CAREER: Molecular mechanisms of phloem transport and seed loading of heavy metals

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Plants and seeds are the main dietary source of proteins, vitamins and micronutrients such as zinc, iron and manganese. This project focuses on understanding how molecules are loaded into seeds as a basis to selectively enrich staple seed crops with specific nutrients such as iron and zinc, a process referred to as bio-fortification. Phloem is a vascular tissue that transports nutrients to all parts of the plant. Nutrients are loaded into seeds by phloem vessels (veins) that run across the leaves and through the stem. In leaves, molecules are loaded into the phloem stream by transporter proteins located in companion cells. Despite their importance, the majority of transporter proteins specific to companion cells remain unknown. This project will use a powerful molecular technique (ribo-seq) to differentiate between transporter genes expressed in companion cells and transporter genes expressed in other types of cells. Phloem-loading transporter genes will be further characterized by identifying the type of molecule (amino acids, vitamins, metals, etc) each transporter gene mobilizes into the phloem stream. Additionally, this project will integrate cross-disciplinary educational programs by pursuing three major outreach activities that will be continuously monitored and evaluated to maximize the benefits. First, journalism students will have hands-on experience on scientific activities and will communicate their experiences through media stories, videos and blogs. Scientific journalism is vital to promoting awareness about how science impacts communities. Second, this project will bring together plant science and engineering students by engaging them in interdisciplinary research. These types of interactions have dramatically improved the way biological systems are understood and will generate more opportunities for future interdisciplinary collaboration. Third, high school science teachers will be invited to discuss current research on plant biology and incorporate new developments into their existing curriculum.