Meet Alyssa Babb, Research Assistant and NSERC Student Research Award Recipient, working on the Problem of Climate Change Effects for Plants
Alyssa graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Mount Saint Vincent University this past spring, with first class honours. This summer, she is one of the six student recipients of an Undergraduate Student Research Award, from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), including an assistantship position in Dr. Mirwais Qaderi’s lab.
Dr. Qaderi’s research focuses on the effects of climate change on plant physiological processes. He has over 65 research publications to his name and runs a lab supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust and MSVU.
The research project that Alyssa is assisting with explores the roles of various forms of supplemental nitrogen and a plant growth hormone, abscisic acid, in their mitigation of the detrimental effects of climate change either individually or through their interaction.
“So far, it has been interesting to see how a cultivar of canola responds to the various forms of nitrogen and the differences that the plants show from one form to the next” Alyssa shares in reference to the first trial.
“Comparing the different forms of nitrogen allows the agriscience sector to see which form may be better for a certain crop species or how it may aid the plant when facing detrimental climate conditions,” she explains. Alyssa adds that “findings will also aid in understanding the role of the hormone, abscisic acid, during the early stages of plant growth and how it may interact with the various forms of supplemental nitrogen under stressful conditions.”
Alyssa exemplifies the spirit of scientific inquiry in her work and throughout the rest of the summer, she will continue to deepen her knowledge and understanding of not only how climate change affects plants, but also how the agriscience sector may be able to mitigate some of these negative effects.