https://www.gracepruett.com/home daily 1.0 2021-10-04 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d92742119588b3c2dd9155e/1570113066656/mosquito+nectar+culex+male.JPG Home - Yoga Aerobics https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d92754938bd9019ff008eb8/1570113074410/mesocosm+tent.png Home - Instructor Training https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d92b4e7bd89a04f4bdd5a14/1570113302882/IMG_2992%2Bcopy.jpg Home - Who Am I? Want a short introduction to who I am? Click below to read my elevator pitch. https://www.gracepruett.com/about-me daily 0.75 2021-10-04 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d926c9219588b3c2dd8764d/1570113352692/Aro-Ha_1182-copy.jpg About - Grace Pruett I am a biologist with research interests in molecular genetics, plant transgenics, mosquito feeding behaviors, and plant-insect interactions. I research how plants can be modified and used to produce biotechnology applications for solving real-world problems. My current research is developing a nectar-based, toxin delivery platform as an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to pesticides for mosquito population control. Education Baylor University - Waco, TX | Ph.D. Cellular, Molecular, Health, And Disease Biology, 12/2020 Advisor: Christopher Kearney, Ph.D. Dissertation: Constructing a nectar delivery system for mosquito control using Impatiens walleriana Saint Louis University - St Louis, MO | Bachelor of Science Cell Biology And Physiology, 05/2013 Minored in Spanish Graduated magna cum laude https://www.gracepruett.com/research daily 0.75 2021-10-04 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d927a16f74e6868b9513868/1570113371113/ Research - Using Plants to Kill Mosquitoes I study nectar producing plants and their interactions with different insect species from both an ecological and molecular biology perspective. I look to apply this information to develop plant biotech products for insect population control. My current project examines the nectar feeding behaviors of various mosquito species. I monitor the mosquito-attractiveness of several nectar-producing plants, most specifically different species of Impatiens, in both lab and garden settings. Additionally, after identifying the most attractive plants, I genetically transform them into tools for mosquito population control. This requires an intersection between genomic DNA, RNA, and protein analyses to understand how best to modify the plant to accomplish this goal. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d927d2119588b3c2dd9d0ba/1570113382121/mesocosm+tent.png Research - Mosquito Outdoor Nectar-Feeding Behavior Study A recent study by Kearney and Chen showed that Aedes and Culex mosquitoes will preferentially feed on the nectar of Impatiens walleriana (1). Since this study utilized large, indoor cages to test mosquito feeding behaviors, I am interested in seeing if impatiens will maintain this level of attractiveness in its natural environment: a garden. This means not only being outdoors, but also surrounded by potential competitors. This study will be conducted in Texas, Mississippi, and Florida to also measure whether regionality will influence mosquito attractiveness. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d92aa1086595f207b37f78b/1570113393785/pesticide+plant+copy.jpg Research - Mosquito Feeding of Pesticide-Laced Nectar Previous studies have shown that mosquitoes will die after feeding on sugar mixed with pesticides. These traps are known as attractive toxic sugar bates (ATSBs). ATSBs use artificial containers, which may not be the most optimal delivery platform for targeting mosquitoes (2). One alternative platform that could be used is plants. Since mosquitoes do feed on plant nectar, I am interested in seeing if pesticide-laced nectar is capable of killing mosquitoes. This would demonstrate whether toxic nectar is a viable delivery platform for killing mosquitoes. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d9283231b8b1513d8d38b34/1570113419325/dna.png Research - Isolation of Native Impatiens Promoters In order to deliver toxins to mosquitoes, they must first be expressed in the nectar of impatiens. This requires a nectary promoter and nectar signal peptide. Finding a good candidate promoter requires a synthesis of protein, RNA, and DNA analysis. We used a combination of mass spectrometry, RNA-seq, and genomic sequencing to find native promoters in impatiens. We are currently working on transforming impatiens tissue culture with this promoter region to test its efficiency for foreign protein expression. https://www.gracepruett.com/elevator-pitch daily 0.75 2019-10-01 https://www.gracepruett.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-10-04 https://www.gracepruett.com/outreach daily 0.75 2019-10-02 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d95070535bc6f4984f8bc4c/1570048178594/Secret+to+Being+a+Scientist.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d951828a6584d41e0a5cf7e/1570052831645/pswp+slide+copy.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d951986e83e93638aa9a71a/1570052491199/pswp+cegss+slide+copy.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d9508b23254b92f2d750070/1570056515939/Secret+to+Being+a+Scientist.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d9517acd183af03dd867fc1/1570052018679/pswp+slide+copy.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d950b362eb88a6b236e9dda/1570048826459/Mosquitoes+and+Brain+Health+pic+copy.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d952099e6a11c31748ff211/1570054299642/1.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d952099fb61de027b065ad7/1570054302995/10.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d95209935bc6f4984fabb11/1570054303972/9.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d952099afaef17e643bbaae/1570054303778/11.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d952099f1b8cc4d58e95efb/1570054300064/8.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d952099f1b8cc4d58e95efc/1570054300186/7.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d95209ae83e93638aaa2553/1570054301432/6.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d95209b728b771672b9809e/1570054301619/5.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d95209be83e93638aaa2558/1570054301721/4.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d95209c728b771672b980aa/1570054302658/3.jpg Outreach https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/5d9517fb8bb63364633801f9/5d95209ce6a11c31748ff228/1570054302899/2.jpg Outreach https://www.gracepruett.com/teaching daily 0.75 2019-10-03 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d96277b35bc6f4984074fc1/1570121602187/dna+pic.jpg Teaching https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d961d03fb61de027b1209c4/1570118930376/ Teaching https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d963980459dcb12b7cda843/1570126217324/environmental-protection-326923.jpg Teaching https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d961cf23254b92f2d8284d7/1570118908336/ Teaching https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d96278be6a11c31749c9813/1570121619898/dna+pic.jpg Teaching https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d899046b117307b613dc7fd/t/5d963632459dcb12b7cd6271/1570125377708/ Teaching https://www.gracepruett.com/blog daily 0.75 2020-03-04 https://www.gracepruett.com/blog/building-a-website-with-wordpress monthly 0.5 2021-10-04