Past PMB Seminars
For a schedule of all Plant & Microbial Biology events, seminars, and lectures visit our calendar.
Arpita Bose: Exploring the electric side of photosynthesis
The Bose lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using a transdisciplinary approach. We apply the knowledge we gain to generate new ways of addressing issues such climate change, sustainability, and the circular economy. My lab’s recent work has focused on the ability of microbes to use solid-phase conductive materials as electron donors. The ability to use...
Marie Elliot: Maverick microbes: communication, competition, and the need for speed during "Streptomyces" exploration
"Streptomyces" bacteria are abundant in the soil and are best known for their complex life cycle and their ability to make a wide range of bioactive (specialized) metabolites. We recently discovered a new mode of growth termed ‘exploration’, in which "Streptomyces" colonies expand rapidly across solid surfaces. This new developmental trajectory raised many questions, including how this rapid...
Adrienne H. K. Roeder: Stochasticity and Robustness in Arabidopsis sepal development
Robustness in organ development is the formation of the reproducible organ sizes and shapes despite perturbations in the environment, stochastic (or random) gene expression, and cellular variability. Development is remarkably robust, producing plant organs such as leaves and sepals with the same size and shape repeatedly from individual to individual. Yet, these reproducible organs are composed...
Dianne K. Newman: [Kustu Lecture] Context matters: agathokakological roles for redox-active "antibiotics"
In this talk, Dr. Newman will explain what "agathokakological" means and how this word can help us understand the varied roles microbially-produced redox active metabolites play in diverse contexts, from the soil to chronic human infections. These compounds, many of which are striking pigments that change color when they are oxidized or reduced, can serve as toxins or as lifelines for the cells...
László G. Nagy: Evolution repeats itself in fungal morphogenetic transitions
In the talk I will highlight two convergent transitions in complexity level in fungi, the emergence of complex multicellularity and the reductive evolution of unicellular yeast-like fungi; and will explore how these transitions can be used to learn something about the general principles of convergent evolution.
[POSTPONED] The microbiomes of Amazon peatlands: their role and interactions in GHG dynamics
Amazon peatlands are ecosystems where the interplay of microbes and plants can have profound consequences for soil C and GHG dynamics. Although their geographic mapping is still progressing, Amazon peatlands already represent a major soil carbon reservoir (>7 Gt). The increase, stability, or degradation of their above and below ground C pools affects the regional dynamics of atmospheric GHGs...
How plant cells measure themselves and why it matters
Across biological kingdoms, cell size has important developmental and physiological roles, but its regulation remains unclear [1]. In the Arabidopsis shoot stem cell niche, cell size is one of the features that is maintained in a steady state over long periods of cell proliferation. We have found that meristem cell size is maintained by a feedback between cell growth and cell cycle progression...
Bacterial threat assessment of bacteriophage infection
Monitoring the extracellular environment for danger signals is a critical aspect of cellular survival. However, the danger signals released by dying bacteria and the mechanisms bacteria use for threat assessment remain largely unexplored. Here,we show that lysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells releases polyamines that are subsequently taken up by surviving cells via a mechanism that relies on...
Tsujimoto Lecture: Deciphering the human gut microbiome with chemistry
The human body is colonized by trillions of microorganisms that exert a profound influence on human biology, in part by providing functional capabilities that extend beyond those of host cells. In particular, there is growing evidence linking chemical processes carried out by the human gut microbiome to diseases such as colorectal cancer. However, we still do not understand the vast majority of...
Engineering the mycobacterial cell envelope
The Siegrist lab studies the cell envelope, an essential interface between a bacterium and its surroundings. This dynamic structure accommodates growth and division while protecting against environmental insults. Because it is necessary for viability and composed of molecules that are not present in eukaryotic cells, the bacterial envelope has been a fruitful target for antibiotics. We focus on...