Technician Internship at the UNH Plant Diagnostics Lab
Lillian Walsh '26, from North Andover, MA, is a genetics major with a German minor at UNH. Lillian completed a summer internship with the UNH Plant Diagnostics Lab (PDL), which helped her gain valuable skills in plant pathology.
What did the day-to-day at your internship look like?
Lillian Walsh: Day-to-day work involves logging new samples received from local clients and examining them under a dissecting microscope to identify signs of fungal fruiting bodies or nematodes. These are then transferred to microscope slides for further analysis (for viruses, we use a different method called immunostrips). The fruiting bodies or nematodes are observed under a compound microscope to help determine their species. When necessary, pathogens are cultured on PDA (Potato Dextrose Agar) or in a moist chamber until visible symptoms reappear, at which point they are subcultured for further study.
What were your favorite parts of your internship? Any memorable moments?
Lillian: The most memorable moment during my time at the PDL lab has been receiving a small strawberry bush (with strawberries still growing from it!) and running different tests on it!
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
Lillian: The most valuable thing I've learned is having patience when it comes to letting bacteria or fungi growing in the media room or waiting for a positive or negative from a viral test.
What are your future goals? Do you think the internship brought you closer to them?
Lillian: My future goals are graduating UNH in the spring and heading to grad school to study plant pathology!
Any advice for students looking for an internship?
Lillian: My advice for students seeking an internship is to connect with your current or former professors — they’re often aware of great opportunities. There’s something out there for everyone, and every internship offers a chance to gain valuable new experience!
Tell us something you love about UNH.
Lillian: Something I love about UNH is how professors and advisors are genuinely invested in helping students find opportunities that align with their interests, and there are so many hands-on experiences that make it easy to apply what you’ve learned in class to real-world situations.
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