Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Kevin Cope

Kevin Cope, first author of The Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Laccaria bicolor Produces Lipochitooligosaccharides and Uses the Common Symbiosis Pathway to Colonize Populus Roots

Current Position: Post-Doctoral Research Associate

Education: Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Biology

Non-scientific Interests: Family, nature, gardening, mountain biking, drumming and chess

Brief bio: Kevin was first introduced into the world of plant science research at Utah State University where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science and Biology. As an undergraduate, he was mentored by Drs. Bruce Bugbee and Larry Rupp, and with them he published multiple scientific articles in two subject areas: photobiology and plant propagation. He then switched research topics and joined the lab of Dr. Jean-Michel Ané while completing his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The majority of his dissertation research focused on the work presented in his article recently published in The Plant Cell. Currently, he is completing post-doctoral training with Drs. Heike Bücking and Senthil Subramanian at South Dakota State University. His research is now focused on evaluating the molecular mechanisms regulating carbon allocation in legumes during tripartite interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia. Ultimately, Kevin hopes to obtain a faculty position at a university so he can establish an independent research group focused on studying nutrient exchange interfaces in beneficial plant-microbe interactions.