I am a doctoral student in the field of Plant Biology at Cornell. I graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2005 with a BS in biochemistry. While there, I gravitated towards work in plants and ended up doing research on the plant cuticle in the lab of Dr. Reinhard Jetter. This research focused on the cloning and characterization of a lupeol synthase from Ricinus communis (castor bean) (1) and the biochemical characterization of a novel multifunctional triterpenoids synthase from Kalanchoe daigremontiana (unpublished).
At Cornell, my research has focused on two major projects. The first is aimed at understanding the extracellular processes of cuticle biogenesis. Specifically, I am interested in addressing the questions of how the lipophilic components of the cuticle – cutin monomers and waxes – are transported from their intracellular sites of synthesis through the hydrophilic environment of the polysaccharide cell wall to be deposited in the cuticle.
The tomato epidermis and cuticle. A. Light micrograph of an unstained cryosection. B. Confocal optical section showing the cuticle and lipids stained orange (Auramine O) and cellulose of the polysaccharide cell wall stained blue (Calcofluor White).
It is hypothesized that extracellular proteins are involved in both cuticular lipid transport(2) and cutin polymerization. Using a proteomic approach we have isolated several proteins that are extracted from the cuticle with the waxes by dipping the fruits in organic solvents. The candidates that were identified are now being further characterized by analysis of the expression pattern of their corresponding genes and the generation of transgenic RNAi knockdown plants. These results, combined with the demonstration of in vitro activity of recombinant proteins, will help to elucidate the molecular basis of the extracellular transport and deposition of cutin and waxes at the cuticle.
A second project is aimed at dissecting the biochemistry of wax and cutin biosynthesis by exploring the natural variation present in the cuticle chemistry of wild tomato relatives. In collaboration with Prof. Reinhard Jetter at UBC, we have begun a survey of several wild species spanning the tomato clade of the Solanum genus. Preliminary data has shown striking differences in wax chemical composition for several of these species and with the assistance of an undergraduate, Sam Mullin, we are beginning projects aimed at mapping these traits using existing introgression line populations of S. pennellii and S. habrochaites in the S. lycopersicum background.
Graduate Student
Department of Plant Biology
412 Mann Library Building. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
Telephone: (+1) 607 255 7730 Fax: (+1)607 255 5407
