College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences (BCAS)
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-03 18:40:10
Major
Biology
Honors Course
3100:499 Sr Honors Prog in Biology
Number of Credits
3
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Winter 2019
Abstract
The research project focused on evaluating 3 different factors in creating a plant hormone lab module for Principles of Biology II lab. The main hormone of focus was brassinosteroid. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, brassinosteroids promote cell elongation, cell division, root growth, and seed germination. Three goals were established to create the most efficient lab module possible. First, mutant (bes1,bri1) root length was assessed without addition of brassinolide (BL), a synthetic brassinosteroid. Then, ½ MS and ½ MS + 20% sucrose plates were compared to see which media produced the greatest difference in root growth between the mutant lines. The effect of brassinosteroids in the root growth assay was also assessed in this project with two different application methods: before germination and after germination. The results showed that bri1 seeds had the longest roots and bes1 seeds had shorter roots compared to the wildtype, as expected. Second, plates that contain 20% sucrose provided the best conditions for observing differences in root growth. Finally, application of BL was shown to be better after germination, but the most suitable solvent still needed to be determined. With a better development of the application of BL and more seed production from bri1 plants, the lab module could be ready for students to learn from it.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Konopka
First Reader
Dr. Londraville
Second Reader
Dr. Wiley
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. Bagatto
Recommended Citation
El-Kulak, Ahmed, "Plant Hormone Lab Module: Assessing Different Factors to Create the Most Effective Lab" (2019). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1002.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1002