Lucia Strader, PhD, assistant professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has received a five-year, $866,000 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research titled “Roles for Indole-3-butyric Acid in Plant Development.”
The proposed experiments aim to increase understanding of the role that Indole-3-butyric acid (an inactive auxin precursor) plays in plant development. The grant also supports research opportunities and the creation of a related cell biology lab course for undergraduate students, who will present their work at the university’s Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Strader is an auxin expert, and the research also will be used at the Missouri Local Auxin Meeting and for outreach initiatives for children and young adults in the St. Louis area.
The NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award program supports junior faculty who model the role of teacher-scholar through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the missions of their organizations.