Nick Rajtar is part of an MITPPC-funded team led by Robert Blanchette and Kathryn Bushley. Check out this profile's companion piece, "Fungal Friends and Foes," and Q+A with project member Benjamin Held.
SPOTLIGHT SERIES
Master's Student | he/him/his
Can you give a quick overview of your work with MITPPC?
I am involved in identifying canker-causing fungi associated with the emerald ash borer (EAB). In general, I take wood samples from the field, and culture any fungi I find on the wood back in the laboratory. Then I isolate the fungal cultures into pure samples for DNA sequencing and identification.
About the Author
Caro Silvola is a Communications Intern with the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC). She is a double major in Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering and English Literature and is highlighting research-community partnerships in the summer of 2019. Outside of the office, Caroline likes biking, making art, exploring, volunteering in her community and participating in environmental movement spaces.