Q. What are the possible real-world applications for your study? 

Johnson: My model organism, Chattonella subsalsa, is a known harmful algal bloom species implicated in fish kills. Harmful algal blooms are already problematic all around the world and may increase and shift due to climate change. Increased nitrate in the environment is a risk factor for blooms, so knowing about C. subsalsa nitrate reductase could be very helpful in managing them before blooms even occur. 

On another note, one of the nitrate reductase forms used by C. subsalsa contains a sequence segment that suggests it is regulated in the same way as in plants that grow on land. It was the first algae discovered to share this with land plants. Thus, it raises interesting evolutionary and environmental questions about how this nitrate reductase form came to be the way that it is. 

Q. What is a typical day like? 

Johnson: Every day is a little different. My project hinges on a nitrate reductase assay, a laboratory analysis that is very time-consuming. On days when I'm running experiments, the assay consumes most of my working hours. On days when I'm not running the assay, I monitor and care for my algal cultures, analyze my data from previous experiments, read papers in the beautiful Cannon Library on UD's Lewes Campus, and make sure that any materials I need for future experiments are whipped up or replenished. The University funds workshops for Marine Science Summer Scholars and REU [Research Experiences for Undergraduates] students together, so on some days, I am not in the lab at all. I’ve gotten trained to operate small boats. We also traveled to Rutgers to meet undergrad researchers there and talk about our projects. 

Q. What hurdles or learning curves have you overcome in the work?

Johnson: Any project involving cultured organisms (especially algae) is inherently limited by the health and availability of cultures. You always have to make sure that your cultures are healthy and in enough volume to provide samples for your next experiment in order to get the replication you want. Also, in general, as a student whose background in biochemistry has been, up to this point, only in the classroom, there is a steep learning curve associated with using the techniques and tools of the field. But the graduate students and faculty and postdocs have always been kindly willing to help me and answer my questions when I've had them, which has made things a lot less stressful. And with science in general, nothing ever goes exactly according to plan and you just have to be emotionally prepared for that at all times and do what you can with the data you've got.

Q. What advice would you give younger students (middle/high school) with similar interests? 

Johnson: Start research as soon as you can, but also know that it is never too late to start (I didn’t do my first research until I was halfway done with college). Learn a coding language early on. If you meet somebody who does cool science, ask them about what they do. DO. NOT. BE. SHY. I have almost without exception regretted the times when I was shy. Don’t let mistakes stop your progress because you will make many; make the best of them. Whatever you do, do something that you can get enthusiastic about. 

Q. What are your career aspirations?

Johnson: I don't know exactly what kind of career I want, but I do want to continue research through graduate school. I would like to do some teaching and mentoring at some point in my career since I have had so many mentors whose support I feel I can pay forward.

Q.  What do you enjoy when you are not doing research? 

Johnson: I like to sing, cook, herp (walk outside in search of reptiles and amphibians) and go to the beach.