Research Description
Unlike animals, which make organs only during embryogenesis, plants make organs throughout their lifetime through the action of specialized groups of cells called meristems. Meristems function by setting aside groups of cells to become organ primordia while maintaining a population of undifferentiated cells to support further growth. My lab focuses on axillary meristems, which give rise to branches and flowers and therefore play a fundamental role in plant architecture and reproduction. The goal of our research is to understand how the hormonal signal for axillary meristem initiation is perceived and transmitted to cause the changes in gene expression, cell division and expansion required for the formation of an axillary meristem.