Solomon Scheiner, a junior majoring in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at SUNY Old Westbury, won first prize for an oral presentation about his undergraduate research during the annual meeting of the Northeast Section of the American Society of Plant Biologists, held April 26-27, 2025, at the University of New Hampshire.
A resident of Jamaica, Queens, Scheiner offered insights into his work in a presentation titled “Evolution of Insertions Mitochondrial and Plastid DNA in the Nuclear Genome Across Arabidopsis thaliana Ecotypes.”
In collaboration with Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Christos Noutsos, Scheiner utilized bioinformatic techniques to identify insertions of mitochondrial and plastid DNA within the nuclear genome of 80 plant species. The study contributes to continually developing understanding of genome evolution and endosymbiotic theory.
The American Society of Plant Biologists is a professional society devoted to advancing plant science research and education. The northeastern section includes Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.