Profile

• Time Zone

  Pacific

  
  
• Organization

  University of California - Riverside

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  I am interested in how the plant circadian clock regulates gene expression during heat stress response. The circadian clock is a time-keeping mechanism that is found in many organisms. Plants are able to sense time of day by cues in the environment such as light and temperature and the circadian clock ensures that plants are performing tasks at the right time. However, when plants undergo heat stress, the clock adjusts to this cue and helps protect the plant from long-term stress. My research attempts to answer how the circadian clock in rice responds to heat stress.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  When and why did you decide to go into a science career?

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

  I decided to pursue a science career when I was in middle school after doing a science project where our class created paper mache animal cells. By doing this project, I was able to remember a lot about cells and different organelles that were aren't able to see with our naked eye which intrigued me to find out more about things we aren't able to see.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is tough about being a scientist?

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

  The most difficult thing about being a scientist is that not every experiment works. Although books make it seem that scientists were able to figure something out on the first try by having a great idea, this usually isn't the case. It can take weeks to years to get an experiment to work or to get results. Once, you are able to get results, it does make all the hardships worth it.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

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

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

  The first science experiment I ever designed was for a science fair where I was curious if cooking potatoes with different methods, such as in the oven, microwave, or boiling, changed the way they tasted. I greatly enjoyed this experiment because I got to eat a lot of potatoes cooked in different ways, but it did not place in the science fair.

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

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

pbchsbartenslagerposspring2024 project 3 Samantha Cordingley Apr 16 at 07:18pm

Hi everyone, 

My name is Samantha and I'm a second-year PhD student in the Botany and Plant Sciences department at the University of California, Riverside. I'm specifically interested in how rice responds under heat stress in a…

more

Hi everyone, 

My name is Samantha and I'm a second-year PhD student in the Botany and Plant Sciences department at the University of California, Riverside. I'm specifically interested in how rice responds under heat stress in a time-dependent manner and how we can develop more tolerant crops by leveraging the circadian clock. The circadian clock regulates many genes in plants, but is also found in humans and is most attributed to your feeling of tiredness after a time change or coming from a long overseas trip (jet lag). I look forward to hearing how your experiments go and hope that you will be able to learn some interesting things about plants. Feel free to ask me an questions that you may have. :)

pbchsbartenslagerposspring2024 project 3 Samantha Cordingley Apr 16 at 07:12pm

Hi Alexa, 

This is an interesting idea! Something to consider for this is how we decide to grow our plants. If we decide to grow our plants/gardens hydroponically (in water, no soil) this is something that could help, but we would have…

more

Hi Alexa, 

This is an interesting idea! Something to consider for this is how we decide to grow our plants. If we decide to grow our plants/gardens hydroponically (in water, no soil) this is something that could help, but we would have to supplement nutrients to the plants that they couldn't readily access. Other aspects that we consider a lot in agriculture are if plants like to grow in this manner (will they survive and thrive) and if it is cost-effective. I'm not sure if growing plants this way will make more oxygen for the Earth but it would be interesting to test in a lab setting. 

pbchsbartenslagerposspring2024 project 3 Samantha Cordingley Apr 16 at 07:07pm

Hi Emma, 

This is a good question! Plant cell walls are thick and are able to withstand a large amount of turgor pressure, making it quite difficult for them to burst due to water alone. Consider other aspects of photosynthesis and…

more

Hi Emma, 

This is a good question! Plant cell walls are thick and are able to withstand a large amount of turgor pressure, making it quite difficult for them to burst due to water alone. Consider other aspects of photosynthesis and think about what may be difficult for the leaf to get when it is submerged in solely water. Hopefully, this helps you think about what else could be slowing the rate of photosynthesis.