I work in Professor Chan Yul Yoo’s lab in the School of Biological Sciences. The lab explores how plants sense environmental conditions, such as light, temperature, and other changes, and then respond by reprogramming their growth at the cellular and molecular level. My current project focuses on Micro-Tom, a miniature tomato variety that is widely used as a model crop in plant species. Micro-Tom is small, fast-growing, and easy to grow in limited space, making it ideal not only for lab experiments, but also for space research. In fact, Micro-Tom plants have been grown aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Developing Micro-Tom lines that thrive under low-light conditions and withstand heat stress could someday facilitate farming on the Moon and Mars.

My project, ‘Improving Thermotolerance in the Crop Micro-Tomato,’ addresses a critical challenge: how to help agricultural crops adapt to a warming climate. We’re testing whether adding extra copies of a protective gene called NCP can enhance heat tolerance in micro-tomatoes. NCP helps prevent protein clumping inside cells, protecting vital structures like chloroplasts, which power plant growth. If successful, this type of genetic modification could be applied to other crops.

Over the summer, I worked full-time on the project with support from the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. I also co-authored a paper published in Plant Physiology titled ‘Light-regulated dual-targeting of NUCLEAR CONTROL OF PEP ACTIVITY establishes photomorphogenesis via interorganellar communication.’ Next year, I’ll present this research at the ASPB annual conference in Ottawa alongside Professor Yoo.

Outside of science, I’m a very artistic person. One of my favorite creative outlets is doing nails for friends and family. I’m actually a certified nail technician in Ecuador. Becoming a technician taught me a lot about how I learn best: through hands-on practice, repetition, and persistence. I’ve carried this approach into my academic life as well—reviewing concepts from multiple angles helps them truly stick.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to pursue a career in research and plan to apply to graduate programs after completing my degree at the University of Utah. My advice to incoming freshmen: don’t compare yourself to others. You’re here to learn, and growth happens at your own pace.

by Abigail Bruzual, undergraduate student in the School of Biological Sciences