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This posting is for a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the U.S. NSF Engineering Research Center, Transformation of American Rubber through Domestic Innovation for Supply Security (NSF TARDISS). The candidate will work on the project described below and attend other center-wide research and professional development opportunities. There is a $6000 stipend for the 8-week REU. 

UC Merced-1: Investigating Plant-Soil Feedback in Guayule Cultivation
Senior Investigator: Jason Sexton and Joshua Garcia
Student Mentor(s): LaMonika Dent
Project Description: Current imported US rubber supplies are threatened by economic and environmental volatility. Guayule, a drought-tolerant shrub native to the Chihuahuan Desert, can serve as an alternative natural rubber crop and be scaled to production in regions such as California's San Joaquin Valley. The selected intern will assist with laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments to investigate plant-soil feedbacks in guayule crop production. They will obtain experience in soil health assessments, plant phenotyping, natural rubber extraction and quantification, and data analysis.