Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Fernanda A.L. Silva-Alvim

Fernanda A.L. Silva-Alvim, first author of Predominant Golgi-residency of the plant K/HDEL receptor is essential for its function in mediating ER retention

Current Position: Visitor student, Centre for Plant Sciences, University of Leeds/UK

Education: BSc in Food Engineer, Master in Agroenergy, Federal University of Tocantins/Brazil

Non-scientific Interests: Travelling, books, movies, music, theatre, fitness, exercising and beauty care.

Brief bio: I graduated in Food Engineering and worked as a Masters student on optimising starch hydrolysis and fermentation in bio-fuel manufacturing. Realizing that food and energy are equally important I wanted to explore protein synthesis and transport and was fortunate to start at the University of Leeds as a visiting student. I was fascinated by the complexity of protein transport steps in the plant secretory pathway and quickly encountered many unanswered questions regarding the function and membrane topology of the receptor that is responsible for protein retention in the endoplasmic reticulum. I learned modern techniques in genetic engineering and gene design, protein transport assays, cell fractionation and confocal laser scanning microscopy. I am due to start my PhD in October 2018 with Mike Blatt at the University of Glasgow/UK and the research will bridge disciplines across the fields of biology, physics, and chemistry.