Ag Career Profile: Nutrigenomics Research Fellow
Layne Ellen Harris is a PhD Research Fellow for the Alltech Center for Animal Nutrigenomics & Applied Animal Nutrition in Nicholasville. Her experiments observe how nutrition influences the gene expression of plants and animals, and how the downstream effects of that expression can affect the overall health of the plant or animal. Her doctoral research has been investigating, using both field and molecular genetic research, how we can utilize plant immune systems to naturally prime crops to have enhanced disease resistance.
Some days she is out in the field or greenhouse planting, harvesting, or sampling crops. Some days, she says she is sitting at the computer all day analyzing large data sets or in the lab doing experiments. Layne may also be working with the Alltech sales and marketing teams to develop materials or present information to growers or other customers.
“I’m often answering questions around the scientific development of our products or helping develop solutions to solve specific challenges facing growers,” Layne remarked.
TeachKyAg asked Layne several questions about her field of work, how she became interested in this career, and the advice she would give other young students interested in a biotechnology-related career.
1. Why did you decide to study agriculture biotechnology?
“I have always been fascinated with growing food. I grew up helping my grandfather in his garden each summer and developed a real passion for plant science. My family is from the Land between the Lakes area in Lyon County, so my roots grow deeply in this state, and it was important to me to do work that makes a difference for growers in Kentucky. I also found out I liked biology and the thrill discovering something new or of finding the answer to a question. Agriculture biotechnology was a perfect combination of challenging science and real-world experience, giving me the ability to do cutting edge research. The Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology Program at the University of Kentucky gave me the set of tools I needed to solve real problems facing growers, as well as a unique set of research skills valuable in the workplace.
2. How did your college/work experiences shape the job you have today? What was your path?
I spent my first summer in college alternating days between apprenticing at the organic CSA farm at UK and working in a molecular biology lab analyzing genetic differences between lines of heirloom beans from Eastern Kentucky. This introduced me to production agriculture, as well as basic skills for working in a genetics lab, like isolating DNA, pipetting, and sterile technique. I then did a two-year project in collaboration with UK and the Universidade Federal de Lavras in Minas Gerais, Brazil. This allowed me to spend several months in Brazil in 2014 and travel all over the country, sampling coffee tree leaves at over 50 farms in six different states. We used these samples to analyze genetic differences in Coffee Ringspot Virus and gain an understanding of how this virus moves throughout coffee farms in Brazil. This was a fantastic experience that exposed me to international agriculture and research collaborations, and writing and publishing scientific papers. I then did a short semester project in an Entomology lab, investigating genetic differences between viruses in moths, and was a Teaching Assistant for a population genetics laboratory class, building on my genetics and molecular biology laboratory skills. In 2015 I was accepted into the Alltech Research Internship program and did a project investigating gene expression differences between corn plants treated with different biological products and graduated from UK with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Biotechnology. This internship led to being hired on full-time at Alltech the following year in the Animal Nutrigenomics research group and one year later I started a doctorate in the Integrated Plant and Soil sciences program at UK, in partnership with Alltech. I completed my PhD in plant molecular biology in 2021 and will continue using my research skills to develop sustainable, nutrigenomics-based solutions in agriculture with Alltech Crop Science. All along the way, I was fortunate to gain familiarity and skill in molecular biology techniques, while always staying connected to agriculture. Each research project or internship I did gave me valuable experience and a marketable set of skills that can be used to uniquely understand plant genetic responses, biochemistry, and growth, which is valuable for both commercial product development and solving agricultural problems.
3. Explain the skills (learned or soft) you need to accomplish your job?
My job requires me to be comfortable and capable of working in a lab where everything is done on a molecular level. So, I must be skilled with sterile technique, various molecular experiments, and really understand genetics and molecular biology. It’s very common for research experiments to fail or be inconclusive, so it’s helpful to develop persistence and the ability to troubleshoot problems. My job is unique in that I don’t work only in the lab, so I also have also developed on-farm skills – like planting, spraying, harvesting, etc. On a broader level, doing high quality research requires you to be able to concisely ask a question, figure out a way to answer that question, carry out the experiments to get that information, and report on that information. I often work with different teams of people, not in research, so it is also critical that I can clearly communicate information and listen intently. Collaborating well and supporting my team members is a top priority for me. Lastly, my PhD research has shown me the value of developing project management skills for large, multi-year, complex projects.
4. If you knew you would end up in this career, what would you have done/studied differently?
I would have focused on taking advantage of more hands-on experience in the field. I would have gotten more involved in local agricultural groups and coops, to get better exposure to real world issues that farmers are facing. One of my goals in my research is to find real solutions for real issues, I’m not as interested in answering hypothetical questions about theoretical topics that don’t actually help anybody. It would have also been helpful to take some business courses, as industry research is shaped by commercial and economic development. My unfamiliarity with the business side of agriculture has sometimes left me feeling out of touch with decisions that farmers must make daily, such as ROI on pesticide and fertilizer programs, or regulatory restrictions. I am working on developing my business acumen, but some introductory economics and business classes would have been immensely helpful.
5. What I your favorite part about your job? Most interesting?
I love getting to learn new things each day and using my curiosity and skills to produce research that benefits growers and is commercially valuable. There is always a new challenge to tackle, each day is unique, and I love the fast-paced environment of industry research. I am so thankful I get to meet and work with amazing people from all over the world. Lastly, I love working in agriculture. It is my favorite business and in my opinion is the most important industry, consisting of the very best of people.
6. What advice would you give a young person looking at this career?
Get involved with a local or university research group, whether it is a soils, weed science, plant pathology, plant science, or animal science lab. Get as much exposure as you can to the scientific process – observing a problem, developing a hypothesis, carrying out experiments, analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and reporting on that information. Don’t be afraid to ask people to let you shadow or volunteer to help. There are so many opportunities in Kentucky to develop as a scientist and to advance Kentucky agriculture, so take advantage of those opportunities. Spend summers working on farms, with the extension program, or intern with agricultural companies. If you want to do biotechnology, the ABT program at UK was monumental in giving me the skills, connections, and opportunities to develop as a researcher and find research I really care about.