Undergraduate Research Mentoring Opportunities
The Raizada Lab is always interested in recruiting talented undergrads as (1) part-time work-study students, (2) 4th years honours research project students or as (3) summer students (URA/USRA-NSERC): these are the 3 basic streams of entry into a research lab at the University of Guelph (please see the links below).
Since 2001, the Raizada Lab has offered research placements for >22 undergraduate researchers. These students have gone on to M.D. programs, M.Sc./Ph.D. programs, teacher’s college, government agencies, and the private sector. Many have travelled the world after they left the lab to explore different cultures and opportunities. One former student, Arani Kajenthira, recently won a 2006 Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University to pursue Ph.D. studies, the only Rhodes awarded to a student attending an Ontario university that year. Another student, Rohit Makhijani, built the Global CropLink Database from scratch (http://www.maizelink.org), later attending software conferences in Las Vegas and San Diego to present his research. More recently, Etienne Papineau, gave a lecture at The International Maize and Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in Mexico about CropLink. Jonathan Polonsky recently built the AlternativeCropsCanada.org online engine to promote agricultural biodiversity in Canada. Several students have conducted large genetic mutant screens and natural variation screens as part of our stem cell regeneration project. Others have undertaken bioinformatics projects or projects involving plant molecular genetics, plant tissue culture and physiology. Others have provided invaluable assistance in the greenhouse. Several students are co-authors on scientific posters and abstracts at national and international conferences, and several are expected to be co-authors on research publications. In short, Guelph undergraduates have made very significant contributions to research in the Raizada Laboratory and in the real world.
The Raizada Lab offers a supportive and friendly environment for training. We particularly like students who enjoy food! Entry is competitive, but exemplary grades are only one measure of potential. We encourage students from diverse academic backgrounds to apply (computer science, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, engineering, environmental science, plant biology, plant agriculture, etc.). Please contact Prof. Raizada (Raizada@uoguelph.ca) if you are interested in pursuing research in the lab. Please attach an (unofficial) copy of your transcript and a brief description of your research interests.
Here are some links to help get you started:
University of Guelph Work-Study Program (financial need-based)
http://www.uoguelph.ca/studfin/ws.shtml
NSERC Undergrad Summer Student Research Assistantships (USRA)(>80% avg required)
http://www.nserc.gc.ca/sf_e.asp?nav=sfnav&lbi=1a
(also refer to www.plant.uoguelph.ca website in January for Departmental opportunities)
Undergraduate Research Assistantships (URA) (financial need-based)
http://www.uoguelph.ca/studfin/ura.htm
(also refer to www.plant.uoguelph.ca website in January for Departmental opportunities)
Federal Student Work Experience Program
http://www.jobs-emplois.gc.ca/fswep-pfete/student/index_e.htm
Ontario Summer Job Service
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/summerjobs.html
Ontario Summer Experience Program (SEP)
http://www.gov.on.ca/MBS/english/summer/exp_over.html
Campus Jobs
http://www.careerservices.uoguelph.ca/home/ses_jobs.cfm
Guelph Career Services
http://www.careerservices.uoguelph.ca/home/
Ontario Youth Website
http://www.cedr.gov.on.ca/cedr/ecds.nsf/byentrytitle/Youth%20Development
Raizada Laboratory Current and Former Undergraduate Researchers
If you are a former student, please contact Manish to say hello update us about what you are currently doing!!
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS, Raizada Lab |
Name |
Position |
Project |
Date |
Current Position |
Amelio The |
Undergrad |
Meristem regeneration |
Summer 2006 |
B.A.Sc. UGuelph |
Natalie Dimeo |
Undergrad |
Arabidopsis Regeneration |
2006-2007 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Michael Tessaro |
Undergrad |
Biosensor Engineering |
2006-2007 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Mike Pautler |
Undergrad |
Arabidopsis Regeneration |
2006-2007 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Julian Barkin |
Undergrad |
Database analysis of recombination frequencies to predict positional cloning efforts |
12/05-5/06 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Salome Ndungu |
Undergrad |
Expression analysis during Arabidopsis meristem regeneration: role of ethylene |
12/05-8/06 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Jonathan Polansky |
Undergrad |
Computer Database/Website development |
10/05-4/06 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Etienne Papineau |
Undergrad |
Arabidopsis regeneration, greenhouse assistant |
9/05-current |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Carly Wight |
Undergrad |
Computer Database development/Maize Embryogenesis |
Summer 2004 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Devon Radford |
Undergrad |
Computer Database development |
Summer 2004 |
B.Sc. UGuelph |
Tomas Grana |
Undergrad |
Molecular biology, plant hormone analysis, microcopy, plant transformation; analysis of endogenous plant hormones |
Summer 2003 |
M.Sc. student, Univ of Guelph |
Dorett Lewis |
Undergrad |
Plant tissue culture; mutant screening |
Summer 2003 |
B.Sc.(Agr) U.Guelph |
May Quach |
Undergrad |
mutant screening; establishing light/hormone/tissue conditions for Arabidopsis regeneration screen |
Summer 2003 |
Government of Ontario, Min. of the Environment |
Patricia Wilkinson |
NSERC
Undergrad |
mutant screening; establishing light/hormone/tissue conditions for Arabidopsis regeneration screen |
Summer 2003 |
M.D. student, Univ. of Toronto |
Adam Morris |
Undergrad |
Selection of luciferase-containing transformants |
10/02-5/03 |
B.Sc. Univ of Guelph |
Sasha Hollett |
Undergrad |
Selection of luciferase-containing transformants |
10/02-5/03 |
B.Sc.(Agr) U.Guelph |
Steve Dinka |
Undergrad |
Plant tissue culture; molecular biology, plant growth; effects of light quality (R/FR) and light/dark shifting on Arabidopsis regeneration |
Summer 2002;
9/02-5/03 |
M.Sc. Student
Univ Toronto (Environmental Sci) |
Arani Kajenthira |
NSERC
Undergrad |
Plant tissue culture; molecular biology, plant growth, natural variation screening of root regeneration in 60 Arabidopsis ecotypes |
Summer 2002; Summer 2004
Summer 2005 |
Ph.D. Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar |
Ewa Dziewieka |
Undergrad |
High-throughput plant transformation of luciferase (30,000 plants); analysis of transformants |
Summer 2003
Summer 2002;
1/03-5/03 |
M.D. student, Poland |
Rohit Makhijani |
Undergrad |
Software programming for Dept.of Plant Agriculture website; converting courses to online materials for Distance Education |
Summer 2002 |
Private sector, software; consultant for Raizada Lab CropLink project |
Sara Deckert |
Undergrad |
Web design for Dept. of Plant Agriculture website |
Summer 2002 |
Graphics design student, Humber College |
Mary-Anne Brooymans |
Undergrad |
Maize TypeII tissue culture; tissue analysis of cell-cycle GUS markers involved in regeneration; Effects of high auxin shifting on Arabidopsis regeneration |
1/02-4/02; 8/02-5/03 |
Science Teacher, Ontario |
Ovik Bannerjee |
Undergrad |
Effects of cotyledon tissue age on Arabidopsis regeneration |
1/02-4/02; 9/02-5/03 |
B.Sc.(Agr) U.Guelph |
Aubrey Keeling |
Undergrad |
Effects of organ position and type on Arabidopsis regeneration |
1/02-4/02; 9/02-5/03 |
B.Sc. U.Guelph |
Jennie English |
Undergrad |
Effects of early light-shifting and hormone-shifting on Arabidopsis regeneration |
1/02-4/02; 1/03-5/03 |
B.Sc.(Agr) U.Guelph |
Erin Hewitt |
Undergrad |
Natural variation in Arabidopsis stem cell regeneration |
5/2001-8/2001 |
M.D. graduated from Univ. of Western Ontario |
Grant Support Received to Create Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Agency |
Purpose |
Amount |
Duration |
Raizada Lab Total (last 5 years) |
|
(approx)$45,000 |
Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA) |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$4500 |
Summer 2006 |
Ontario Summer Experience Program |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$1,500 |
Summer 2005 |
NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantship (USRA) |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$4500 |
Summer 2005 |
Ontario Summer Job Service |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$1,500 |
Summer 2004 |
NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantship (USRA) |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$4500 |
Summer 2004 |
NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantship (USRA) |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$4500 |
Summer 2003 |
Government of Canada HRDC |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$2500 |
Summer 2003 |
Ontario Work-Study Program |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$1,500 |
2002-2003 |
Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) |
Undergrad computer training/department website/supervising transfer of courses online |
$4000 |
Summer 2002 |
Government of Canada HRDC |
Undergrad research assistantships |
$10,000 (4 awards) |
Summers 2002 |
Ontario Work-Study Program |
Undergrad research assistantships |
$2000 |
Summer 2002 |
Government of Canada HRDC |
Undergrad research assistantship |
$2500 |
Summers 2001 |
|