Students part of plant pathways project at N.C. Research Campus

UNC Charlotte chemistry major Alexis Brown is spending her summer participating in a groundbreaking program at the North Carolina Research Campus, exploring the plant pathways of food crops such as blueberries, oats and strawberries. And more.

“We are trying to create the super broccoli,” she said.

At 20, she is one of the youngest members of the contingent of interns participating in the program. In all, there are 40 students representing 12 colleges and high schools. Brown, a rising junior, is one of eight UNC Charlotte students in the program. It’s the second year for the innovative program, called the Plant Pathways Elucidation Project, which focuses on how plants, including fruits and vegetables, benefit human health. The $1.9 million P2EP summer internship program started in early June.

Project leaders describe plant pathways as the chemical reactions in plants that help them adapt to environmental stresses such as disease and climate change. The reactions sometimes create compounds that can benefit human health when consumed. They hope to make discoveries that could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of diseases such as some cancers, heart disease, loss of brain function and macular degeneration.

Angel Tarrier, 29, a senior in biochemistry from Charlotte, learned about the project when she took a tour of the N.C. Research Campus last year and met with student interns who were participating in the research project. When she got home, she immediately sent an email to the organizers expressing her interest in joining this year.

“I am very interested in bio-research and doing this work is an excellent way to introduce myself to this discipline,” she said. “It is challenging work in many aspects because most of us are very new to this kind of research. The instructors are very patient with us and they help us understand how all these divergent aspects can be tied together. It’s really been a lot of fun.”

Cory Brouwer, director of the Bioinformatics Services Division and associate professor of bioinformatics and genomics at UNC Charlotte, described the project as a perfect fit for UNC Charlotte’s mission as an urban research university.

“First of all, it is a great example of what this campus is ready to deliver,” he said. “And it brings together students and faculty for all these universities to collaborate on important research.”

Along with the schools, the initiative includes major corporate partners such as General Mills and Dole Foods.

“We have several Ph.D. students in the program who are working on research while they also get a chance to learn some valuable management and leadership skills,” Brouwer said. “These Ph.D. candidates are gaining experience in how to manage others and how to develop a project and then follow through to get things done.”

The requirements are rigorous. Students put in long days, five days a week, for eight weeks. Despite the demands, Brouwer said it was not a problem attracting qualified candidates.

“Virtually every student who was offered an internship accepted it,” he said. “That says something about the quality of this project.”

A first-generation college student from Winston-Salem, Brown is amazed the University is giving her this opportunity to improve her skills in a real-world setting.

“I’ve always been very proud of UNC Charlotte, but this is another great example of how they do all they can to help students to succeed,” she said. “The first thing they said to me when I got here was want can I do to help you become a success.”