The third class of the Plant Pathways Elucidation Project (P²EP) recently began an 11-week summer of science at the N.C. Research Campus.

This year’s class will not only work in teams to research crops including broccoli, blueberries, strawberries and oats, they will also be involved in cooking demonstrations and community outreach, engaging the public with real-world implications of their lab research. The summer experience is capped off by a symposium on July 29 at the Research Campus.

The 30 P²EP undergraduate interns will continue the research into the characterization of plant fibers, phytochemical metabolites and plant pathways started by previous interns.

The Research Campus’ top scientists and doctoral students will train them in the application of cutting-edge bioinformatics tools and genome sequencing. The interns will work toward specific project goals and contribute to peer-reviewed research that will be published in scientific journals.

“Like Albert Einstein said, ‘Learning is experience. Everything else is just information.’ What we’re doing with P²EP is taking the information the students have taken in over the school year and turning it into real learning,” said Dr. Cory Brouwer, director of bioinformatic services at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

“For myself, when I was an undergrad student, I didn’t truly apply myself until I started working in a lab and saw the application of what I was learning in my classes. After that, classwork became much more interesting,” he said.

While the internship experience is designed to advance a meaningful body of knowledge in the areas of agriculture, nutrition and human health, Dr. Mary Ann Lila, director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, says, “Another important aspect of the program is learning to appreciate and value of diverse perspectives and complementary strengths when part of a transdisciplinary team. Industries of today are seeking these skill sets, and our interns will be better prepared for career opportunities.”

In addition to laboratory research, the interns will share what they are learning and the impact of their research during a brief, weekly presentation, “5-Minute Madness.” Special groups, including STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – educators and participants in the Rubus and Ribes Symposium, an international berry conference, will join the P²EP leadership team as an audience for these professional development exercises.

The interns will also trade their lab coats for aprons to lead a cooking demonstration in partnership with Cabarrus Health Alliance.

Attendees will observe the preparation of a fruit-based salsa that utilizes food ingredients directly related to the intern’s research.

Under direction of Aubrey Mast, the Plants for Human Health Institute’s extension associate in nutrition, the students will share the “take home” message of research-based findings that demonstrate a specific human health benefit that can be attained from certain fruits and spices.

The capstone event of the summer will be a research symposium on July 29 at the Research Campus, where the interns will present an overview of their summer research and participate in a poster competition.