The Principle of Professors: Dr. Briana Gross
This article was originally published in the October print edition of The Bark, distributed at the University of Minnesota Duluth campus.
Dr. Briana Gross presenting on the domesticated apple. Photo by Ken Wurdack - the Plant Press
Professors serve our community in a variety of ways; educating students on different topics, adding onto and growing public academia and engaging in different research opportunities.
Dr. Briana Gross is one of these professors. She has spent 14 years at UMD in the Biology Department, serving our college and scientific community through her research and passion for teaching.
“As a professor, you never stop learning and generating new knowledge,” Gross said. “There’s this constant state of excitement about getting to know your subject area better and understanding the field in a greater depth.”
Gross studies plant evolutionary genetics, and has been doing research ever since she began her Ph.D. in 2001. She believes that being a professor and conducting research is a way to expand her “toolbox.”
“The fundamental principles of genetics are all the same, but the way we can access that information has advanced tremendously,” Gross said. “Things keep moving; you are constantly challenged as an individual to learn new things and to master new skills. It’s not always easy, but it’s very fulfilling.”
For her, seeing her students excel in something they’ve struggled with is one of those fulfilling moments. It is not only satisfying for her students to learn new concepts in class, but it’s satisfying for her.
“The first few times you teach it, you learn a lot as a professor,” Gross said. “Even if it’s stuff you already know, you learn the details in a deeper way. Students will ask me questions that cause me to do some research and find something else out.”
Dr. Gross added that students don’t need to be computer scientists to analyze data in experiments, they just need to be willing to practice their skills. Anyone can do it if they are willing to try.
“I didn’t have those computer skills when I became a professor,” Gross said. “I had to learn all of them as the tools were being developed. If you are going into any field, you have to be willing to continuously learn new things. It’s just part of the process.”
Why Genetics?
Dr. Briana Gross received her Bachelor of Science as a Biology major and Chemistry minor in 2001 at Willamette University in Oregon. She continued her education and received her Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology with a Genetics minor in 2007 at Indiana University. But the question is: why genetics?
What first appeared as just a green smear quickly became so much more once Gross began recognizing plants. “It’s like learning another language,” Gross shared. Plants are organisms that share the planet with us and are always there, but they speak a different language. When you learn to identify them, it’s like you can finally understand what they’re saying to you. The information is there, but you need the skills of a geneticist to access it. “It’s very exciting — all of this stuff is there just sitting in their genomes waiting to be understood.”
Apple Trees in Duluth
A research project that Dr. Gross considers to be the most fun focused on domesticated apples which allowed her to interact with the general public. She and her colleagues ran a research program where they genetically identified unknown apple trees in Duluth and determined what variety they were by comparing them to the USDA National Apple Germplasm collection.
In order to get the public involved, they would set up booths at local farmers' markets and ask if anyone had unknown apple trees they wanted to identify. “We would tell them to bring us some leaves and to give us their contact information,” Gross said. “When we extracted the DNA and identified the apple, we would send them an email to let them know what kinds of apples their tree had.”
It was discovered that one variety of apple was really common in Duluth: the Haralson apple. They are bred to be cold, hardy apples — perfect for the harsh conditions of northern climates in Minnesota.
“People love their apple trees,” Gross said. “It was really fun to talk to people about them, and it was a rewarding project in terms of interacting with the public.”
This research project was made possible by a grant, allowing undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience and become co-authors on the published paper.
Evolution in Action
A research project Dr. Gross considers to be one of her more successful endeavors was when she collaborated with Dr. Julie Etterson from the Biology Department to study evolution. They compared sunflower seeds that were collected and stored 36 years ago with new seeds collected from the same locations in Minneapolis.
In order to conduct this experiment, Dr. Gross and her colleagues grew the old seeds in Duluth, where the climate was similar to Minneapolis 36 years ago. They used warming chambers to simulate the current Minneapolis climate.
“We found that the modern plants flowered earlier, which is what you would predict for them to do under a warmer environment,” Gross said. “They also had run out of their genetic capacity to evolve further.”
Dr. Gross explained that if any organism evolves rapidly, it can run out of genetic variation. A fundamental theorem of evolution says that without genetic variation, an organism cannot continue to adapt.
Advice to Students
Dr. Gross believes that if students are interested in research, they should talk to faculty and focus on trying new things.
“I love plant evolutionary genetics, but when I started as an undergraduate, I thought I wanted to do toxicology,” Gross shared. “I did that research for a summer, and I was like, ‘I’m not getting any happiness from this.’” Dr. Gross advises students to follow their curiosity but also not to be afraid to change course if a path doesn’t feel right.
Dr. Gross also added, “You can find somebody who does something similar to what you’re interested in by learning about our faculty. It’s going to take a little bit of effort to reach out.”
As a first step for Biology Majors or students looking for research opportunities in STEM, Dr. Gross suggests attending the Biology Research Seminars held every Friday at 3 p.m. in Life Science 185.
"It’s a sampler of the types of different research that people are doing," Gross said. "It's extremely low stakes, it costs no money, you don't have to turn in any assignments, and you can just be kind of anonymous."
It can be scary to reach out to our professors and go to their office hours, especially as an incoming freshman. We are told as college students that professors can be intimidating and strict, but that isn’t always the case. At the heart of their job, professors are here to guide us through our educational journey. They have advice, stories of their own, and maybe even a love for apple trees.
So here is my advice: Reach out to your professors and start those conversations. It is never too late to do so.