C. Nathan Hancock
BS, University of Arizona, plant science
PhD, Mizzou, biochemistry
Current job
I am a post-doctoral researcher in Susan Wessler's laboratory at the University of Georgia. I study the biochemical mechanism of DNA transposons. I will soon be transferring to a different lab here at UGA so that I can use my findings to develop a transposon tagging system in soybeans. This will be a resource for analyzing gene functions.
Why Mizzou
As an undergraduate, I was asking around to find out which schools were good for plant research. One of my teaching assistants had been at Missouri and recommended it to me. When I went on the interview trip, I just knew it was the right place for me — interesting research and great faculty. It just seemed a lot more professional than the other places I looked at.
Preparation
The program was rigorous and challenged me to learn a diverse curriculum. I was able to take the teaching classes that I need for my future career. Most of all, it taught me how to collaborate with others to achieve my research goals.
Career choice
I love plants. I want to know how they work and how we can improve them for modern agriculture. I also enjoy teaching others about biological science.
The future
My goals are to become a professor and continue the research and teaching that I am currently doing here at UGA. I hope to develop transposon tagging tools for additional crop species.