CSB students won multiple awards at the annual regional meeting of the Canadian Society for Plant Biology, held at University of Toronto Scarborough on December 3, 2022.
Jenny Huang (McFarlane lab) noted that “It was exciting to finally meet all the scientists I had only heard of by name before. The conference exposed me to a diverse range of research in the field of plant science which broadened my perspective on the kinds of projects that are available.”
Huang earned her award for a talk on Sugar Code Interactors in N-glycan Quality Control. She says “I was not expecting to win an award, and I am thankful to have my work recognized”. Lectins bind to N-glycosylated proteins, and Huang has identified candidate lectins in Arabidopsis with the goal of exploring their effect on glycoprotein trafficking and maturation.
Michael Bunsick (Lumba lab) was recognized for his talk on Identifying the Strigolactone Receptor in Fungi. Bunsick found that plant-derived strigolactone serves as an inter-kingdom signaling molecule which inhibits PHO84-dependent phosphate uptake in fungi.
Mack Loranger (Yoshioka lab) presented an award-winning poster describing how Diverse interactions between Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) and beneficial Canadian soil-borne bacteria regulate increased immunity.
Laura Jones (Braeutigam lab) says she was “thrilled to receive a poster award for my research on Responses of Balsam Poplar to Extreme Weather Events Simulating Late 21st Century Climate. It felt like a confirmation that people recognize the importance of studying tree physiology, particularly in the context of climate change, and find trees just as fascinating as I do!”
Congratulations to these dedicated scientists!