A Study of Trichome Expression in Brassica rapa and Future Educational Opportunities – Natalie Tupper, Sophie Carr, Kimberli Ward

Our research will use a QTL analysis to identify the location and nature of genes in the Brassica rapa genome that condition the expression of trichomes, hair-like tissues that form on leaves of seedlings. The results of this analysis will be valuable for enriching education about quantitative genetics at both the high school and undergraduate level. There are many more instructional tools currently available to teach Mendelian genetics, but very few that address quantitative genetics. The current research will provide students a hands-on educational experience in a very important, but underrepresented, area of science.