Speaker: Li Yang, University of Georgia assistant professor in the Department of Plant Pathology

Title: "Immunity-regeneration balance during plant aging"

Abstract: The maturation of an organism is associated with changes in a spectrum of physiological and morphological traits. Like animals, plants exhibit enhanced immunity during maturation, which is often accompanied by a decline in regeneration capacity. Our long-term research goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the balance between innate immunity and regeneration during plant aging. I will discuss how a conserved aging pathway, the miR156-SPL module, governs age-related resistance and how salicylic acid (SA)-mediated immunity contributes to the age-dependent decline in regeneration. Studies on the immunity-regeneration crosstalk in plants may enhance our understanding of this balance in human development.

Host: Joe Aung, genetics, development and cell biology assistant professor