Story and photos by Logan Jackson
- Adam Muellersman – senior environmental sciences major
- Research Mentor: Sam Lord, assistant research professor and soil ecologist in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource
Adam Muellersman’s time at Mizzou has included a handful of exciting research opportunities. He said his most recent experience has been the perfect fit.
Muellersman, a senior environmental sciences major, has spent the summer studying the microbial communities in soil samples from both Tucker Prairie and Sanborn Field. Tucker Prairie is a 146-acre tract of land that has never been plowed. Sanborn Field is the oldest, continuous experimental field west of the Mississippi River. Both are managed by Mizzou. Muellersman is researching the similarities and differences between them to see how inputs into agricultural fields, like Sanborn, influence the microbial communities.
“I’m using a method called shotgun metagenomics, which will be able to show us what microbes are living in the soil and what proteins they are producing,” Muellersman said. “The goal is to really see everything going on in the soil.”
Muellersman conducted his research through the laboratory of Sam Lord, an assistant research professor and soil ecologist in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. He first connected with Lord through an introductory soils course.
“That class piqued my interest in soils because he was so passionate about the subject,” Muellersman said. “He mentioned his research in soil microbiology, which I didn’t know much about, and it sounded really cool. I then took another course with him, and he mentioned another research project. I started talking to him about opportunities in his lab and was excited to start working with him.”
During those conversations, Muellersman also mentioned the Cherng Summer Scholars program. The program, supported by a gift from Peggy and Andrew Cherng, is a nine-week research or creative scholarship program for Mizzou students pursuing the Honors Certificate. The program allows students to participate in individually designed projects under the mentorship of a Mizzou faculty member. Lord was thrilled to serve as his mentor.
“He immediately was on board, which was very appreciated,” Muellersman said. “Being part of the program was very rewarding. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the research everyone in the program was doing. It was exciting to see the breadth of research supported across campus through the scholarship.”
Along with collecting soil samples from the ground and from the roots of crops and plants this summer, Muellersman performed DNA extractions and sent those samples to the MU Genomics Technology Core. He also ran full soil health tests. Once Muellersman receives the sequencing data, he said he’ll be able to understand what proteins are being produced.
Both the DNA extractions and the soil health tests were incredibly familiar to Muellersman, as he had run both procedures in previous research experiences. He spent time at the Soil Health Assessment Center and learned DNA extractions through a biochemistry-focused research laboratory. They’re both skills that Muellersman has developed over three years in a variety of research labs.
“It’s funny because I didn’t really see myself getting too involved in research while at Mizzou,” Muellersman said. “Once I got started, though, I just wanted to keep doing more. It’s been great to be around passionate faculty, especially Dr. Lord. It’s nice to be in a lab that features work I’m truly invested in.”