Sanghun Lee: The Plant Cell First Author

Sanghun Lee, first author of “Broad spectrum fungal resistance in sorghum is conferred through the complex regulation of an immune receptor gene embedded in a natural antisense transcript”

Current Position: Research Associate of Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University, USA

Education: BS in Agricultural Biology, Chungbuk National University, South Korea; MS and PhD in Plant Pathology, Chungbuk National University, South Korea

Non-scientific Interests: Spending time with my family, reading and watching movies.

Brief bio:

Plants are constantly challenged by diverse pathogens. They respond by activating a sophisticated innate immune system that allows them to defend themselves against different pathogens. My research interests are to identify key genes involved in plant defense against pathogens and characterize their specific functions in plant immunity. Currently working in Prof. Tesfaye Mengsite’s laboratory at Purdue University, my focus is to understand how plants utilize epigenetic mechanisms to fine-tune gene expression in response to various pathogens. To achieve this goal, I use a combination of genetic, molecular, and biochemical approaches such as genome editing tools (CRISPR/Cas9) and chromatin immunoprecipitation with quantitative PCR or sequencing (ChIP-qPCR or -Seq). Ultimately, my research provides both genetic and epigenetic information useful for developing crop varieties resistant to pathogens.