Plant Pathology Graduate Students Visit High School Biology Classes

Graduate students in the Department of Plant Pathology have an active outreach group.  In addition to participating in large outreach events like Bugfest and Triangle SciTech Expo at the Museum of Natural Sciences, they also visit local high schools to spread the word about how plant pathologists use biotechnology to manage plant pests.  On April 4, 2014 they visited three of Mrs. Eckenrod’s sophomore biology classes at Princeton High School in Eastern North Carolina. Students performed DNA extractions from strawberry tissue, looked at fungal spores under a microscope, learned the basics of fungal isolation and culture maintenance, and learned how to transform geranium plants with agrobacterium.  This outreach program aims to teach and inform the general public about plant pathology and current issues in world food production.