Our lab utilizes multi-modal functional genomic approaches and quantitative proteomics to characterize a wide range of organisms. In particular, we are focused on resolving the signaling events that control plant growth and development under changing light and stress conditions.

​Plants regulate cellular processes based on the presence or absence of light through a combination of anticipatory (circadian) and reactive (light responsive) mechanisms. Together, these mechanisms allow plants to dynamically adapt to their daily environment as well as signal developmental events (e.g. flowering). To date, the extent to which diel plant cell regulation is controlled by changes in protein abundance and/or post-translational protein modifications (PTMs) remains poorly understood.​

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Khodabocus, Li, Mehta and Uhrig 2020

PTMs are central to the proper functioning of eukaryotic cells. They represent fast-acting, fine-tuning mechanisms for regulating protein activities, changes in sub-cellular localization and protein-protein interactions, amongst others, collectively resulting in diverse biological outcomes. Protein phosphorylation and protein acetylation are two of the the most abundant PTMs identified to date. Given this, our work is focused on identifying and characterizing plant cell processes regulated by these PTMs.

Khodabocus, Li, Mehta and Uhrig 2020

To do this, we employ quantitative proteomics to examine the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and a multitude of Agriculturally relevant crops from a systems perspective. Targets of interest are further investigated using a combination of molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry as well as targeted proteomics.

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