Stress management: Using chemical biology to uncover coordination and crosstalk between endocytic and autophagic degradation

The Department of Plant Science invites you to a seminar by Dr. Cecilia Rodriguez-Furlan, Botany and Plant Sciences Department, University of California-Riverside

Plant cells respond to biotic and abiotic stresses by directing rapid degradation of key proteins through endocytosis and autophagy processes. Balancing these two pathways is crucial for cell survival. However, the complex characteristics of these pathways and the transient nature of the components have limited our knowledge of the system. To overcome these obstacles, I will discuss the application of chemical biology approaches, complemented by multidisciplinary methodologies, to find novel players regulating the crosstalk and cooperation between autophagy and endocytosis. Furthermore, I will discuss how these findings can be used to improve plant performance under biotic and abiotic stresses.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Rodriguez-Furlan studied molecular biology with an agriculture research scholarship at the Universidad Nacional San Luis (Argentina). She earned her Ph.D. in Biotechnology at the Universidad Andres-Bello (Chile) studying the endomembrane trafficking of cell wall components. As a post-doc, at the Universidad de Chile and later at the University of California, Riverside (USA), she applied chemical biology approaches to further investigate membrane trafficking. Her research outlook focuses on improving plant fitness to cope with changing environmental conditions.