ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — Introduced to the basics of scientific research in 4th grade when her teacher gave her a lightbulb, battery, wire and the simple instructions “Turn the lightbulb on,” Hannah Holst of Dexter learned early on that science was what she wanted to pursue in life.

Holst, a senior at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, was one of 10 outstanding college students from across the country who spent the summer of 2017 doing research as a part of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, according to a university news release.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, it is a 10-week program. Participants are paired with chemistry faculty mentors to gain laboratory research, technical writing and public speaking experience.

Passionate about organic synthesis reactions and their application in the field of biology, Holst’s research was to help understand the mechanics of a toxin found in disease-causing E. coli bacteria.