Due to Covid-19, the VT-REEL program was conducted online and remote in summer 2020, with fellows conducting research at home using provided kits. The program started on May 26, 2020 with a half-day orientation held via Zoom. Fellows met regularly with a faculty mentor team, as they investigated abiotic plant stressors and analyzed complex RNA-seq data sets. New this year - a journal club! Throughout the summer, fellows also participated in weekly scientific workshops, an online advanced research skills certificate, and the annual (virtual) Summer Research Symposium. The gallery below provides highlights of the summer.

Articles read in journal club included:

• Campos-Soriano et al., 2020. Molecular Plant Pathology 21(4)
• Pashalidou et al., 2020. Science 368(6493)
• Shaw et al., 2016. Journal of Food Protection 79(12)

"It was challenging keeping up the motivation throughout the program [but] I really enjoyed designing my own experiment. I felt like the research was important and actually contributed to something."

"It was a lot of work [doing VT-REEL online] but it is nice looking back at how my thinking has changed throughout the program."

Screenshot of a panel discussing, featuring former VT-REEL fellows.

Screenshot of a scientific workshop

GTS Caitlin giving a lab demonstration

Phosphate-related figure from Pan et al., 2019. Trends in Plant Science 24(8)

Meme submitted by a VT-REEL fellow