Speaker: Jianping Hu, Michigan State University College of Natural Science professor of plant biology

Title: "Plant energy organelles: dynamics and role in plant interaction with the environment"

Abstract: Chloroplasts, mitochondria, and peroxisomes are essential organelles in plants that function independently and coordinately during energy metabolism and other key metabolic processes. In response to developmental and environmental stimuli, these energy organelles modulate their metabolism, morphology/abundance, and motility/distribution in the cell to meet the need of the plant. Our research goals are to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying the dynamic behavior of these organelles in the context of plant growth and defense, as well as the regulation of photorespiration, a metabolic pathway tightly associated with photosynthesis and achieved by the concerted action of the three organelles. I will provide an update of our recent work that employs live-cell imaging, high-throughput photometric screens as well as suppressor screens to address these questions. 

Co-hosts: Yanhai Yin, GDCB chair, and Joe Aung, GDCB assistant professor