Ten Weeks at the Danforth Center: A Summer in Plant Science Research

By Shania Dean-Motley

This summer, I had the opportunity to spend ten weeks at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri, as part of its Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. I conducted research in the Burch-Smith Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Tessa Burch-Smith and Samantha Nuzzi. Coming into the program, I already had experience in basic plant molecular biology techniques from Dr. Sonali Roy's lab in the Dean's Scholars program at Tennessee State University's College of Agriculture, where I have worked since my freshman year. This summer, however, challenged me to expand my technical skills, and learn how to communicate my science more effectively.

(Front Row) Third from the Left: Shania Dean-Motley as part of the Danforth Center's 2026 REU cohort

My research focused on plasmodesmata, microscopic channels that connect neighboring plant cells and allow molecules and signals to move from one cell to another. These channels are important for plant growth, development, responses to environmental stress, and defense against pathogens (Zanini, A. A., & Burch-Smith, T. M. (2024)). My project investigated whether changing components of the plant cell wall could affect intercellular trafficking through plasmodesmata. Specifically, I worked with Nicotiana benthamiana and investigated genes associated with xyloglucan, callose, and pectin.

Techniques I Learnt at the Bench

One of the major techniques I learned was Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS), which allowed me to reduce the expression of specific genes and investigate how the plant responded when those genes were less active. I used Agrobacterium-mediated infiltration to introduce VIGS constructs into plants and then performed RNA extraction, DNase treatment, cDNA synthesis, PCR, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to successfully determine gene silencing. One particularly interesting observation came from the callose portion of my project. While many of the gene-silenced plants did not show an obvious visible phenotype, silencing one of the callose-related genes resulted in stunted plant growth and altered leaf development compared with the control. This demonstrated that reducing the expression of certain cell-wall-related genes could produce noticeable effects on overall plant growth and development.

Shania processing leaf samples

I also gained considerably more experience with molecular cloning. I worked with primer design, PCR amplification, restriction enzyme digestion, DNA ligation, gel electrophoresis, gel extraction, PCR purification, plasmid DNA extraction, bacterial transformation, bacterial cultures, antibiotic selection, and DNA concentration analysis. I applied many of these techniques to build a new VIGS vector targeting a PECTIN METHYLESTERASE (PME) gene, extending the project to another key cell-wall component. Working through these experiments taught me that research rarely follows a perfect path and that troubleshooting is just as important as performing the experiment itself.

One of my favorite parts of the project was using Green fluorescent protein (GFP) movement assays to visualize movement between neighboring cells and test whether gene silencing affected intercellular trafficking. After confirming successful silencing with qPCR, I found that one of the six gene-silenced tissues showed reduced GFP movement compared with the control. These results suggest that individual candidate genes may have different functions and that the gene that reflected slower movement may have a more direct role in regulating plasmodesmatal trafficking through its effects on cell-wall organization.

Experiences I had beyond the bench

The REU experience extended beyond the laboratory. Throughout the summer, we participated in professional-development activities and had opportunities to learn about different areas of plant science and potential career paths. These experiences helped me see how broad the plant-science community is and how research conducted at the bench can eventually contribute to larger challenges in agriculture and plant resilience.

Another major area of growth for me was scientific communication. I received feedback on how to organize my research story, design slides, explain complicated biological concepts to different audiences, and communicate the importance of my results rather than simply presenting data. At the end of the summer, I presented my research at the Danforth Center Summer Research Symposium. Preparing for that presentation pushed me to think differently about my work: I had to understand not only what I had done, but also why I had done it, what my results meant, the limitations of the project, and what questions should come next.

An integrated research and training experience

I left the Danforth Center with new laboratory and scientific communication skills, a stronger understanding of plant cell biology, and much more confidence in my ability to conduct independent research. Most importantly, the experience reinforced why I enjoy research: there is always another question to ask and another opportunity to learn something that was not known before.

This experience also helped shape what I hope to pursue next in my scientific career. My time at the Danforth Center strengthened my desire to pursue a Ph.D. focused on improving the efficiency and sustainability of biofuel production. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Tessa Burch-Smith, Samantha Nuzzi, the members of the Burch-Smith Lab, the Danforth Center REU program, and everyone who supported me throughout the summer.

Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation’s award #2205542 to Sonali Roy. Additional support for the student's participation was provided by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's REU program.