Research Expertise and Interest

plant biology, plant physiology, Plant

Research Description

Lew Feldman is a plant developmental biologist interested in how patterns are established, modified and perpetuated. For these efforts he works with root apical meristems, where root patterning occurs. The root apical meristem consists of several distinct populations of cells among which is a mitotically inactive population known as the Quiescent Center (QC). His research group studies the role of the QC in patterning in relation to the plant growth regulator auxin. Their hypothesis is that auxin affects patterning and other developmental activities by influencing the redox status of cells and tissues. To measure this redox status in living tissues they have developed a GFP (green fluorescent protein) reporter line  which allows us to quantify redox status at the individual cellular level.