Speaker: Michelle Facette, assistant professor in the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Biology Department

Title: "Cell polarity and stomatal function in grasses"

Abstract: How do multicellular organisms organize many different cell types into a functional (and beautiful!) variety of tissues and organs? The formation of new cell types is coupled with asymmetric cell division, where a mother cell will divide and give rise to two daughter cells that have different functions. In plants, stomatal divisions follow a regular set of rules, which results in predictable stomatal patterns. We study stomatal divisions to understand the rules that ensure correct asymmetric  cell divisions – which in turn, are required for correct cell fate and cell placement. Once formed, stomata play an essential role in regulating how plants “breathe” – that is, facilitate the uptake of carbon dioxide and loss of water vapor. We also study how specific cell types in grass stomata function, and how this relates to water use efficiency. Since many of our food staples are grasses, understanding how grass stomata function is especially important in an era of global climate change. We use cell imaging, proteomics, genetics, and physiological analyses to study how stomata are initially formed in grasses – and how grass stomata function.

Host: Dior Kelley, genetics, development and cell biology assistant professor

Lab website: http://facettelab.weebly.com/

April 12, 2022, GDCB Seminar: Michelle Facette, University of Massachusetts, Amherst