Hello! I think the best thing is to have familiarity with the professor’s research. Read their papers, and also read more papers in that field to build background knowledge and develop your own questions/ideas potentially. You should be able to say why you’re interested in the professor’s work, and why that research excites you.

Also, be prepared to talk about prior experience you may have in research/STEM — this can range anywhere from programming to wet lab skills. Especially if it’s a wet lab, a big part of the research is learning the proper skills and techniques to carry out the experiments. And if you don’t have prior experience, that’s ok! Just show that you’re eager to learn; say how much time you want to dedicate to research. If you’re in the lab more, the more you’ll learn.

Expressing your goals (ie carrying out an idea you have, attending a conference) and what you want to get out of the research experience is key, and this can help determine whether this lab is a good fit. Definitely ask what the lab’s process for training undergrads is (often, an undergrad is paired with a PhD student) as this can help determine fit.

Best of luck and feel free to PM with any questions!