ABSTRACT
First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Aimee Uyehara is first author on ‘ De novo TANGLED1 recruitment from the phragmoplast to aberrant cell plate fusion sites in maize’, published in JCS. Aimee is a PhD Student in the lab of Dr Carolyn Rasmussen at Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Center for Plant Cell Biology, University of California, Riverside, USA, investigating how plant cells regulate the placement and completion of their divisions.
Aimee Uyehara
How would you explain the main findings of your paper in lay terms?
Division site proteins mark the division site until cell division is complete. However, we observed that one division site protein, TANGLED1, is recruited to alternative locations near the end of division. This suggests that TANGLED1, besides serving as a division site protein, also has additional roles in completing cell division.
Were there any specific challenges associated with this project? If so, how did you overcome them?
For one of our experiments, we needed to image cells from the maize embryo because the double mutant is seedling lethal. I worked together with two incredible undergraduate students at the time, Beatrice Diep and Sarah Gayer, as well as Lindy Allsman, to develop a system of timing maize crosses in the field and moving the crosses to the lab for confocal imaging. This part of the project took a lot of coordination and teamwork.
The phragmoplast (green) recruits the division site protein TAN1–YFP (magenta) to the cell cortex independently of the preprophase band (yellow bar) in the maize single mutant discordia1.
The phragmoplast (green) recruits the division site protein TAN1–YFP (magenta) to the cell cortex independently of the preprophase band (yellow bar) in the maize single mutant discordia1.
What motivated you to pursue a career in science, and what have been the most interesting moments on the path that led you to where you are now?
I really like asking questions and designing experiments to answer the question. I didn't expect to enjoy spending hours in a dark microscope room as much as I currently do.
Who are your role models in science? Why?
I have a lot of role models in science – in addition to my PI, Carolyn, I am also inspired by my graduate student peers as well as the other laboratory members that do research in our lab. I enjoy seeing the different ways people problem-solve and discussing their hypotheses and experiments.
Tell us something interesting about yourself that wouldn't be on your CV
I have two cats named after pasta: Soba and Gnocchi.
Aimee Uyehara's contact details: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Center for Plant Cell Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
E-mail: [email protected]
