Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Pawel Mikulski

Pawel Mikulski, first author of The chromatin-associated protein PWO1 interacts with plant nuclear lamin-like components to regulate nuclear size

Current position: Postdoc; Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK

Education: PhD, Free University Berlin; Msc, University of Warsaw; Bsc, University of Warsaw

Non-scientific interests: Sports, Travelling, History

Brief bio: My first research project experience started in the lab of Prof Antosiewicz, where I did Bsc on biofortification potential of zinc transporters in tomato. I became gradually more and more fascinated by epigenetics and chromatin biology. I could deepen my interest during Msc, studying long noncoding RNAs involved in seed dormancy, in the labs of Prof Jerzmanowski and Dr Swiezewski. It was absolutely mesmerizing to discover how big gene networks are controlled by epigenetic master regulators and how huge plasticity is behind, i.e. histone marks, noncoding RNAs and DNA methylation. For my next step, PhD, I moved to the group of Prof Schubert within ‘Epitraits’ – Marie Sklodowska-Curie Network about epigenetic traits in plants. My main project concerned identification of the protein connecting nuclear envelope and chromatin repression. Spatial regulation of chromatin is a field full of questions and gaining new results was like a detective story to me. Moreover, working with great group of people internationally and at the host institution opened me up to various scientific projects and broad methodology. The epigenetic path continues – I currently do a postdoc in Caroline Dean group at John Innes Centre, Norwich, where I investigate early steps of gene repression using FLOWERING LOCUS C as a model.