• Undergraduate Researcher
• Education: B.S., Genetics (Minor: Biotechnology), North Carolina State University, 2026
• About: Lily has been an undergraduate researcher in the Blueberry Genetics and Genomics Laboratory since February 2025. She has contributed to two distinct research threads in the lab. Her first project investigated the role of WUSCHEL in tissue culture propagation resistance in recalcitrant blueberry varieties, where she performed field and tissue culture sample collection, DNA and RNA extraction, qPCR to quantify WUSCHEL expression across regenerable and recalcitrant genotypes, and in situ hybridization to localize gene expression across developmental stages. Her current work involves preparing and processing fruit samples for HPLC analysis to determine organic acid and sugar concentrations across blueberry varieties. Lily is an accomplished researcher with a strong foundation in molecular genetics and biotechnology, and she is currently pursuing graduate school opportunities.
• Presentations
  • WUSCHEL Expression in Recalcitrant Blueberry Genotypes Via ISH, Poster, NC State Summer Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium, Raleigh, NC, 2025
• Notable Achievements
  • University Honors Program, NC State University
  • Dean’s List, 7 semesters, NC State University
• Contact: lsmersel@ncsu.edu