of Agalinis has included A. kingsii, and its growth patterns and morphology are poorly understood in a phylogenetic context. Molecular methods help to identify the closest relatives of rare species, and provide evidence for decisions about which populations of a rare species to protect. To have an effective conservation program, the genetic boundaries of species and differentiation from closest relatives should be investigated. Pettengill and Neel (2010) demonstrated the efficacy of chloroplast and nuclear DNA barcoding regions, in particular the spacers psbA-trnH and trnT-trnF, for distinguishing rare congeneric species using North American Agalinis as the test system. Utilizing this previous work as a template, I will obtain sequences from chloroplast and nuclear DNA barcoding regions described by Pettengill and Neel (2010; rbcL, matK, trnT-trnF, psbA-trnH, rpoB, rps2) for A. kingsii. Material from other Caribbean Agalinis (A. hispidula, A. maritima, A. albida) will be collected from field and herbarium collections for comparison with A. kingsii. Standard molecular methods will be performed, including DNA extraction, PCR and DNA sequencing, followed by phylogenetic analyses. We will explore the species boundaries of A. kingsii, and determine if this species is distinct within Agalinis, and if so, identify its closest relatives. By providing a phylogenetic framework to understand the distinctiveness of A. kingsii, we hope to inform international conservation programs, specifically with the Cayman Island National Trust.