Breaking down genetics to build humanity: Kate Judge

Kate Jaggi, MS 24 (PWS), stares at her computer screen, unable to fully comprehend the information in front of her. She stood up without saying a word, walked quickly to her undergraduate advisor, Dr. Jeff Mohn, and held out her laptop for him to look at. Watching the results silently, a smile appeared on his face. “We didn’t know about chromosomal inversions,” he told her happily. You have information that no one else in the world knows. Judge felt an incredible excitement. She made unprecedented discoveries, a scientist’s dream. The excitement and inspiration of that moment sparked a new love for the scientific process.

[Research] “This is what I need to pursue, and my courses are the scaffolding to achieve that,” Judge said. Initially, she thought it was an intimidating extracurricular activity that one had to go to great lengths to participate in. Judge now sees classes as a way to explore new topics. She noted that my experience at BYU became infinitely better when I stopped viewing my education as grades and courses that had to be completed and began looking for opportunities to engage in real-life applications.

Develop an interest in plant genetics

When Judge began pursuing her undergraduate degree in genetics and genomics, she thought her education would focus primarily on medicine and human diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Taking Moen’s quantitative genetics course and later working in his plant genetics lab opened her eyes to the wide range of applications of genetics. ChenopodiumMoens’ research focuses on the genus to which quinoa belongs, which has promising nutritional properties Can solve global food insecurity. Mohn began assigning her independent work, a choice Judge attributes to her work ethic and constant curiosity.Towards the end of her bachelor’s degree, she discovered a chromosomal inversion Quinoa. She has since co-authored a forthcoming peer-reviewed journal article to share their findings with the world.

Most scientists will not contribute a single, massive, life-changing scientific discovery like CRISPR to the world during their careers. So that couldn’t be my motivation to pursue science, because if that was my standard, I would fail, Judge reflected. Judge’s change in attitude toward success prompted her to rethink what she was pursuing and why. She realized that discovering new information that others didn’t know and figuring out how the world worked was very creative and new for me. Judge believes that building community scientific knowledge through these small breakthroughs is where he can create a meaningful scientific career.

For example, Jargis’s paper focused on understanding the genomes of wild animals Chenopodium relatives. Other scientists can use this information to breed desirable traits in domesticated quinoa and improve its nutrition, resilience and growing success. Based on the work of Jaggis and others, plant breeders can select which potential wild candidate species have the most valuable genetic traits and use them to systematically improve crops such as quinoa. Judge sees genetics as a valuable resource that can be used to improve nutrition and reduce inequalities on a global scale. She hopes that, in the long term, this process will make quinoa more accessible and sustainable for those who need it most.

Imitating Christ’s Role as Teacher

Judges’ experiences of scientific discovery have strengthened her faith in God and the divine in ways she never imagined. Understanding the order and systems of the universe is how I understand God and science because, to me, they are inseparable, she shared. I feel like one of the main ways to get closer to God and the universe is to try to understand how He works in the science and nature around me. Her three years as a teaching assistant in PWS 340 also helped her portray God’s joy when His children discover Him through science. The process of breaking down complex concepts allows Judge to teach others the building blocks of the universe. “It’s really incredible to me to see other people take a lot of material that once felt very indigestible and realize that it’s understandable to them and get excited about it,” she said excitedly. explain.

Sometimes, her students go further than Judge expected. She distinctly remembers a standout neuroscience student who was pursuing a premed program, just like she had been. During their meeting, he asked her many questions about her journey, and she eagerly shared her love for the study of genetics and its many applications. A few months later, he announced that he had transferred to study genetics, despite intense family pressure to stay in the premed program. Judge shrugged and smiled, the excitement contagious.i think i like [propelling] Improving people’s lives by engaging them in research.

Looking forward, Judge will continue research in genetics and genomics at Duke University this fall.