Jessica Fletcher, Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Sara Branco’s lab, is one of the 2023 recipients of the CSP New Investigator Award. The award is given by the Joint Genome Institute, part of the Dept. of Energy, and is slightly different from a traditional grant in that it awards sequencing power to accepted proposals rather than money.  Jessica’s proposal is titled “Zinc tolerance in the Pinus contorta-Sullus tomentosus ectomycorrhizal system”.  She will be using whole genome sequencing and transcriptomics to investigate the relationship between the mycorrhizal fungus Suillus tomentosus and it’s pine tree partner under zinc stress.

Congratulations Jessica!