Joanne Thomson
Title:
Graduate Research Assistant (Cell and Molecular Biology and Molecular Plant Sciences)
Education:
B.S., University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
M.S., Grand Valley State University
Research statement:
I study the molecular mechanisms of the unfolded protein response, aiming to understand
the signaling events that link the perception of ER stress to the establishment of
cell fate decisions. I use receptor-like kinases THESEUS1 and FERONIA, which control
opposing cell fate decisions during ER stress, as models for ER stress cell surface
receptor signaling.
My goal is to understand how plant receptor kinases function at the molecular level
and how signaling specificity is achieved between different receptor kinase-mediated
pathways involved in the unfolded protein response in Arabidopsis. By understanding the molecular mechanisms plants use to manage protein misfolding,
this work may contribute to broader insights into diseases caused by cellular stress.
Email: