Investigating the role of CHR9 in LFY dependent transcription in regards to flower development and the role of epigenetics in induced response to herbivory
ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2014Many living organisms rely on their DNA to store the information that allows for them to be able to develop, survive, and pass on their genetic information to their eventual offspring. Not all of the genes that DNA codes for are expressed at all the different stages of development in an organism’s life. I was able to work on two projects that involved investigating gene expression in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana during my time as an undergraduate. Although these projects differed in their approaches and their ultimate aims, both of them involved investigating the role of different mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression. Gene expression is tightly controlled to allow for proper development through the use of transcription factors, activators, repressors and other various methods that can allow for the proper expression pattern of a gene product. In Dr. Rebecca Lamb’s laboratory, I investigated the role of CHR9 which is proposed to be a potential cofactor of the LEAFY transcription factor which is a key regulator of reproductive development in Arabidopsis. Under Dr. R. Keith Slotkin, I worked on the effect of herbivory on the epigenetic marks of different areas of the genome and the expression of different genes involved in the regulation of these epigenetic marks.No embargoAcademic Major: Molecular Genetic
