Collaborative Research and RUI: Auxin fluxes in the Arabidopsis Root Apex--a Combined Experimental and Computational Approach

Simon'S Rock Of Bard College, Barrytown NY

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract: Hidden by soil and often ignored, the root is vital to the growing plant, exploring the soil to get water and nutrients and providing anchorage. Root form and function is regulated by the plant hormone auxin, which is produced and transported by specialized protein families in the plant. The activity of these proteins is understood in broad outline, but quantitative aspects remain unclear. The research goals of the project aim to advance knowledge of auxin transport by combining experimental and computational approaches. The experimental approaches of this multidisciplinary project include high-resolution measurements of the movement of auxin itself, as well as of the propagation of auxin-mediated responses, such as cell growth. The experiments will use the species Arabidopsis thaliana, the "fruit fly" of plant biology. The nearly transparent roots are a significant advantage for microscope work, and the available storehouse of auxin-related mutants is second to none. The computational aspect of the project will refine AuxSim, a model under development by Kramer that is already recognized as a powerful computational tool for auxin transport. The refined model and experimental results will fill in several blanks in the flow-chart for auxin transport within the root. This will synergize with contemporary efforts to understand the molecular biology of auxin action, and may also help applied efforts to enhance agricultural productivity by improving root efficiency. AuxSim will be made freely available. The award will partner undergraduates at Simon's Rock and UMass Amherst, and will provide training that is both biologically rigorous and computationally rich, a combination increasingly considered essential for tomorrow's workforce.