Please join us next Monday as we bring you the next presentation in the Plant Pathology Spring 2024 seminar series. This seminar is a collaborative seminar between the Department of Plant Pathology and the Center for Plant Science Innovation. Dr. Heejin Yoo, Assistant Professor at The University of Utah will be presenting “Unraveling Metabolic Dynamics: The Key to Plant Immunity”. We will meet next Monday, February 26 in-person in Keim 264 and online via Zoom. The abstract for her presentation is below:
“As sessile organisms with distinctive anatomies, plants have developed multiple layers of defense mechanisms to address and adapt to environmental threats. These mechanisms, however, often come with trade-offs that can hinder growth and yield. Understanding the intricate balance between growth and defense in agriculture is crucial. Yet, how plants manage their energy and carbon allocation between growth and defense during pathogen attacks remains largely unexplored. Previous studies suggest a direct interplay between primary metabolism and defense mechanisms, indicating a complex network of interactions. My research team is dedicated to unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind this balance through transcriptional, translational, and metabolic regulation. Specifically, our investigations focus on (1) uncovering the transcriptional regulatory pathways involved in salicylic acid biosynthesis in Brassicaceae crop species, (2) elucidating the role of amino acids in regulating plant programmed cell death in response to bacterial pathogens, and (3) determining how plant volatiles act as systemic signals for immunity. During this presentation, I will discuss our current research findings on the significance of metabolites including salicylic acid, amino acids, and plant volatiles in plant immunity. Our work aims to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing defense and metabolic regulation. Through our efforts, we hope to enhance disease resistance and crop yield, thus helping to meet the growing global food demand.”