Environmental Internship Program - 2022 Booklet

BIODIVERSITY AND
CONSERVATION
Heather Madsen ’24
GEOSCIENCES
Certificate: Archaeology
PROJECT TITLE
Hydroponic Investigation
of Isotopic Fractionation
in Arabidopsis
ORGANIZATION(S)
Higgins Lab, Department
of Geosciences,
Princeton University
LOCATION(S)
Princeton, New Jersey
MENTOR(S)
John Higgins, Associate
Professor of Geosciences;
Mason Scher, Ph.D.
candidate, Geosciences
I aimed to determine the role of nutrient
availability in the selective incorporation of
nutrient isotopes into the corpus of Arabidopsis
plants. Metal fractionation is a trophic trend that
allows researchers to use isotopic composition to
place different species in their respective niches
within ecological systems past and present.
This provides an advanced understanding of
ecological interconnectivity that deepens our
understanding of past trophic relationships,
underscoring the evolution of specific niches
over time. This has not only profound geological
implications but also offers insight into
conservation potential. Trophic cascades are one
of the major side effects of resource depletion,
and the identification of these cascades would be
aided by advancements in scientific research on
isotopic fractionation up the trophic pyramid.
The trends observed in the Arabidopsis I grew
will ultimately provide a baseline of autotrophic
fractionation to demonstrate the significance of
the selective physiological uptake of calcium,
magnesium, and potassium isotopes. My initial
research functioned to isolate and address
unforeseen issues to streamline future growth,
but repetition of this experimental model will
undoubtedly be required to provide optimal
results. I plan to continue this research for
independent work this fall.
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