Heather McFarlane

Campus

St. George (downtown)

CSB Appointment

Full

Research Areas

Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics / Genomics, Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Systems Biology

Education

Ph.D. (Botany), Univeristy of British Columbia, 2013
M.Sc. (Biology), McGill University, 2008
BSc (Cell Biology), University of British Columbia, 2006

Titles and Honors

Canada Research Chair in Plant Cell Biology

Primary Undergraduate Department

Cell & Systems Biology

Graduate Programs

Cell & Systems Biology

Research Description

We all rely on plant cell walls every day. Cell walls make up most of the fruits, vegetables, and grains that we eat; wood, cotton, paper, and other fibres are almost entirely cell wall material; and plant cell walls represent promising material for renewable biofuels. To the plant, the cell wall provides structural support and protection, acting as an important barrier against the environment and as a critical determinant of cell shape.
However, modifying plant cell walls by traditional breeding or biotechnology often decreases plant yield. This is because plants sense changes to the cell wall by largely unknown mechanisms, so modifying cell walls for improved materials or increased biofuel production may inadvertently activate these pathways. By understanding the mechanisms of cell wall signaling, it may be possible to improve plant cell walls without decreasing yield.
The long-term goal of the McFarlane lab is to discover how plants sense and respond to cell wall changes. This research involves a broad range of activities, including uncovering the molecular mechanisms of cell wall signaling, tracking cell wall changes in response to these signals, revealing subcellular structure-function relationships during cell wall synthesis, integrating cell wall signaling networks with other plant signaling mechanisms, and understanding the evolution of cell wall signaling pathways within plants. We use a combination of techniques, such as live cell imaging, electron microscopy, biochemistry, and genetic screens to address these goals.
Research results from the McFarlane lab will inform plant cell wall modification strategies, which can advance applications in sustainable agriculture, food security, and next-generation biofuel development.