John Duddles Serves as Intern for USDA ARS

2016 Jul 27

John Duddles, a senior cell biology major at Bob Jones University, is serving as an intern this summer with the Unites States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Byron, Georgia.

Duddles, a resident of Warner Robins, is working in the fruit and nut research division. Specifically, Duddles is responsible for analyzing the DNA of different plum varieties being grown at the research facility in order to better determine which genes affect the desirable traits observed from the plum plant, including flavor, size, and general health of the plant.

"Working in a lab outside of the classroom has helped me to become better at completing projects on my own," says Duddles. "I have learned a lot from the other professionals I work with, yet they have given me the chance to work on my own and build independence in my area of study. This independence allows for more mistakes, but that only helps me to better myself and lab skills by learning from those mistakes."