I completed my masters degree in the Douglas Lab in 2010, and will be continuing my PhD studies here. My PhD project will contribute to the elucidation of the transcription factor network controlling secondary cell wall synthesis in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Although the biochemistry of secondary wall biosynthetic pathways has been extensively studied, information on transcriptional regulators that control the secondary wall synthetic process is limited. If the regulatory network controlling secondary cell wall synthesis can be well established, the cell walls of wood and plant fibers may be more easily manipulated. My work is also contributing towards the goals of the NSERC Green Crop Network, a national research network of which the Douglas lab is a member. One of the goals of this multi-investigator and multidisciplinary network is to improve carbon sequestration properties of crop plants by increasing lignification of secondary cell walls.
