Research
My broad interest is in how organisms adapt to a changing environment. My lab studies this in the context of pathogen-host interactions using the gram negative pathogen Pseudomonas syringae and its interaction with several plants: the non-crop models Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana, and the crop plants tomato and snap beans. In response to infection, plants mount a complex local defense response involving cell suicide, changes at the plasma membrane, the crosslinking of cell wall components, production of antimicrobials and defense gene activation. Some leaf infections induce a primed state that allows plants to respond faster when a second infection occurs on distal leaves (systemic acquired resistance, SAR). Interactions of roots with beneficial microbes also induces a primed state in the aerial part of the plant (and induced systemic resistance, ISR). Although SAR and ISR were considered different immune programs, we have found that some of the same are proteins required for both systemic programs. These proteins are involved in mobilizing small molecule signals. The lab investigates plant defense and pathogen virulence mechanisms.
We study how plants regulate their responses to pathogens by (1) using plant mutants that express one or more aspects of the defense response in the absence of pathogens or are compromised for local defense activation or SAR, (2) discovering and tracking the production and movement of novel defense signals and pathogen-derived molecules, and (3) exploiting secreted virulence effector proteins from the pathogen to discover immune components and discern how they are modified. This involves combining genetic analysis (including mosaic plants in which only some cells/tissues express specific defense components) with biochemistry and cell biology. We are very interested in how the defense response is coordinated and towards this end, we are investigating the sites of action at the tissue and subcellular levels of key SAR/ISR proteins. On the pathogen side, we are also characterizing how P. syringae uses its type III secretion apparatus and secreted effectors to modulate immunity and colonize plant tissue, including the surfaces of a leaf, a unique niche. We are using proteomic approaches to discern how pathogen effectors post-translationally modify both other pathogen effectors and host immune complexes to suppress signaling. We are interested in exploiting what we learn about P. syringae effectors to study orthologous effectors from diverse pathogens of both plants and animals.
A recent additional interest is in peptide trafficking and signal output as it relates to development and microbial interactions.
Our lab welcomes participants from all over the world and at many levels of education (high school, college, predoctoral, postdoctoral and teachers).
Professional Activities and Service
I have been a Senior Editor of The Plant Cell, a Reviewing Editor of eLIFE and Secretary to the Board of Directors of the International Society of Plant-Microbe Interactions.
I am a member of the American Society of Plant Biology and the Society for Experimental Biology. I participated in developing and writing a recently published white paper concerning the promotion of plant heath: "Foundational and translational research opportunities to improve plant health." Currently I am a member of the Plant Biology Advisory Board for Landmarks.
I am a strong advocate for diversity in science and serve on the University of Chicago Division of Biology's Diversity Committee and on the steering committee of the Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology Department's National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Education for Undergraduates program.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
postdoc training - Plant Biology
1994
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
PhD - Biophysics
1989
Barnard College, Columbia University
New York City
BA - Biochemistry
1983
Phytosulfokine downregulates defense-related WRKY transcription factors and attenuates pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity.
Phytosulfokine downregulates defense-related WRKY transcription factors and attenuates pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity. Plant J. 2024 Dec; 120(6):2367-2384.
PMID: 39661720
Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Gene Expression Optimized for the Bioenergy Crop Camelina sativa.
Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Gene Expression Optimized for the Bioenergy Crop Camelina sativa. Bio Protoc. 2024 Apr 05; 14(7):e4964.
PMID: 38618179
Protocol for analyzing the movement and uptake of isotopically labeled signaling molecule azelaic acid in Arabidopsis.
Protocol for analyzing the movement and uptake of isotopically labeled signaling molecule azelaic acid in Arabidopsis. STAR Protoc. 2024 Jun 21; 5(2):102944.
PMID: 38470913
Using Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofiber Arrays on Rigid or Flexible Substrates for Delivery of Biomolecules and Dyes to Plants.
Using Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofiber Arrays on Rigid or Flexible Substrates for Delivery of Biomolecules and Dyes to Plants. J Vis Exp. 2023 07 21; (197).
PMID: 37677009
Virtually the Same? Evaluating the Effectiveness of Remote Undergraduate Research Experiences.
Virtually the Same? Evaluating the Effectiveness of Remote Undergraduate Research Experiences. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2023 06; 22(2):ar25.
PMID: 37058442
Genetic requirements for infection-specific responses in conferring disease resistance in Arabidopsis.
Genetic requirements for infection-specific responses in conferring disease resistance in Arabidopsis. Front Plant Sci. 2022; 13:1068438.
PMID: 36523630
An efficient and broadly applicable method for transient transformation of plants using vertically aligned carbon nanofiber arrays.
An efficient and broadly applicable method for transient transformation of plants using vertically aligned carbon nanofiber arrays. Front Plant Sci. 2022; 13:1051340.
PMID: 36507425
The TGA Transcription Factors from Clade II Negatively Regulate the Salicylic Acid Accumulation in Arabidopsis.
The TGA Transcription Factors from Clade II Negatively Regulate the Salicylic Acid Accumulation in Arabidopsis. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 01; 23(19).
PMID: 36232932
Friend or foe: Hybrid proline-rich proteins determine how plants respond to beneficial and pathogenic microbes.
Friend or foe: Hybrid proline-rich proteins determine how plants respond to beneficial and pathogenic microbes. Plant Physiol. 2022 08 29; 190(1):860-881.
PMID: 35642916
"How Do We Do This at a Distance?!" A Descriptive Study of Remote Undergraduate Research Programs during COVID-19.
"How Do We Do This at a Distance?!" A Descriptive Study of Remote Undergraduate Research Programs during COVID-19. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2022 03; 21(1):ar1.
PMID: 34978923
Fellow
American Society for Plant Biology
2018
Faculty Research Fellow
American Cancer Society
1996 - 1999
Biomedical Scholar
Pew Foundation
1996 - 2001
Postdoctoral Fellowship
National Science Foundation
1989 - 1992
Magna Cum Laude
Barnard College, Columbia University
1983