Project properties
Title Cellulose synthase movement in growing and fully grown Arabidopsis root epidermal cells
Group Plant Cell Biology, Laboratory of
Project type thesis
Credits 18-39
Supervisor(s) Prof. dr. Anne Mie Emons, Dr. ir. Tijs Ketelaar, ir. Jelmer Lindeboom
Examiner(s) Prof. dr. Anne Mie Emons
Contact info annemie.emons@wur.nl
Begin date 2008/04/01
End date 2010/04/01
Description Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth. It isorganized as microfibrils.
Humans use cellulose as cotton, paper, fibre, food and fodder, but it is becoming important now as biofuel and in nanotechnological applications. Therefore, we need to know more about its production and organization in cell walls. That is why a so-called international NEST Adventure program is being funded by the EU, which we coordinate from Wageningen University, laboratory of Plant Cell Biology.
Cellulose is produced by cellulose synthase complexes moving inside the plasma membrane. We have Arabidopsis plants containing fusion constructs between a green (or other color) fluorescent protein and the cellulose synthase to follow the production of the cellulose microfibrils. Growing cells produce different cell walls from fully grown cells, for different purposes: expandable wall in growing cells and strong walls in fully grown ones.
In this project the MSc student will analyze the trajectories that these synthases make in the plasma membrane of root cells with our brand new spinning disc microscope. This research will contribute to unraveling the cellulose production process.
Used skills Arabidopsis plant culture, transgenics with XFP-fusion proteins, live cell imaging using advanced light microscopies, image analysis
Requirements PCB-30306