• ST. LOUIS, MO. August 7, 2012 – Aadaisia Paris Stevens, a student at Gateway STEM High School, had the distinct honor of being mentored by some of the region’s best and brightest scientists as part of the 2012 Students and Teachers as Research Scientists Program (STARS) at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

     

    STARS provides high-potential high school students with an intense six-week summer program in either anthropology, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth science, engineering, or psychology at one of the collaborating research institutions: Saint Louis University, Washington University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, or Solae Company.

     

    Aadaisia Paris Stevens was selected for a laboratory apprenticeship with Dr. Ivan Baxter and Dr. Terry Woodford-Thomas, scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. While there, Aadaisia used state-of-the-art technology, such as DNA sequencing and PCR, to determine how maize acquires cadmium from the environment. Her results, summarized in a research report entitled “Sequence Analysis of a Candidate Gene for High Cadmium in Maize,” will help scientists limit the uptake of cadmium as its presence in food poses a health risk.

     

    STARS is funded partially through LMI Aerospace/D3 Technologies, the Office of the Chancellor of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Saint Louis University, Washington University, Green Foundation, and Solae Company. For more information regarding the program please contact Ken Mares at 314-516-6155 or maresk@umsl.edu.

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