Plant Biology Graduate Group

How Plants Become Bushy, or Not

For many plants, more branches means more fruit. But how does a plant branch or not branch? New research from the Department of Plant Biology has shown how plants break down the hormone strigolactone, which suppresses branching, to become more “bushy.” Using a combination of structural biology, biochemistry, and genetic engineering, the team confirmed the specific enzymes responsible for dismantling strigolactone, and their mechanism. Understanding how strigolactone is regulated could have big implications for many crop plants.

Graduate Student Mentors Recognized for Positive Impact, Influence in Training Young Scientists

Each year the college recognizes the importance of mentorship in the continued growth of both the undergraduate and graduate communities by awarding CBS Dean’s Mentorship Awards to graduate students. Funded by contributions to the CBS Dean’s Circle, the awards are open by faculty nomination to graduate students who have played a significant role in the growth and development of the younger generation of scientists. 

Plant Researchers and Molecular Biologist Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Three professors from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as members of the National Academy of Sciences. They are among 120 new members and 24 international members announced by the academy April 30

Members are elected in recognition of their contributions to original research. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

Joel Ledford Receives 2024 ASUCD Excellence in Teaching Award

Joel Ledford, an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Plant Biology, has received the 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award from the Associated Students, University of California, Davis (ASUCD). The annual award celebrates teaching faculty for their dedication to students and undergraduate education. 

“Getting an award like this from students means a lot to me,” Ledford said. “It’s an inspiring thing, and it makes you want to be a better teacher.”

Cultivating Inclusive Environments: UC Davis DEIJ Leader Fellowship Projects in Action

The UC Davis College of Biological Sciences champions Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) through the Graduate Student DEIJ Leader Fellowship program. Now in its second year, the program empowers enterprising graduate students committed to enhancing DEIJ within the CBS community by supporting projects aimed at fostering a more inclusive academic environment. 

How Plants Sense Scent

Plants need to be able to communicate with themselves—by sending signals from their leaves to their roots to their flowers—so that they can coordinate growth and optimize resource use. They also need to communicate with other plants and organisms, which they achieve by releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), tiny molecules that are often associated with distinct smells. Scientists know a lot about how plants emit these odorous signals, however very little is known about how they receive and interpret them.