Dong Jiang, first author of “Arabidopsis HOPS subunit VPS41 carries out plant-specific roles in vacuolar transport and vegetative growth” Current position: PhD candidate Education: 2014-2016: Mater study in Bonn University, Germany 20019-Now: PhD study in Southern University of Science…

Hasegawa, Reyes et al. discover a link between the ubiquitination of a key membrane trafficking regulator and carbon/nitrogen nutrient stress.  Background: Ubiquitination is a post-translational modification that functions in numerous cellular processes by serving as a molecular signal, such as protein…

Anna Elisabeth Backhaus, first author of "High expression of the MADS-box gene VRT2 increases the number of rudimentary basal spikelets in wheat" Current Position: PhD student at the John Innes Centre, supervised by Cristobal Uauy, Richard Morris and Wilfried Haerty Education: Bachelor of Science,…

Xiang Ouyang,  first author of “Partially functional NARROW LEAF1 balances leaf photosynthesis and plant architecture for greater rice yield” Current Position: Assistant researcher, Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, China Education: PhD in Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology,…

Gayani Weeraratne, first author of "APYRASE1/2 mediate red light–induced de-etiolation growth in Arabidopsis seedlings" Current Position: Senior research and development scientist, Natural products Education: PhD in plant biology, University of Texas at Austin Non-scientific Interests: Reading,…

Qin et al. identify a mechanism by which ethylene activates gibberellin catabolism to determine primary root growth in rice. Hua Qin and Rongfeng Huang Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Background: The optimization of root architecture is one of the…

By Sarah Courbier, PhD, Plant Physiology Assistant Features Editor A native of Kos, Greece, Eirini studied in the UK at the University of Glasgow, earning a degree in biotechnology and, later, a PhD investigating the function and localization of the first genetically encoded UV-B receptor, UVR8. Eirini…