Plant Direct: Author Profiles

Read all about why these Plant Direct First Authors chose to pursue plant sciences and see their manuscripts here. Lauren Cole-Osborn Lauren Cole-Osborn (she/her) is the first author of Critical parameters for robust Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation and quantitative promoter assays…

Read all about why these Plant Direct First Authors chose to pursue plant sciences and see their manuscripts here. Le Thanh Dien Nguyen Le Thanh Dien Nguyen (he/him) is the First Author of Project ChemicalBlooms: Collaborating with Citizen Scientists to Survey the Chemical Diversity and Phylogenetic…

Read all about why these Plant Direct First Authors chose to pursue plant sciences and see their manuscripts here. Kyoko Takamatsu Kyoko Takamatsu is the First Author of α-Tomatine gradient across artificial roots recreates the recruitment of tomato root-associated Sphingobium published 18 December…

Behind manuscripts are researchers, professors, professionals and students dedicated to advancing the field of plant science. You’ve seen our First Authors on Twitter and Facebook— now, read more about why they chose to pursue plant sciences and click on the links below the pictures to read their…

Abdolrahim Hooshmand, co-first author of "Potential application of spectral indices for olive water status assessment in (semi-)arid regions: A case study in Khuzestan Province, Iran" Current Position: Associate Professor of Irrigation and Drainage Education: PhD of Irrigation and Drainage Brief…

Azimeh Asgari, co-first author of "Potential application of spectral indices for olive water status assessment in (semi-)arid regions: A case study in Khuzestan Province, Iran" Current Position: Postdoctoral candidate in agricultural and natural resources research and education center, Shahrekord, Iran Education:…

Rafael Massahiro Yassue, first author of "Genome-wide association analysis of hyperspectral reflectance data to dissect the genetic architecture of growth-related traits in maize under plant growth-promoting bacteria inoculation" Current Position: Data Scientist at GDM Education: Ph.D. in Genetics…

Laura Dalle Carbonare, first author of "Plant responses to limited aeration: Advances and future challenges" Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Assistant Education: Ph.D., Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa (Italy) Non-scientific Interests: Reading, Latin dancing and travelling Brief…

Shintaro Ichikawa, first author of "Live-cell imaging of the chloroplast outer envelope membrane using fluorescent dyes" Current Position:  Ph.D student, Graduate School of Regional Development and Creativity, Utsunomiya University, Japan Education:  Bachelor of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University,…

Sarathi M. Weraduwage, first author of "Characterization of promoter elements of isoprene-responsive genes, and the ability of isoprene to bind START domain transcription factors" Current Position: Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Bishop’s University, QC,…

Hila Behar, first author of "Populus endo-glucanase 16 localizes to the cell walls of developing tissues" Current Position: Co-founder at BryoSphere Biotechnologies Education: B.Sc. Biology, Tel Aviv University (2011-2014); Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia…

Stefanie Böhmer, first author of "Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants deficient for Old Yellow Enzyme 3 exhibit increased photooxidative stress" Current Position: Post-doc at Photobiotechnology group, Ruhr University Bochum Education: B.Sc. Biology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany (2011 – 2014) M.Sc.…

Rong Guo, first author of "The identification of conserved sequence features of co-translationally decayed mRNAs and upstream open reading frames in angiosperm transcriptomes"  Education: BA. in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boston University Non-scientific Interests: Playing the…

Raed Ahmad Al Saharin, first author of "Using CRL3BPM E3 ligase substrate recognition sites as tools to impact plant development and stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana" Current Position: Assistant Professor (Tafila Technical University) Education: PhD of Molecular Plant Sciences/ Washington State…

Xiangyan Feng, first author of "The limiting effect of genome size on xylem vessel diameter is shifted by environmental pressures in seed plants" Current Position: PhD at Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Education: My research field is Plant…

Santos Barrera Lemus, first author of "Large genomic introgression blocks of Phaseolus parvifolius Freytag bean into the common bean enhance the crossability between tepary and common beans" Current Position: Biotech Research Manager at Plant Sciences Inc. Education: Ph.D. in Agronomy and Horticulture,…

Brian St. Aubin, first author of “Regulatory dynamics distinguishing desiccation tolerance strategies within resurrection grasses” Current Position: Computational Biologist, Pairwise Education: PhD in the lab of Prof. Gregg Howe (Michigan State University), B.S. in Genetics and Plant Biology…

Priscila Zonzini Ramos, co-first author of "An open source plant kinase chemogenomics set" Current Position: Research Scientist at the Center for Medicinal Chemistry (Brazil) Education: Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the University of Campinas (Brazil) Non-scientific Interests: Traveling,…

Maria Florencia Ercoli, co-first author of  "An open source plant kinase chemogenomics set" Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar Education: Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from the National University of Rosario, Argentina Non-scientific Interests: Camping, cooking,…

Rashmi Jain, co-first author of "An open source plant kinase chemogenomics set" Current Position: Associate Specialist Education: Master’s in Bioinformatics Non-scientific Interests: Hiking, cooking, gardening Brief bio: I am an Associate Specialist at UC Davis from New Delhi, India. While…

Alexis Brun, first author of "MCO1 and MCO3, two putative ascorbate oxidases with ferroxidase activity, new candidates for the regulation of apoplastic iron excess in Arabidopsis" Current Position : Searching for a Post-doctoral position Education : PhD in Plant functional and molecular biology…

Lester Botoman, first author of "Agronomic biofortification increases grain zinc concentration of maize grown under contrasting soil types in Malawi" Current Position: PhD student, Crop and Soil Sciences Department, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) Education: MSc.…

Alexandra E.  DeShaw, first author of "The plastomes of Hyalomonas oviformis and Hyalogonium fusiforme evolved dissimilar architectures after the loss of photosynthesis" Current Position: Research Assistant, Mood Disorders Research Group, Nova Scotia Health Authority Education: MSc. in Evolutionary…

Shakirah Nakasagga, first author of "Genetic variation in hydrogen cyanide potential of perennial sorghum evaluated by colorimetry" Current Position: Instructor, Southeast Missouri State University Education: Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from Texas A & M University Non-scientific Interests: Cooking,…

Bhuvan Pathak, co-first author of "Phenotypic and transcriptomic analysis reveals early stress responses in transgenic rice expressing Arabidopsis DREB1a" Current Position: Assistant Professor, Biological and Life Sciences Division, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Gujarat, India Education:…

Yasmin Vasques Berchembrock, co-first author of "Phenotypic and transcriptomic analysis reveals early stress responses in transgenic rice expressing Arabidopsis DREB1a" Current Position: PhD in Genetic and Plant Breeding Education: PhD in Genetic and Plant Breeding and MSc in Genetic and Plant…

Drew Harner, first author of "Prolonged phloem feeding by the spotted lanternfly, an invasive planthopper, alters resource allocation and inhibits gas exchange in grapevines" Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA Education: Ph.D. at Penn State University,…

Kevin Cox, first author of "Automated imaging of duckweed growth and development" Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO Education: B.S. from University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO; Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, College…

Shengming Yang, first author of "A SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like transcription factor controls crop ideotype for high productivity in barley" Current Position: Research Geneticist in USDA-ARS Education: B.S. from Shandong Agricultural University, China; M.S. from Shandong Agricultural…

Enzo Ariel Perk, co-first author of "The isothiocyanate sulforaphane induces respiratory burst oxidase homologue D-dependent reactive oxygen species production and regulates expression of stress response genes" Current Position: PhD student in IIB Mar del Plata. Education: PhD student in  Biological…

Andres Arruebarrena Di Palma, co-first author of "The isothiocyanate sulforaphane induces respiratory burst oxidase homologue D-dependent reactive oxygen species production and regulates expression of stress response genes" Current Position: full time researcher at National Institute for Fisheries…

Bandana Bhusal, first author of "Efficient Fluorescence-Based Localization Technique for Real-Time Tracking Endophytes Route in Host-Plants Colonization" Current Position: PhD in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at Iowa State University Education: Master’s in Plant Science from Tennessee…

Omar Arias-Gaguancela, first author of "Enhanced seedling growth by 3-n-pentadecylphenolethanolamide is mediated by fatty acid amide hydrolases in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)" Current Position:  PhD candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BioDiscovery Institute, Department of Biological…

Natalie A. Henkhaus, first author of "Removing systemic barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion: Report of the 2019 Plant Science Research Network workshop “Inclusivity in the Plant Sciences”" Current Position: Genomics Field Application Scientist at Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Education:…

Vincenzo D’Amelia, first author of "Targeted mutagenesis of StISAC stabilizes the production of anthocyanins in potato cell culture" Current Position: Researcher at Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources of the Italian National Research Council Education:  PhD in Agrobiology and Agrochemistry…

Wenfeng Ye, first author of "Belowground and aboveground herbivory differentially affect the transcriptome in roots and shoots of maize" Current Position: Post-Doctor, Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical Ecology, University of Neuchâtel (UniNE), Neuchâtel, Switzerland Education:…

Laura S. Lopez, first author of “The Arabidopsis T-DNA mutant SALK_008491 carries a 14 kb deletion on chromosome 3 that provides rare insights into the plant response to dynamic light stress” Current Position: 2nd year medical student, Washington State University College of Medicine Education:…

Venura Herath, "The plant endoplasmic reticulum UPRome: A repository and pathway browser for genes involved in signaling networks linked to the endoplasmic reticulum" Current Position: Professor at the University of Peradeniya Education: PhD in Biological Sciences (University of Maine) and BSc…

Xiaojuan Wu, first author of "Identification of microRNAs and their target genes related to the accumulation of anthocyanin in purple potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum)" Current Position: PhD student, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, China Education: B.E. Inner Mongolia Agricultural University,…

Genevieve Hoopes, first author of "Keeping time in the dark: potato diel and circadian rhythmic gene expression reveals tissue-specific circadian clocks" Current Position: Scientist in the Plant Sciences Group at J.R. Simplot Company in Boise, Idaho, USA Education: PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology…

Ana Laura Alonso-Nieves, first author of "The pho1;2a′-m1.1 allele of Phosphate1 conditions misregulation of the phosphorus starvation response in maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.)" Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher at Unidad de Genómica Avanzada LANGEBIO-CINVESTAV, Guanajuato, México. Education:…

Pete Apicella, first author of "Delineating genetic regulation of cannabinoid biosynthesis during female flower development in Cannabis sativa" Current Position: Actively seeking a new industry role in plant and/or fungal biology research and development Education: MSc., Plant Sciences, Department…

Rahul Bose, first author of "The rolB -transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants exhibit upregulated ARF7 and ARF19 gene expression" Education – B.Sc.(First Class, 2010)  with Honours in Microbiology, University of Calcutta , M.Sc. in Genetics (First Class, First postion/Gold Medal, 2012), University…

Fanna Maina, first author of "Genome-wide association studies identify putative pleiotropic locus mediating drought tolerance in sorghum" Current Position: Crop Geneticist/Research Scientist at the National Institute of Agronomic Research of Niger INRAN (Niger Republic) Education: Ph.D. in Agronomy…

Mehmet Kılıç, first author of "Gene expression and organization of thylakoid protein complexes in the PSII-less mutant of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803" Current Position: PhD Student, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Finland. Education: B.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics,…

Muhammad Numan, first author of "Analysis of miRNAs responsive to long-term calcium deficiency in tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter)" Current Position: PhD student at Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro,…

Nicholas Gladman, first author of "Sorghum Root Epigenetic Landscape During Limiting Phosphorus Conditions" Current Position: Research Plant Molecular Geneticist, USDA-ARS Education: Ph.D. in Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison Non-scientific Interests: Hiking and baking Brief bio: …

Iftikhar Ali, first author of "The poly(A) polymerase PAPS1 mediates pollen maturation by regulating sperm cell differentiation in plants" Current Position: Assistant Professor of Botany, University of Swat, Pakistan Education: Ph.D and Postdoc, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology,…

David Burks, first author of "The Arabidopsis gene co-expression network" Current Position: Bioinformatics Scientist I, Ambry Genetics Education: PhD Bioinformatics, University of North Texas; BS Biology, University of North Texas Non-scientific Interests: Hiking, Vinyl Collection, Video Games,…

Kanae Nishii, first author of "The first genome for the Cape Primrose Streptocarpus rexii (Gesneriaceae), a model plant for studying meristem-driven shoot diversity" Current Position: Laboratory Technician, Research Associate Education: BSc Agriculture (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology),…

Inyoung Kim, co-first author of "The seed-specific transcription factor DPBF2 modulates the fatty acid composition in seeds" Current Position: Ph.D. student in Prof. Hyun Uk Kim’s Laboratory at the University of Sejong, South Korea Education: MSc in Bioindustry and Bioresource Engineering and…

Yuko Yamamoto, first author of "Enhancement of Arabidopsis growth by non–24 hour day–night cycles" Current Position: Researcher in TOYOTA BOSHOKU CORPORATION, Japan Education: PhD in Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences at Nagoya University (Japan), working at TOYOTA BOSHOKU CORPORATION…

Suresh Pokhrel, first author of "Heat Responsive microRNAs and Phased Small Interfering RNAs in Reproductive Development of Flax" Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA Education: Ph.D. in Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences, University…

Rachel M. McCoy, first author of "Allelopathy as an evolutionary game" Current Position: Postdoc in Dr. Ying Li’s lab at Purdue University Education: Ph.D. in Horticulture (Purdue University); B.S. in Biology (University of Evansville) Non-scientific Interests: cats, gardening, baking, traveling,…

Jose C. Tovar, first author of "Heat stress changes mineral nutrient concentrations in Chenopodium quinoa seed" Current Position: Research Scientist and USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, Missouri Education: PhD in Molecular Biosciences from…

Jingfei Guo, first author of "Asian corn borer damage is affected by rind penetration strength of corn stalks in a spatiotemporally dependent manner" Current Position: Associate research fellow at Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPP, CAAS), China. Education: Ph.D…

Keegan Pham, first author of "Chlamydomonas ATX1 is essential for Cu distribution to multiple cupro-enzymes and maintenance of biomass in conditions demanding cupro-enzyme-dependent metabolic pathways" Current Position: Scientist I at Ab Studio Inc. Education: B.S. Genetics and Plant Biology, University…

Liguo Jia, first author of "Potato tuber degradation is regulated by carbohydrate metabolism: Results of transcriptomic analysis" Current Position: Associate professor at College of Agronomy, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot, China. Education: PhD (Plant Biology) in HongKong Baptist…

Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh, first author of "Biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant roots and rhizosphere soil from different arid land environment of Qatar" Current Position: Acting Department Head, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University. Education: B.Sc.…

Kishwar Ali, first author of "Which factor explains the life-history of Xanthium strumarium L., an aggressive alien invasive plant species, along its altitudinal gradient?" Current Position: Assistant Professor Education: Ph.D., M.S., M.S.c., B.S.c., QTLS Non-scientific Interests: Swimming and…

Bryce Askey, first author of "Metabolite profiling reveals organ‐specific flavone accumulation in Scutellaria and identifies a scutellarin isomer isoscutellarein 8‐O‐β‐glucuronopyranoside" Current Position: PhD student at Cornell University Education: B.S. in Horticultural Science (University…

Mai Duy Luu Trinh, first author of "Lack of plastid-encoded Ycf10, a homolog of the nuclear-encoded DLDG1 and the cyanobacterial PxcA, enhances the induction of non-photochemical quenching in tobacco" Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Education: Doctor…

Elena Andrea Pelech, first author of "Photosynthesis, yield, energy balance, and water-use of intercropped maize and soybean" Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher Education: PhD. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA; BSc University of Essex, UK Non-scientific Interests: Mythology,…

Stephen Deslauriers, first author of "Electrophysiological study of Arabidopsis ABCB4 and PIN2 auxin transporters: Evidence of auxin activation and interaction enhancing auxin selectivity" Current Position: Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Minnesota Morris Education: B.S. Biology (University…

Meng-Rong Chuang, first author of "Chloroplast import of an intermembrane space protein is facilitated by translocon components Toc75 and Tic236" Current Position: Research Assistant at Department of Food Science and Biotechnology of National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan Education: MS in Institute of…

Linkan Dash, first author of "slim shady is a novel allele of PHYTOCHROME B present in the T-DNA line SALK_015201" Current Position: PhD student of Dr. Dior Kelley, Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University Education: Masters and Bachelors in Biology (National…

Mohit Kumar Swarnkar, first author of "Prickle morphogenesis in rose is coupled with secondary metabolite accumulation and governed by canonical MBW transcriptional complex" Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate (GNDU, Amritsar) and Senior Technical Officer, Division of Biotechnology, CSIR-Institute of…

Shuxiao (Susan) Zhang, first author of Root vacuolar sequestration and suberization are prominent responses of Pistacia spp. rootstocks during salinity stress Current Position: PhD student in the Plant Biology Graduate Program at University of California Davis Education: BS in plant biology,…

Dr. Liza Esther Alexander, first author of High spatial resolution imaging of the dynamics of cuticular lipid deposition during Arabidopsis flower development   Current Position: Associate Scientist I, Kemin Industries Inc, Des Moines, Iowa Education: Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, and…

Joanna Friesner, first author of Broadening the impact of plant science through innovative, integrative and inclusive outreach Current Position: Executive Director, North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee (NAASC) Education: PhD in Genetics, University of California, Davis Non-scientific…

Antoni Sanchez-Ortiz first author of Water stress assessment on grapevines by using classification and regression trees Current Position: Professor and Winemaker Education: Degree in Chemistry, Degree in Enology, MS in Human Nutrition and Metabolism Non-scientific Interests: Bonsai and Forest…

Matthew Wilson, first author of Ploidy influences wheat mesophyll cell geometry, packing and leaf function Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Education: BSc (Biology) from the University of Durham, UK; MSc (Crop Improvement)…

Cui Wu, first author of Gender Discrimination of Populus tomentosa Barks by HPLC Fingerprint Combined with Multivariate Statistics Current Position: Doctor candidate, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Education: B.S. (2015), Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; M Med (2018),…

Hannah Schneider, first author of Nodal root diameter and node number in maize (Zea mays L.) interact to influence plant growth under nitrogen stress Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Penn State University Education: Ph.D. from Penn State University Non-scientific Interests: Hiking,…

Shivani Bhatia, first author of A cellular expression map of epidermal and subepidermal cell layer‐enriched transcription factor genes integrated with the regulatory network in Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem Current Position:  Looking for a suitable position Education:  Ph.D. in Plant Molecular…

Shrikaar Kambhampati co-first author of The soybean (Glycine max L.) cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase multigene family; Identification of natural variations for altered cytokinin content and seed yield Current Position: Research Scientist in Dr. Doug Allen’s lab, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center,…

Nguyen Ngoc Hai co-first author of The soybean (Glycine max L.) cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase multigene family; Identification of natural variations for altered cytokinin content and seed yield Current Position: MSc candidate, Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University Education: BSc Biotechnology,…

Jessica Wedow, first author of Age-dependent increase in α-tocopherol and phytosterols in maize leaves exposed to elevated ozone pollution Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Education: Ph.D. in Plant Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;…

Mashael D. Alqahtani, first author of The role of PQL genes in response to salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis and barley Current Position: Assistant Professor Education: PhD in Biosciences, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia), Msc in Histology, King Abdulaziz University,…

Jun Zhao, co-first author of Functional relationships of three NFU proteins in the biogenesis of chloroplastic iron‐sulfur clusters Current Position: Associate Professor, Northwest A&F University Education: Ph.D. in Biology at Northwest A&F University Non-Scientific Interests: travelling,…

Manasa B. Satyanarayan, co-first author of Functional relationships of three NFU proteins in the biogenesis of chloroplastic iron‐sulfur clusters Current Position: Scientist, Charles River Laboratories, USA Education: MS in Biological Sciences at Western Michigan University, USA Non-scientific…

Sanjay Kumar Singh, first author of BHLH IRIDOID SYNTHESIS 3 is a member of a bHLH gene cluster regulating terpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus Current Position: Scientist at the University of Kentucky, USA Education: Ph.D. in plant science, Bose Institute, India Non-scientific…

Anna Sergeeva, first author of Glycerolipid profile differences between perennial and annual stem zones in the perennial model plant Arabis alpina Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Prof. Dr. Petra Bauer, Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany Education:…

Rajeev Gupta, first author of The maize premature senesence2 encodes for PHYTOCHROME-DEPENDENT LATE-FLOWERING and its expression modulation improves agronomic traits under abiotic stresses Current Position: Principal Scientist and Theme Leader for Genomics and Trait Discovery, ICRISAT, INDIA, Falgship…

H. Tucker Hallmark, first author of Cytokinin isopentenyladenine and its glucoside isopentenyladenine-9G delay leaf senescence through activation of cytokinin-associated genes Current Position: Antibody Production & Assay Development at Avanti Polar Lipids, Inc. Education: PhD Biological Sciences…

Sébastien Bélanger, first author of The commitment of barley microspores into embryogenesis correlates with miRNA-directed regulation of members of the SPL, GRF and HD-ZIPIII transcription factor families Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Education:…

Maryam Rahmati Ishka, first author of Copper deficiency alters shoot architecture and reduces fertility of both gynoecium and androecium in Arabidopsis thaliana Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), USA Non-scientific…

Hinako Matsuda, first author of Diurnal metabolic regulation of isoflavones and soyasaponins in soybean roots Current Position: Master's student at Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Japan Education: BSc in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering from Kyoto University,…

S M Abdul-Awal, first author of A sorghum gigantea mutant attenuates florigen gene expression and delays flowering time Current Position: Professor, Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh Education: Ph.D. in Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK Non-scientific…

Virginie Perlo, first author of Metabolic changes in the developing sugarcane culm associated with high yield and early high sugar content Current Position:  PhD Candidate, Bioinformatics on Sugarcane at The University of Queensland (UQ), Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) Education:…

Will Hinckley, first author of Gene Expression Changes Occurring at Bolting Time are Associated with Leaf Senescence in Arabidopsis Current Position: 1st Year PhD Student Education: BS Cellular/Molecular Biology from California State University, Long Beach Non-scientific Interests:  I have…

Roma Mukhopadhyay, co-first author of Measuring the dynamic response of the thylakoid architecture in plant leaves by electron microscopy Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, USA Education: PhD. in Chemistry, New Mexico State…

Meng Li, co-first author of Measuring the dynamic response of the thylakoid architecture in plant leaves by electron microscopy Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar in School of Oceanography at University of Washington, Seattle Education: PhD in Biochemistry, Cellular & Molecular Biology with…

Susanne Matschi, first author of Structure-function analysis of the maize bulliform cell cuticle and its potential role in dehydration and leaf rolling Current Position: Postdoc at the Leibniz Institute for Plant Biochemistry in Halle/Germany Education: PhD in Biology at Freie Universität Berlin/Germany,…

Lester Botoman, first author of Increasing zinc concentration in maize grown under contrasting soil types in Malawi through agronomic biofortification: Trial protocol for a field experiment to detect small effect sizes Current Position: PhD student, Crop and Soil Sciences Department, Lilongwe University…

Divya Rajagopal, first author of Role of Arabidopsis RAB5 GEF vps9a in maintaining potassium levels under sodium chloride stress Current Position: DST-WOSA Principle Investigator at National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India Education: Ph.D. International Centre for Genetic Engineering…

Yan Wang, first author of Plasticity and the role of mass-scaling in allocation, morphology and anatomical trait responses to above and belowground resource limitation in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Current Position: Lecturer, College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, China Education:…

Bo Xu, first author of High affinity Na+ transport by wheat HKT1;5 is blocked by K+ Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Adelaide, Australia Education: PhD, University of Adelaide, Australia Non-scientific Interests: hiking, cooking Brief bio: I am a postdoctoral researcher…

Mendel Perkins, first author of Dwarfism of high-monolignol Arabidopsis plants is rescued by ectopic LACCASE overexpression Current Position: PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia in Lacey Samuels lab Education: BSc (Hons) University of Calgary; MSc University of Calgary Non-scientific…

Marco Bürger, first author of In-silico analysis of the strigolactone ligand-receptor system Current Position: Senior research associate Education: PhD: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology; B.S., M.Sc.: University of Osnabrück Non-scientific Interests: reading, traveling Brief bio:…

Iny Elizebeth Mathew, first author of SUPER STARCHY1/ ONAC025 participates in rice grain filling Current Position: Research associate, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas Education: PhD in Plant Molecular Biology, National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), India Non-scientific…

James Patrick Santiago, first author of Phaseolus vulgaris SUT1.1 is a high affinity sucrose-proton co-transporter Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate at Plant Resilience Institute and Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University (USA) Education: B.S. Agriculture – University…

Carla S. Santos, first author of A combined physiological and biophysical approach to understand the ligand-dependent efficiency of 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone Fe-chelates Current Position: Post-Doctoral Researcher at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório…

Zainab ALJbory, first author of Differential Localization of Hessian Fly Candidate Effectors in Resistant and Susceptible Wheat Plants Current Position: Postdoc. Research Associate Education: B.S. in Plant Protection and M.S. in Entomology from University of Baghdad- Iraq. Ph.D. in Molecular Entomology,…

Geraint Parry, first author of Current Status of the Multinational Arabidopsis Community Current Position: GARNet Coordinator, Secretary Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Community, Director Arabidopsis Events UK Education: PhD Plant Science, University of Nottingham Non-scientific Interests:…

Pulkit Kanodia, first author of Control of Translation during the Unfolded Protein Response in Maize seedlings: Life without PERKs Current Position: PhD candidate, Miller Lab, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University Education: Bachelor in Engineering with a major in…

Alexandra Jammer, first author of Early-stage sugar beet taproot development is characterised by three distinct physiological phases Current Position: I currently have two academic part-time jobs, working 75 % as a Lecturer at the University of Graz (Austria), and 25 % as a Postdoc researcher in a project…

Marianne C. Kramer, first author of N6-methyladenosine and RNA secondary structure affect transcript stability and protein abundance during systemic salt stress in Arabidopsis Current Position: PhD Candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Education: B.S.…

Andries Temme, first author of Element content and distribution has limited, tolerance metric dependent, impact on salinity tolerance in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Current Position: Assistant Research Scientist, Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, USA Education: BSc…

What does your lab work on? My lab is interested in the regulation of leaf senescence (LS). As leaves sequentially age, they enter a regulated dismantling process that exports nutrients to growing and storage organs. Tell us about the key findings from your recent article in Plant Direct. We…

Ashley E. Cannon, first author of Lipophilic-Signals Lead to Organ-Specific Gene Expression Changes in Arabidopsis Seedlings Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Kent Chapman’s Lab at The University of North Texas Education: B.S. in Chemistry from Midwestern State University…

Bhuvan Pathak, first author of Recombinase-mediated integration of a multigene cassette in rice leads to stable expression and inheritance of the stacked locus Current Position:  Program Associate, University of Arkansas Education: PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology (2019) - University of Arkansas;…

Aashima Khosla, first author of A series of dual-reporter vectors for ratiometric analysis of protein abundance in plants Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, USA Education: PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular…

Natasha Navet, first author of Efficient targeted mutagenesis in allotetraploid sweet basil by CRISPR/Cas9 Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Oregon State University, Corvallis-OR, USA Education: Ph.D. in Tropical Plant Pathology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA. M.Sc. in…

Amy Klocko, first author of RNAi of AGAMOUS genes in sweetgum alters reproductive organ identity and decreases fruit persistence Current Position: Assistant Professor of Plant Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Education: Bachelors…

Kaori Yoneyama, first author of Hydroxyl carlactone derivatives are predominant strigolactones in Arabidopsis Current Position: Assistant Professor, Ehime University Education: BS & MS, Utsunomiya University; PhD, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Non-scientific Interests: watching children,…

Craig Schenck, first author of Role of Cytosolic, Tyrosine-Insensitive Prephenate Dehydrogenase in Medicago truncatula Current Position: NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow Education: B.S. Plant Biology, Ohio, University; M.S. Molecular Biology, Ohio, University; Ph.D. Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison Non-scientific…

Wei Hu, first author of Regulation of monocot and dicot plant development with constitutively active alleles of phytochrome B Current Position: Assistant project scientist at Prof. J. Clark Lagarias’ Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, USA Education:  PhD,…

Deborah Petrik, first author of BdGT43B2 functions in xylan biosynthesis and is essential for seedling survival in Brachypodium distachyon Current Position: Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN Education: PhD in Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, 2015 M.S.…

Yinghui Li, first author of Exogenous sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, a Jasmonic acid biosynthesis inhibitor, induced resistance to powdery mildew in wheat Current Position: post-doctoral researcher Education:  PhD and Master, College of Agriculture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China Non-scientific…

Jon Cody, first author of Site-Specific Recombinase Genome Engineering Toolkit in Maize Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, University of Minnesota Education:  PhD, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri – Columbia Non-scientific Interests: skateboarding, PC gaming and…

Daniel Santana de Carvalho, first author of IsoSeq transcriptome assembly of C3 panicoid grasses provides tools to study evolutionary change in the Panicoideae Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher, Bioinformatics Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil Education:…

Kyungwon Min, first author of A metabolomics study of ascorbic acid-induced in situ freezing tolerance in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Current Position: I have recently defended my PhD dissertation under the guidance of Dr. Rajeev Arora’s laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University,…

Nitya Subrahmanian, first author of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a plant model system to study mitochondrial complex I dysfunction Current Position: Post-doctoral researcher at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Education: Ph.D. in Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at The Ohio State University,…

Puneet Paul, first author of Divergent phenotypic response of rice accessions to transient heat stress during early seed development Current Position: Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Education: Ph.D. in Plant Molecular…

Meng Xie, first author of Identification of functional single nucleotide polymorphism of Populus trichocarpa PtrEPSP-TF and determination of its transcriptional effect Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Department of Plant Sciences,…

Cindy M. Munoz, first author of Dimensionless Numbers to Study Cell Wall Deformation of Stiff Mutants of Phycomyces blakesleeanus Current Position: Faculty in Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, and Computing, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado Education: PhD…

Christopher John Till, first author of The Arabidopsis thaliana N‐recognin E3 ligase PROTEOLYSIS1 influences the immune response Current Position: Scientist at Azotic technologies Ltd Education: PhD in Biosciences, Department of Plant and Crop Sciences, Sutton Bonington, University of Nottingham.…

Rumen Ivanov, co-first author of Mobility and localization of the iron deficiency-induced transcription factor bHLH039 change in the presence of FIT Current position: Senior Researcher, Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany Education: National High School of Mathematics…

Ksenia Trofimov, co-first author of Mobility and localization of the iron deficiency-induced transcription factor bHLH039 change in the presence of FIT Current Position: PhD Student, Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany Education: B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology (Molecular…

María del Rosario Ramírez Flores, first author of Inoculation with the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis modulates the relationship between root growth and nutrient content in maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.) Current Position: PhD student, Plant Biotechnology at Center of Research and Advances…

Shivani Upadhyaya, first author of Reciprocal regulation of photosynthesis and mitochondrial respiration by TOR kinase in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Current Position: Graduate Student, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, India Education: M.Sc in Bioinformatics Non-Scientific…

Renesh Bedre, first author of GenFam: A web application and database for gene family-based classification and functional enrichment analysis Current Position: Assistant Research Scientist in Kranthi Mandadi laboratory at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Weslaco, Texas Education:…

Nooshin Omranian, co-first author of Plasticity in metabolism underpins local responses to nitrogen in Arabidopsis thaliana populations Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPIMP), Potsdam, Germany Education: Ph. D. degree in Systems…

Prashant Pandey, co-first author of Plasticity in metabolism underpins local responses to nitrogen in Arabidopsis thaliana populations Current Position: Assistant Research Officer, The National Research Council of Canada, Saskatoon Education: Ph. D. at Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology,…

Ze-Hua Guo, first author of Arabidopsis cytosolic acyl-CoA-binding proteins function in determining seed oil composition Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China  Education: PhD in Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong,…

Archana Kumari Srivastava, first author of MYC2 Regulates ARR16, a Component of Cytokinin Signaling Pathways, in Arabidopsis Seedling Development Current Position: Research Associate in Medical Research Department, Healthcare Division, Research & Development at Emami Ltd., India Education: Ph.D.…

Jane Fudyma, first author of Untargeted metabolomic profiling of Sphagnum fallax reveals novel antimicrobial metabolites Current Position: Research Specialist & Laboratory Manager, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Education: BS (Hons) General Science, Biology/Chemistry Concentrations, 2013 Non-Scientific…

Wei Xu, first author of Genomic analysis reveals rich genetic variation and potential targets of selection during domestication of castor bean from perennial woody tree to annual semi-woody crop Current Position: Associate Professor of plant molecular biology at Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB), Chinese…

Andre O. Hudson, co-first author of The Arabidopsis thaliana gene annotated by the locus tag At3g08860 encodes alanine aminotransferase Current Position: Professor/Head-Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences Education: BS, Biology-Virginia Union University, PhD-Plant Biology/Pathology-Rutgers…

Tautvydas Shuipys, first author of A Synthetic Peptide Encoded by a Random DNA Sequence Inhibits Discrete Red Light Responses Current Position: PhD Candidate in the Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program at the University of Florida Education: PhD in Genetics and Genomics at the University of Florida…

Maite Olaetxea Indaburu, first author of Root ABA and H+-ATPase are key players in the root- and shoot growth promoting action of humic acids Current Position: Post-doc position in research at University of Navarra, Spain (Environmental Biology Group); part time University Instructor at the Public University…

Anutthaman Parthasarathy, co-first author of The Arabidopsis thaliana gene annotated by the locus tag At3g08860 encodes alanine aminotransferase Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Prof. A. O. Hudson), Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences Education: BSc - Chemistry (Madras University,…

Ami N. Sait, first author of  Structure-function study of a novel inhibitor of the Casein Kinase 1 family in Arabidopsis thaliana Current Position: PhD student, Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Japan Education: B. Eng. in synthetic organic chemistry, Waseda University, Japan Non-scientific…

Anahit Galstyan, first author of Auxin promotion of seedling growth via ARF5 is dependent on the brassinosteroid-regulated transcription factors BES1 and BEH4 Current Position: Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany Education:…

Will Hinckley, first author of  The HAC1 Histone Acetyltransferase Promotes Leaf Senescence and Regulates the Expression of ERF022 Current Position: Undergraduate Senior in Dr. Judy Brusslan’s Lab at California State University, Long Beach Education: Bachelors in Cellular/Molecular Biology in…

Young Cho, first author of Non-allelic homologous recombination events responsible for copy number variation within an RNA silencing locus Current Position:  Post-doctoral Research Associate, Ort Lab, University of Illinois Education:  PhD, Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Non-scientific…

Devrim Coskun, first author of Si permeability of a deficient Lsi1 aquaporin in tobacco can be enhanced through a conserved-residue substitution Current Position: FRQNT Postdoctoral Fellow, Bélanger Lab, Département de Phytologie, Faculté des Sciences de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation (FSAA),…

Xuan Xu, co-first author of Cell wall composition and transcriptomics in stem tissues of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): spotlight on a neglected fibre crop Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher at the Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology,…

Kaisa Kajala, first author of Real‐time whole‐plant dynamics of heavy metal transport in Arabidopsis halleri and Arabidopsis thaliana by gamma‐ray imaging Current Position: Assistant Professor, Plant Ecophysiology, Utrecht University Education: University of Cambridge (BA, MA, PhD), postdoctoral…

Anna Schulten, first author of Do Arabidopsis Squamosa promoter binding Protein-Like genes act together in plant acclimation to copper or zinc deficiency? Current position: PhD student in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Physiology of Plants (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany) Education: BSc…

Dhirodatta Senapati, first author of COP1 Regulates the Stability of CAM7 to Promote Photomorphogenic Growth Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow in Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic, United States of America Education: Ph.D. in Biotechnology from National Institute of Technology…

Bhuvan Pathak, co-first author of Heat-shock inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system generates heritable mutations in rice Current Position: Senior Graduate Assistant Education: PhD candidate, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA; MS Agronomy (2010) University of Florida, Gainesville; MS in Biotechnology…

Soumen Nandy, co-first author of Heat-shock inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system generates heritable mutations in rice Current Position: Program Associate Education: PhD, Department Of Botany, University Of Delhi, India Non-scientific Interests: Reading, Music, Gardening and avid listener of NPR radio Brief…

Sumio Iwai, first author of Guard cell photosynthesis is crucial in abscisic acid-induced stomatal closure Current Position: Professor Emeritus, Kagoshima University, Japan Education: Ph.D. in Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Chemistry, Kyusyu University, Japan Non-scientific Interests: Baseball,…