Transformation of the moss Physcomitrium patens

This project will provide essential technical support and experimental plant materials for my Ph.D. project studying the leaf development of a non-vascular plant, the Physcomitrium patens. The mutant lines I will obtain from this project will be used to study the whole developmental process of the moss leaf. The mutant line with a plasma membrane fluorescence marker will enable the detection of cell border without disruptive staining using confocal microscope. For example, the mutant line with an additional cytoskeleton marker will serve as a tool to associate cell behavior with local mechanical stress. The incorporation of these plant materials and the cutting-edge methods including real-time live confocal imaging, mechanical property analysis and 3D image reconstruction will allow us to approach fundamental biological questions including how do plant organs interpret genetic commands at cellular and tissue level; what is the role of mechanics in regulating leaf morphogenesis? The transformation technique will also contribute to the future study of moss leaf development during my Ph.D.

Faculty Supervisor:

Daniel Kierzkowski

Student:

Partner:

Université de Lyon (Lyon, France)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Biotechnology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: