Plant Physiology Spotlights October 2024 First Authors
Behind the Plant Physiology manuscripts are researchers, professors, professionals and students dedicated to advancing the field of plant science. You’ve seen our First Authors on Facebook and Twitter — now, read more about why they chose to pursue plant sciences and click on the links below to read their articles.
Tianchi Jiang
蒋天池 （Tianchi Jiang） is the First Author of Citrus yellow vein clearing virus infection triggers phloem remobilization of iron- and zinc-nicotianamine in citrus published 11 October 2024.
Jiang is a Ph.D. student at Zhejiang University. Education background includes 2015-2019 BSc Shihezi University; 2019-2024 Ph.D Zhejiang University. Research interests include Plant nutrition. Personal interests include 唱，跳，rap，篮球（Singing, dancing, rap, basketball).
“During my undergraduate studies, I took courses in biochemistry, plant physiology, and plant nutrition, where I was trained to discover biological phenomena, pose scientific questions, formulate reasonable hypotheses, and ultimately validate them through experiments. This process sparked my interest in plant science. During my Ph.D., Professor Tian Shengke took me to a citrus production base for field research, where I observed the significant damage caused by the Citrus Yellow Vein Clearing Virus (CYVCV) to the yield and quality of citrus fruits. Interestingly, the symptoms of CYVCV infection are similar to those associated with deficiencies in key mineral nutrients such as magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn). Following discussions with Professor Lu Lingli, we decided to compare the elemental distributions in CYVCV-infected and healthy citrus plants. Our goal was to reveal the complex interplay between viral infection and mineral nutrient availability, aiming to enhance understanding of the pathogenesis of CYVCV and its impact on citrus health and management. Moving forward, I also hope to continue research in plant nutrition.”
Jessica Foret
Jessica Foret is the First Author of Transcriptome analysis reveals role of transcription factor WRKY70 in early N-hydroxy-pipecolic acid signaling published 15 October 2024. Foret is a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University. Education background includes 2023 Ph.D. Department of Biology at Stanford University; 2012 B.S. in Biological Sciences at University of California, Davis. Research interests include Plant sensing and signaling, plant-microbe interactions, and transcriptional regulation. Personal interests include soccer, longboarding, dogs, hiking.
“What I love about plant science is the opportunity to study organisms that are exceptionally tuned-in to sensing and responding to their environment. Plants can’t exactly run from their problems, and as such, they have developed some of the most interesting molecular, biochemical, and genetic strategies to deal with the world around them.”
Ying Sun
Ying Sun is the First Author of OsPUB75-OsHDA716 mediates deactivation and degradation of OsbZIP46 to negatively regulate drought tolerance in rice published 15 October 2024. Sun is a Lecturer at Shanghai Normal University.
Education background includes 2020.09-2024.06 Ph.D at Chongqing University; 2017.09-2020.06 MSc in Southwest University; 2013.09-2.17.06 BSc Biology Northwest Normal University. Research interests include Abiotic stress. Personal interests include Hiking and touring.
“During university, I developed a strong interest in botany and hope to continue to engage in scientific research in the field of botany.”
Yaolong Wang
Yaolong Wang (he/his) is the First Author of Transcriptome analysis reveals role of transcription factor WRKY70 in early N-hydroxy-pipecolic acid signaling published 15 October 2024. He is in his Master’s at Nanjing Agricultural University. Education background includes a 2018 BSc in Jinling Institute of Technology. Research interests include Genetic engineering and Plant metabolism. Personal interests include Travel and tourism.
“I was honoured to join the group of Zhang Changwei at Nanjing Agricultural University in 2022. Currently, I am mainly working on following the group to improve the efficiency of genetic transformation of cabbage as well as building a system to perform gene editing. Whenever there is a bottleneck in my experiments, I always benefit from the communication with Mr Zhang, whose ideas are always full of innovation. My mentor has guided me to open the door of scientific research and made me interested in plant science.”
Zhang Jiang
Zhang Jiang (he/him) is the First Author of Deciphering Acclimation to Sublethal Combined and Sequential Abiotic Stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana published 15 October 2024. Jiang is a Postdoc at Utrecht University. Education background includes 2023 Ph.D Plant Stress Resilience at Utrecht University. Research interests include Plant physiology, Stress combination, Retrograde signaling. Personal interests include Swimming, Traveling, Video games, Hiking.
“I was fascinated by plant biology during my bachelor’s internship at Jilin University. There I participated in studies focused on the accumulation of secondary metabolites in response to different environmental cues, under the supervision of Prof. Xia Chen. In 2018, I joined Utrecht University as a PhD candidate to investigate plant acclimation to combinatorial abiotic stresses at a sublethal severity. Our research has uncovered the mechanisms underlying Arabidopsis responses to combined (high temperature and drought) and sequential (flooding followed by drought) abiotic stresses, at morphological, physiological, and molecular levels. This work has the potential for the breeding and engineering of field crops that maintain optimal yields under the changing climate.”
Catherine Freed
Catherine Freed (she/her) is the First Author of Using Native and Synthetic Genes to Disrupt Inositol Pyrophosphates and Phosphate Accumulation in Plants published 30 October 2024. Freed is a Postdoctoral Associate and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Education background includes 2022 Ph.D. Biochemistry at Virginia Tech; 2017 B.S. Honors Biology at Bowling Green State University. Research interests include phosphorus, inositol pyrophosphate signaling, and phosphate sensing. Personal interests include painting and botanical illustration, learning new languages, and enjoying nature.
“The possibilities that plants have for changing the world are endless, limited only by our imaginations. It’s been an adventure digging deeper into different biochemical mechanisms and how they contribute to plant physiology, development, and health. While we have made great strides in the field of plant science, there is so much more that remains undiscovered. To me, the most exciting part about being a plant scientist is to imagine and create new plants that can better serve humanity and the environment.”
