Our Research
The Discovering Signals (Cell-Signaling) stream focuses on discovering the early molecular signaling steps by which a novel hormone-like signal, extracellular ATP, regulates plant growth and development. Students perform novel experiments in the model plant Arabidopsis to test hypothesized signaling steps regulating growth of root hairs using chemical agonists/antagonists and genetic mutants.
Our Strategy
Discovering Signals stream students are engaged in both the process and analysis toward our research goals. Researchers are trained to 'think like a scientist' by developing and using critical thinking skills to create new knowledge through research and effectively communicating their findings.
Discovering Signals researchers will focus on how to:
- interpret and establish credibility of data obtained from novel experiments they have performed.
- formulate hypotheses based on data they have obtained and design new experiments to test these hypotheses.
- present research findings clearly in both presentations and written reports and make arguments from evidence while working together with peers to solve problems.
- search for, interpret, and synthesize published primary scientific literature related to the field and critically evaluate it.
- make discoveries of how cells perceive and transduce stimuli and learn requirements for publishing their data.
Our Impact
Roots function to absorb water and nutrients and root hairs greatly increase the absorption area of a root. Understanding the regulation of root hair growth and development by extracellular ATP is critically important to efforts to improve agriculture.
Our Team
Greg Clark
- Distinguished Lecturer
- Research Educator I Discovering Signals
- FRI Outreach Director
Resources
Course Credit
Research Outcomes
- Sabharwal, T.; Lu, Z.; Slocum, R. D.; Kang, S.; Wang, H.; Jiang, H. -W.; Veerappa, R.; Romanovicz, D.; Nam, J. C.; Birk S, Clark, G.; Roux, S. J. (2022) Constitutive expression of a pea apyrase,psNTP9, increases seed yield in field-grown soybean. Scientific Reports 2022, 12,10870.
- Yang, X.; Wang, B.; Farris, B.; Clark, G.; Roux, S. J. Modulation of root skewing in Arabidopsis by apyrases and extracellular ATP. Plant Cell Phys. 2015, 56, 2197–2206.
- Clark, G.; Wu, M.; Wat, N.; Onyirimba, J.; Pham, T.; Herz, N.; Ogoti, J.; Gomez, D.; Canales, A. A.; Aranda, G.; Blizard, M.; Nyberg, T.; Terry, A.; Torres, J.; Wu, J.; Roux, S. J. Both the stimulation and inhibition ofroot hair growth induced by extracellular nucleotides in Arabidopsis are mediated by nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species. Plant Mol. Bio. 2010, 74, 423-435.