Profile

• Time Zone

  Eastern

  
  
• Organization

  Clemson University

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Plants, like humans, organize their genes in long molecules called chromosomes. Maintaining a constant number of chromosomes is important for reproduction in any organism, not just plants. If two individuals have different numbers, they won't make offspring together. Therefore, the number of these strands is very stable in most species (i.e., every member of the species has the same number of chromosomes). Plants are unique in that they frequently change their chromosome numbers. This change can be substantial, with some plants changing from 300 chromosomes to 600 (humans only have 46 chromosomes). Changes to chromosome number can have unique consequences on species identity, occasionally leading to the formation of new species very quickly. As a doctoral student, I am testing evolutionary hypotheses which seek to understand how these changes occur, when they are likely to occur, and the consequences of such changes on the distribution and evolution of plants.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  What was the first science experiment you ever designed? How did it turn out?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 1 here (300 words):

  When I took biology in high school, I was interested in the pores on the underside of plant leaves called stomata. I was curious about what environmental variables these pores responded to, and how quickly they could respond. Myself and my lab partner designed an experiment where we temporarily placed plants in an oven. Every minute, we collected a fresh leaf from the plants and took a surface imprint. This allowed us to look at the stomatal opening across the leaf surface and determine whether the pores were open or closed. I was amazed at how quickly the stomata responded to the slight elevation in temperature (just a couple of minutes)! More than 90% of the stomata closed in response to the heat. That simple experiment made me curious to know much much more about plants and how they work.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is tough about being a scientist?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):

  Science is all about being skeptical. Every choice you make in an experiment or study has consequences. For example, choosing one plant species instead of another might completely change how you interpret your results if the life history, habits, color, water content, etc. are different. Being careful and thoughtful about what choices you make and why you make them is a necessity. While this can be exhausting, the puzzle of nature makes it all worth it.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is the coolest thing you have discovered or learned about plants?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):

  The alternation of generations! Plants have an entire generation of their lifecycle that very few people know about. As a fern biologist, I consider the alternation of generations in nearly every question I ask. It is one of my favorite topics to read about and my favorite subject to teach.

  
  
• In addition to English, I am comfortable communicating with students in the following languages:

  None of the Above

  
  
• Capacity: How many teams at a time are you comfortable working with?

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

Plant Life-Cycle Project Thomas Buchloh Apr 23 at 10:45am

Oh no! I always struggle with contamination in my spore germination plates. The agar is just the perfect environment for fungi and bacteria to grow. I wouldn't worry too much, yet. Occasionally the bacteria and fungi will die off after depleting…

more

Oh no! I always struggle with contamination in my spore germination plates. The agar is just the perfect environment for fungi and bacteria to grow. I wouldn't worry too much, yet. Occasionally the bacteria and fungi will die off after depleting the easy to access resources in the agar. 

The spores will take time. I haven't grown Ceratopteris myself, but my own species can take weeks to produce the first emergent cells. With a microscope you should be able to see evidence of germination soon! 

Let me know when you start to see evidence of germination. I would love to know what the early stage gametophytes look like for Ceratopteris. 

Cheers,

Thomas

Plant Life-Cycle Project Thomas Buchloh Apr 19 at 12:29pm

Hi all,

I see that you didn't get to do the experiment you designed. Are you participating in another group's experiment? What does that look like? 

Also, I am curious about your question. What is "ice cream salt" and…

more

Hi all,

I see that you didn't get to do the experiment you designed. Are you participating in another group's experiment? What does that look like? 

Also, I am curious about your question. What is "ice cream salt" and does it release anything other than magnesium or sulfate? When I grow ferns in my lab, there are some essential elements that must be part of the nutrient mix (e.g., nitrogen, potassium, or phosphorus). What elements does ice cream salt provide for plant growth and reproduction, and is it sufficient?

Keep me updated on your class's project! Looking forward to hearing about what you find. 

Best,

Thomas

Plant Life-Cycle Project Thomas Buchloh Apr 12 at 04:50pm

Hi all,

I’m Thomas, a PhD student studying ferns at Clemson University in South Carolina. The lab I work with studies plant evolution broadly, but my main interest is in how we get new plant species. As a PhD student I am…

more

Hi all,

I’m Thomas, a PhD student studying ferns at Clemson University in South Carolina. The lab I work with studies plant evolution broadly, but my main interest is in how we get new plant species. As a PhD student I am testing a whether mistakes made during the fern reproductive process are contributing to generating new species rapidly! 

While the plant life-cycle is fascinating, it can also be confusing at first. So do not hesitate to ask me questions at ANY point. Send me messages/questions and I will be happy to help you problem solve and think through biological concepts. My goal is to help you through your investigations and learn about the strange life of a plant! 

I’m excited to work through this project with you, as the plant life-cycle is one of my favorite topics in plant biology. 

- Thomas