Employed as a Student Research Technician from Fall 2021 through Fall of 2022, I provided aid to Dr. Michael Thomson and PhD student Leornard Herndon in a  project utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 on hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) to prevent synthesis of delta 9-tetrahydrocannbinol (D9-THC). Funded by Growing Together Research, this project is aimed to eliminating the risk of growing non-compliant hemp (<0.3% D9-THC) thus aiding Texas hemp farmers in producing a hemp crop with consistent compliance. I preformed many tasks in the laboratory including maintaining the health of transgenic hemp plants in growth chambers, performing acclimation of hemp tissue culture plantlets, DNA isolation protocols, PCR testing, E. Coli culturing, tissue culture of rice, maintenance of transgenic duckweed, and managed overall maintenance, organization, and sterility of a 1500 sq ft genomic laboratory. 

Employed as a Student Research Technician since December of 2021, I have been conducting hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) research with Dr. Russell Jessup and have been aiding in indoor controlled environment, greenhouse, and field cultivation of hemp. Throughout my time at the Industrial Hemp Breeding Laboratory, I have been developing a method of measuring hemp flower maturity and high-throughput  phenotyping to aid breeding selection by utilizing trichome microscopy.  I have additionally been involved with conducting high-performace liquid chromotography (HPLC) protocols using Orange Photonics LightLab, conducting hemp embryo rescue, optimizing clonal propagation protocols, developing a hemp intergrated pest management program, and more. My time at the laboratory has additionally allowed opportunities to attend plant science conventions and competitions including the Texas Cannabis Policy Conference, the Texas Hemp Summit, the EarthX expo, the ASA/CSSA/SSA International Annual Meeting, and the Taste of Texas Hemp Cup.