Qian Tang

Graduate student (Plant and Microbial Biology Graduate Program)

Education:

  • 2007-2010 – Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris, France), Life Sciences B.A.
  • 2010-2012 – Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris, France), Integrative Biology and Physiology Masters
  • 2014-Present – University of Minnesota (St. Paul), Plant and Microbial Biology Ph.D.

Research Topic:
Plant developmental and environmental regulation of auxin metabolic network.

Description:
The phytohormone auxin plays a critical role in plant growth and development. Maintenance of auxin homeostasis involves multi-pathways for biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the primary bioactive auxin in plants, and its subsequent catabolic processes including deactivation and conjugation. With the advance of analytical and computational capacities, significant progress in elucidating IAA metabolic pathways has been made. However, key components such as intermediates and enzymes involved in IAA metabolic pathways have not been fully characterized, and the dynamic regulation of IAA metabolism in response of endogenous and environmental signals has not been completely revealed. Currently we are developing methods to survey Arabidopsis seedlings for their changing indolic profile under different growth conditions.

My research is focused on :

1.     characterizing the tryptophan-independent pathway of auxin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

2.     analyzing the spatial-temporal regulation of de novo IAA biosynthesis at early developmental stages of seed germination.

3.     studying auxin metabolic response to altered environmental conditions such as light quality change or high temperature.

Lab photo Qian