Marcela Rojas-Pierce | Plant and Microbial Biology
- Manipulation of targeted protein degradation in plant biology, BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS (2025, April)
- Model-based inference of a dual role for HOPS in regulating guard cell vacuole fusion, IN SILICO PLANTS (2024)
- Rapid depletion of target proteins in plants by an inducible protein degradation system, PLANT CELL (2024, March 6)
- White LED intensities during co-cultivation affect the Agrobacterium-mediated soybean (Glycine max) transformation using mature half seeds as explants, PLOS ONE (2024)
Marcela Rojas-Pierce
Professor
Associate Dept Head
Faculty
Partners Building III 227
Area(s) of Expertise
Cell Biology, Vesicle Trafficking, Vacuole Biogenesis
The vacuole is the major storage compartment in plant cells and has important implications for the nutritional value of agricultural crops. Our research is focused on identifying the molecular mechanisms that regulate the biogenesis of the vacuole and the delivery of tonoplast proteins to the vacuolar membrane. We use chemical and classical genetic approaches to characterize these mechanisms in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
Plant vacuoles have additional functions in growth and development. Dynamics of vacuole fusion are also important for critical physiological functions such as the regulation of stomata closing during water deficit and gravitropism. Our lab is starting to elucidate molecular mechanisms of vacuole dynamics that may contribute to responses of plants to these environmental cues.
Courses Taught:
- PB 414 Cell Biology (Spring)
- PB 780 Plant Molecular Biology (Fall)
Education:
Ph.D., Botany, University of California (2003)
B.S., Biology, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia (1997)
