Rasmussen lab: Seeing how abiotic and biotic factors affect the growth and development of plants fueled my interest in plant biology from a young age. As I progressed in my education, I learned more about the molecular and cellular responses plants have against these stresses. I wish to understand the fundamental mechanisms behind stress response to potentially generate crops with better tolerance to saline soil. Translational research is needed now, more than ever, to alleviate this growing challenge. The Plants3D program will teach me the skills to undertake this research challenge through interdisciplinary collaboration. The entrepreneurship skills I will learn from the program will increase my knowledge of transitioning scientific discoveries to products available for deployment.