Undergraduate Research in Plant Pathology student Brandon Pfannenstiel was awarded a competitive Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) STAR traineeship. Brandon will characterize the molecular interaction between a nuclear export signal of a transcription factor and a nuclear exportin, which transports protein cargo out of the cell nucleus. The study involves the key regulator of nitrogen metabolic genes in Aspergillus nidulans, a genetic model fungus for pathogenic Aspergillus species that infect corn, peanuts and onions. The STAR award provides $10,000 for Brandon to conduct undergraduate research for his senior year with faculty mentor Dr Richard Todd. Brandon also won a $3,000 Microscopy Society of America Undergraduate Research Scholarship to fund his work on a related project characterizing the subcellular localization of mutant variants of the transcription factor.

Brandon Pfannenstiel, a junior enrolled in Undergraduate Research in Plant Pathology and working towards the Applied Genomics and Biotechnology Minor, won a poster prize at the Gamma Sigma Delta 2013 College of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Showcase held April 26. His presentation was entitled "Analysis of mutants selected for loss of function of the nuclear export sequence of a GATA transcription factor". Brandon also placed in the undergraduate poster prizes awarded at the recent 2013 K-State Research Forum. His mentor is Dr. Richard Todd.

 

Congratulations Brandon!