Ayla Edmiston: Taking a Lichen to Lichens

As I stepped up to the stage, meeting the eyes of the audience, I felt a sense of calmness wash over me. After months of hard work, I knew I could confidently teach everyone about my research.

A picture of Usnea strigosa, the species of lichen that Ayla researched

Over the past several years, I have been conducting research on the variations in the secondary metabolites of lichens. I would go out into the field to collect samples, then I would bring lichens back to the lab to perform thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in order to visualize the chemistry of these samples. Each time, I would spend several hours in the lab, primarily waiting for the tests to be completed. 

An image of one of Ayla’s TLC plates

The work fell into a monotonous routine. I followed a specific set of procedures and had little to think about while in the lab. I carefully copied each step, but I began to do it just because I was told. I started off with a great understanding of why I had to do each individual thing, but it turned into a mind-numbing routine. I felt the purpose of these steps slipping away. It was easy to forget why I was doing any of it. I knew that if I followed all the steps, I would end up with some results, but I lost an understanding of what these results meant. I finished my lab work with countless TLC plates covered in many different colored spots, yet I forgot what any of this meant. Of course, I knew each spot was a chemical, but why was I even looking at chemicals in the first place? I had to remind myself that studying these chemicals is important for understanding the ecological role of this lichen.

 Once I completed my project, I was overwhelmed by the results. I essentially had to relearn everything I was taught at the beginning of the project to wrap my head around it. These TLC plates yielded countless different chemicals that had to be measured and converted into numerical data. These data were put into an extremely large spreadsheet, full of row after row of numbers, but I could barely remember what the numbers represented. I grew frustrated quickly with spending time staring at this spreadsheet. The only way for me to be able to process this was to relearn how each number reflected what chemical was present. I had to slowly sort through the data, trying to group numbers that represented the same chemical, eventually coming up with a system to color code these data to make them easier to process and set up for statistical analysis. It was exhausting to relearn the material and analyze the data at the same time, and reminders that I had to present this to other people kept looming over me. It was difficult to imagine presenting something I only had a loose grasp on myself.

Eventually, it all just clicked. Once I saw the first pattern of how these chemicals were grouped, everything else fell into place. I realized that there was a geographic trend in the chemistry of the samples. Looking over the TLC plates, I noticed that samples collected from the same site had more similar chemistry. At this moment, the entire project became clear. The complicated differences in the chemistry between lichens had a simple explanation: the geographic distribution of individuals.

An example of the results of Ayla’s research

Now that I understood the project, I had to learn how to explain these results to other people. The results sounded so straightforward, but the figures and maps I had to show others were puzzling. I knew not many people would know what they were, so it was a challenge trying to simplify the discussion in a way others could comprehend. The graphs had to be carefully edited to make the most sense. Shapes were drawn around the plot to show where each sample was collected. I taught everyone about my project, getting their opinions on what made sense. After constant practice, I started to get sick of talking about it. The worries began to be replaced by a desire to just get it over with.

By the day of my presentation, I knew I could explain it. This didn’t stop my fears from gnawing away at my confidence. I understood it now, but I thought I might go up there and butcher my talk, or there was the possibility that the audience might be confused about how I did it. Each passing second led to me dreading going up in front of everyone and having to talk about this.

Finally, my name was called. I begrudgingly walked up to the front and began my talk. I faced the audience and began speaking, all my worries suddenly fading away. I knew what I was talking about. I felt I could explain the whole thing with ease. Those fifteen minutes flew by. The whole thing went more smoothly than I could have imagined. The audience asked thoughtful questions, showing that they really understood.

I was so relieved that it was finally over. I had been working myself up for weeks over this presentation, and I was grateful to be done. This project instilled a new sense of confidence in myself that has stayed with me through the rest of college. I am much more relaxed doing classroom presentations, and I have more knowledge of my research now.

I have expanded upon this project more, resulting in having to do many more presentations on my research, but I have felt very little stress since this moment. Having to overcome these obstacles helped to reduce my fears of public speaking, and I feel I have become very self-assured when I talk about my research. Being pushed out of my comfort zone allowed me to develop this new skill.

This was a truly pivotal moment during my research, as I now can talk to others about research, a vital skill for my future career as a scientist.  This experience solidified my love for science. Being able to tackle these challenges is part of why I love doing research, and I know that moments like these make me better.

Ayla with her poster at the Association of Southeastern Biologists Annual Meeting

Ayla Edmiston is from Cayce, South Carolina. She is graduating in May 2023 with a BS in Biology and minors in Forensic Science and Psychology. She performed her undergraduate research in Lander University’s Department of Biology with Elizabeth McDonald from Fall 2020 to Spring 2023. She plans to attend graduate school to continue doing research in biology.