As a little girl, Abbie Rehbein ’26, Ely, spent her summers on her grandparents’ farm, where she was delighted to be surrounded by all sorts of insects.
“My sister and I would go outdoors, every single day netting bugs. Butterflies, beetles, frogs, anything that had wings or could walk. I just love insects. And I haven't stopped loving them, and I don't think I ever will.”
So it’s no surprise that she’ll spend this summer collecting bugs.
Rehbein has been accepted for an internship in Gamboa, Panama, working with Dr. Owen McMillan at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
“The lab focuses on answering questions about how new species are formed, and what morphological changes are occurring from natural selection. Specifically, what genes are being expressed or suppressed in the insect order Lepidoptera, and do these genes affect wing pattern.
“I'll be working with a genetic engineering technique known as CRISPR, and what genes are impacting the wing venation and wing patterns on butterflies, to determine factors driving biodiversity.”
While the location will be vastly different from her grandparents’ farm, the work will be familiar to Rehbein.
“I'll be going out at night with light traps. All of the insects get attracted to the light at night, and then you can collect them.”
Rehbein isn’t terribly nervous about traveling to a place she’s never been before for the internship. As it turns out, she had never visited the Morris campus before she applied.
“UMN Morris has a reputation of being great in academics, especially science and English. The cost of going to UMM is also affordable. So that's why I chose Morris.”
Additionally, Rehbein’s mom, Robyn ’94, is an alumna, and spoke highly of the campus, and Rehbein trusted her opinion.
Rehbein was able to find a project on campus that included arachnids, working with P.Z. Myers, associate professor of biology, sequencing the microbes in spiders.
Rehbein already has her associate’s degree and is working on her bachelor’s degree in biology and English.
“I know that English can really help in the sciences with writing, grant writing, and writing research papers, which I plan on doing.”
Rehbein leaves for Panama in mid-May and returns in August.
“It's not just a new science opportunity, but a new life experience.”