Arabidopsis root ubiqutinome 

In collaboration with Dr. Justin Walley (PLPM), we have recently characterized a large-scale catalog of ubiquitinated proteins from Arabidopsis roots using diGly affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry. These data are being used to generate predictive E3-substrate networks and to investigate the in vivo significance of ubiquitination on transcription factors using CRISPR-based adenosine base editing techniques.

Auxin Regulated Proteomes 

Auxin regulated gene expression has been extensively studied and is known to involve active transcriptional regulation as well as protein degradation. One outstanding question in the field is how these gene expression changes are captured at the level of protein abundance. In order to address this knowledge gap, we have utilized global proteomics profiling approaches across tissues and time in Arabidopsis following auxin treatments. 

Roles of auxin pathways driving maize root growth 

Auxin signaling is a key regulator of root morphogenesis in angiosperms, yet this pathway is understudied in maize and little is known regarding genetic factors that determine maize root architecture. Recent reports have demonstrated that root architecture can directly impact yield and drought resistance in maize. The overall objective of this project is to understand the key regulatory events governing auxin-mediated root development in maize using an integrated molecular genomics-to-phenotype approach.

Interplay between auxin and sugar signaling in root development

Across the tree of life sugars are central energy signaling molecules. The post-embryonic developmental plasticity of plants relies on the ability of stem cell populations (termed meristems) to integrate environmental cues, such as carbon availability with hormone signaling (such as auxin) for coordinated growth and developmental transitions. We are investigating how auxin and sugar cues are read out by diverse cellular proteins to influence cell elognation and division during Arabidopsis seedling development using genetic, molecular, and microscopic techniques.