Abby Stathis is a rising junior at Colby College, where she majors in Biology: Biochemistry (Biology with a Biochemistry concentration) and English: Creative Writing (English with a Creative Writing concentration). She is spending her summer deepening her research skills and scientific knowledge through the REU program at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI). Abby is passionate about understanding life at the molecular level, and she is gaining hands-on experience doing just that in Dr. Silvia Restrepo’s lab.
“I’m a super detail-oriented person, and I really like asking a lot of questions,” Abby says. “Science is a field that rewards that curiosity. If there isn’t already an answer, I can actually do a project to find one.”
Abby’s research focuses on the pathobiome, the community of microorganisms that live on a plant when it’s being infected by a pathogen. Working with diseased tomato plants, she is helping to classify bacteria and fungi collected from the field in hopes of better understanding how these microbes interact with both the plant and each other.
“A big part of my project is classifying the bacteria and fungi from the tomato to kind of get a better understanding of the tomato pathobiome,” she explains. “It’s both the good microorganisms and the bad ones, and figuring out how they influence the way a plant responds to disease.”
This summer, Abby has expanded into unfamiliar territory, including microbiology and fieldwork.
“I’d never taken a microbiology class or worked in the field before. But now I’m learning how to culture bacteria and fungi, isolate RNA, work with qPCR, and even identify microbial structures under a microscope,” she says. “I’ve also learned practical skills like how to plant, weed, and collect samples in the field.”
For Abby, learning in the lab is just as much about relationships as it is about research. She thrives in team environments where she can collaborate and absorb knowledge from more experienced scientists.
“I’ve been very lucky to get to know not only Juliana, who’s my mentor, and Silvia, who’s the PI, but also Iván, Izzi, Sofia, and Angie,” she says. “It makes me really happy to work with a group of people who are so supportive and willing to teach.”
BTI President Silvia Restrepo has made a lasting impression through her mentorship and approachability.
“Silvia eats lunch with us almost every day,” Abby says. “She has so much to do, but she still takes the time to talk with us, ask questions, and explain things. It’s just really awesome that there are scientists out there who might be doing really important research, but never think they’re too important to mentor someone else.”
Abby expresses deep appreciation for how Silvia and Juliana have invested in helping her grow as a young scientist.
“Everyone here is really busy and has big projects, but they’ve carved out time to teach me, even really basic things,” she says. “That’s made such a difference.”
The experience has also helped Abby picture what her future in science might look like. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biology or biochemistry and eventually lead her own research lab.
“I want to be able to help someone else in the way people have helped me,” she says. “I eventually want to be the PI of my own lab and maybe be a professor.”
While science is her primary focus, Abby still finds value in her creative writing background and sees potential in combining the two.
“I want to start to pursue writing about my work in a way that feels interesting to everyone,” she says. “Not just in a scientific context, but maybe in magazines or nonfiction that anyone could read.”
Outside the lab, Abby has embraced the natural beauty of Ithaca. She has biked with the Finger Lakes Cycling Club, run a 5K in Stewart Park, gone kayaking and rowing, and enjoyed local events like Reggae Fest.
“It’s crazy that there’s so much to do and it’s literally like a five or ten minute drive from here,” she says.
As the summer continues, Abby is grateful not just for the skills she has gained but for the example set by the people around her.
“There’s nothing quite like the feeling of learning something for the first time,” she says. “Maybe I can remind the people who are teaching me of the little joys that come with skills they’ve been doing for so long.”
