Recognizing Plant Cell authors: Inmaculada Couso

Inmaculada Couso, first author of Phosphorus availability regulates TORC1 signaling via LST8 in Chlamydomonas

Current Position: Marie S. Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis Institute in Sevilla, Spain

Education: PhD. Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Div. University of Huelva. M.S. in Chemistry and B.S. in Biology at University of Sevilla

Non-scientific Interests: travelling, music, and cooking

Brief Bio: Since I started my PhD, I have been working on the potential applications of microalgae starting from studying carotenoids and lipids metabolism. During my postdoctoral stay in Dr Umen´s lab, I learned many aspects of the biology and genetics of the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In this stay, I realized how important cell signaling must be for biotechnological applications of these microorganisms. Then, I moved to Dr Crespo´s lab at the Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis Institute and started to work on the regulation of the highly conserved TORC1 signaling pathway by nutrient stress. Thus, I started a project funded by a Marie-Sklodowska Curie action to investigate the regulation of this pathway in Chlamydomonas by phosphorus availability using genetic and biochemical approaches. In this project, we developed an assay to monitor TORC1 kinase activity in this microorganism, which was a fundamental tool to understand how phosphorus regulates TORC1. Fortunately, an ideal set of colleagues at Danforth Plant Science Center and University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), and teamwork enabled our success.

 

当前职位：西班牙Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis Institute in Sevilla 欧盟及欧洲联盟委员会特别津贴Marie-Sklodowska Curie action博士后

教育经历：University of Sevilla 生物学学士 化学硕士，University of Huelva 生物化学博士

兴趣爱好：旅行，音乐，美食

个人简介：从博士阶段的研究开始，我致力于利用藻类研究类胡萝卜素和脂质代谢的应用。在Dr. Umen的实验室做博后的时候，我掌握了模式生物衣藻的研究方法， 同时我意识到藻类在生物科学技术应用方向的巨大潜力。后来我回到西班牙，在Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis Institute in Sevilla，Dr. Crespo的实验室开始有关在营养胁迫条件下TORC1信号通路的研究。有幸在欧盟及欧洲联盟委员会特别津贴Marie-Sklodowska Curie action的支持下，我进一步利用生化和遗传学方法展开了磷胁迫条件下TORC1信号通路的研究。在这篇文章里，我们首次实现在衣藻中检测并观察TORC1的激酶活性，进而了解磷元素和TORC1信号通路的关系。最后，我想感谢这篇文章的合作单位和相关实验室，特别是Danforth Plant Science Center 和University of North Carolina，Chapel Hill。