Welcome to the Kaplinsky lab
Our lab uses molecular genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry to study how plants grow and develop. We work on several interrelated research projects including:
- Trying to understand developmental pathways required for the establishment of the shoot apical meristem, a group of self sustaining stem cells that gives rise to all of the above ground organs of the mature plant.
- Characterizing the cellular roles of one of the genes involved in meristem establishment which is also required for organismal thermotolerance.
- Characterizing the developmental functions of a novel protein required for cell wall biosynthesis.
We use Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system to understand the function of genes required for normal plant growth and development. Arabidopsis is a small and fast (6 weeks from seed to seed!) plant with a fully sequenced genome, robust forward and reverse genetics, and great cell biology in its clear root cells. All of these properties make Arabidopsis a great organism for research at an undergraduate college.
Apart from research I teach three courses including Cell and Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, and Plant Molecular Biology.