Scientific Experience

Over the past several years, I worked in the NC State Plant Transformation Laboratory under the guidance of Dr. Kedong Da, gaining extensive experience in plant tissue culture, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and media preparation. I managed a strawberry transformation project and supported additional research on sweet potato and maize, contributing to construct preparation, explant regeneration, and the antibiotic- and GFP-based selection of transformants. My work included maintaining sterile culture conditions, preparing specialized media formulations, and documenting experimental progress to ensure reproducibility and data integrity. I also trained new interns on tissue culture techniques, experimental design, and laboratory safety practices. Beyond wet-lab work, I developed skills in data collection, organization, and figure creation for presentations and publications. I presented my sweet potato transformation research at NC State’s Emerging Research Showcase and Elo Life Sciences’ 2-Minute Pitch Competition. This experience strengthened my technical abilities, scientific communication skills, and adaptability in a BSL-2 laboratory environment.