Joseph Redmond, 2018, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Joseph Redmond ’18

I worked at the Abisko Research Station nestled next to Abisko National Park above the arctic circle in Sweden with Paul Gauthier, PhD. For this project, my team went out every day into the forest to gather data from the local white birches. We were looking to uncover the metabolic process behind arctic plants which experience 24 hours of sunlight for weeks at a time without rest. We were searching for counterexamples to the newly-discovered phenomenon that most common plants need a regular period of darkness to be able to fix nitrogen from their environment, while arctic plants do not. My daily schedule included working with gas-exchange instruments, taking measurements of the leaves in response to stimuli in the field. We have shed a little light on the mechanism of plant metabolisms. This internship allowed me to see science from the angle of discovery, which reignited my passion for scientific study. I also was able to discover a new culture in Sweden, and learn about the process of research on an international scale.