Heller Looks at Plant Protein Less Active in Space

Ava Heller works in the lab of Dr. Sarah Wyatt.

Ohio University undergraduate student Ava Heller will present a poster at the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research meeting in Denver, CO., Nov. 20-23.

“This project essentially looks at a protein that was less activated in space than on Earth,” Heller said. “I am growing plants that don’t have a functioning version of this protein and seeing how it affects their growth, specifically in respect to their response to gravity and light.” 

Heller is attending the conference with Dr. Sarah Wyatt, Professor of Environmental & Plant Biology. and graduate student Alexander Meyers. 

Heller presents a poster on “The Role of AHA2 In the Interface of Gravitropism and Phototropism.”

The ASGSB was founded in 1984 and has provided a forum for scientists and engineers in government, academia, and the corporate world to exchange ideas about how organisms and systems respond to gravity.

This year, the Ohio University senior is excited to network, attend discussions about space and gravitational research, and “think about how big space is!” Heller says.