Nicholas Bielski: Plant Physiology First Author

Nicholas Bielski, co-first author of “Evolutionary analysis of the LORELEI gene family in plants reveals regulatory subfunctionalization”

Current Position: PhD Candidate – Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona

Education: B.Sc in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Wisconsin – Parkside

Non-scientific interests: Reading, hiking, camping, drawing, and music

Brief Bio:

My scientific career began in the field of aquatic invertebrate ecology where I studied pond systems and the effects of drought on invertebrate assemblages and emergence. During my graduate studies, I began exploring evolutionary biology by applying a phylogenetic and computational approach to plant molecular biology. More specifically, I study the evolution of gene families among land plants focusing primarily on the plant family Brassicaceae. The gene families I look at are involved in forming signaling complexes that have evolved over time to be critical for plant growth and development, including reproduction. Currently, I am exploring the functional conservation of paralogs of a signaling complex involved in plant reproduction in eudicots.