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Born in Colombia and raised in Costa Rica and San Diego, Danilo has harboured a lifelong fascination with plants. His interest in flora, particularly epiphytic plants — those that grow on the surface of other plants — inspired him to pursue a career in plant biology. This led him to choose the Department of Botany & Plant Sciences at the University of California, Riverside, as the ideal environment to cultivate his passion.
The department’s mission is centred around cutting-edge research in plant biology. It provides comprehensive training in the core disciplines of contemporary life science, cell biology, genomics, biotechnology, evolution, ecology, and the structure and function of plants.
Enrolled in the Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Biology, Danilo notes that learning the foundation for how everything in biology works, namely in the organic chemistry class, helped create the building blocks for his understanding today. In fact, studying how plants develop and stay alive is a big part of his current interests. Now in his fourth year, a highlight has been all the research opportunities and projects he’s been invited to participate in.
Indeed, studying in the Department of Botany & Plant Sciences means gaining valuable experience by working closely with faculty mentors on the latest research, using model, native and agricultural plant systems. Danilo has been volunteering in Professor Eulgem’s laboratory, which has given him a better understanding of the fundamentals of research.
“I get to know what genes are particularly helpful for plant immunity response,” he says. “I never imagined that I would get to a point where I would actually partake in this. I always just kind of saw it as a dream but thanks to UC Riverside, I’ve been able to.”
Plant biology students here benefit from hands-on learning opportunities that bridge the gap between theory and practice. Source: University of California, Riverside
Danilo hopes to get his master’s or PhD next, and he’s not the only one. Abby Noguera wants to pursue a PhD, too — one that explores the intersection between ecology and plant genetics. She switched to her current major, a BS in Plant Biology with a concentration in Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology, after her first genetics course.
“Actually, one of the first courses I took at UCR was called Dynamic Genome, and that was really cool because we were given a certain strain of rice and then we got to actually analyse its genome,” she explains. “And that was the first experience I got with actually doing some hands-on research with genetics.”
The experiential learning didn’t end there. Noguera is currently working with a graduate student on research with Ferocactus cylindraceus, which has little structures called extrafloral nectaries. “They secrete nectar when it’s not related to the flower, and the nectar is supposedly for ants which protect the plant,” she explains. “So it’s kind of like a defensive mutualism, which is really interesting, especially since it’s a desert plant.”
It was this level of exposure that gave Noguera a clearer vision of her post-graduation plans. She notes that the university’s network of researchers has been super helpful by offering opportunities and putting her in touch with different people, including someone who just finished their PhD in ecology.
“I always thought that I have to know how to do everything, I have to be so prepared, and I have to act as a professional in all of these things in order to get involved in research, and that’s really not the case,” she says. “The whole point of undergraduate research is it’s a learning opportunity. All it takes is to ask someone, one of your professors or your TAs, and you can get involved with research. It’s very accessible.”
Students here are taught to make careers out of solving global challenges. Source: University of California, Riverside
Another revelation Noguera made here is that she does not have to get her master’s in order to pursue her PhD. Students like Marco De La Torre serve as evidence. After graduating with a BS in Plant Biology, he moved on to a PhD student in Plant Biology — a transition made possible by the support and insights he received from his educators.
“All the professors were just so knowledgeable, and the class sizes were very small, so it allowed me to interact with the professors in a way where I felt like the learning was really one-on-one and personable,” he says. “I was learning things from people who had an entire career already in botany and plant sciences. So I felt like I was just very taken care of when it came to actual knowledge and support.”
De La Torre took part in the Research for Undergraduate programme in the summer of 2022, and that was the first time he got to explore real research. It was here that he learned about graduate school opportunities, which ignited his interest in advancing his knowledge of plant biology. De La Torre currently works in Adam Jozwiak’s lab, where primary research revolves around plant-specialised metabolism.
As a first generation Mexican-American student, De La Torre is a prime example of how putting the work in can lead to outstanding outcomes. He credits the UC Riverside experience for being an endless source of motivation. Looking ahead, De La Torre aims to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship, and to stay within academia, but potentially in another state or country.
“Ideally I want to be somewhere I can use all the skills I’ve been learning throughout my graduate career and apply that to real life,” De La Torre says. “I want to pursue research that has real-world implications, for example, trying to find medications for certain diseases or solving environmental issues that are being faced in agriculture.”
If you have similar aspirations, click here to learn more about the University of California, Riverside’s Department of Botany & Plant Sciences.
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