23 November 2017

Marie-Louise Fobian Thomsen - new PhD student at DynaMo

New posistion

Marie-Louise Fobian Thomsen commenced a PhD project on potential regulatory roles of glucosinolates in the DynaMo Center 1 November 2017.

The new DynaMo PhD stuent Marie-Louise has already been connected to the center for several years as she has formerly worked as a laboratory assistant and a research assistant in addition to doing both her BSc and MSc projects here. 

MSc project on root growth

Marie-Louise Fobian Thomsen graduated from the MSc Biology-Biotechnology Program at the University of Copenhagen in June 2017.

In her MSc project, Marie-Louise utilized the natural variation in root growth in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to provide evidence that a glucosinolate defense compound induces specific responses of root growth and that this effect is conserved across the plant kingdom.

On 1 November 2017 Marie-Louise began a 3-year PhD position at the DynaMo Center.

Accessions, developmental stages and tissues

At DynaMo Maria-Louise will study potential regulatory roles of glucosinolates in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Glucosinolates represent a structurally diverse group of defense metabolites, best known for their involvement in the so-called mustard oil bomb.

In Arabidopsis, the composition of glucosinolate profiles varies across accessions, between developmental stages and tissues, and in response to environmental stresses.

Why does a single plant produce so many different compounds?

This diversity in glucosinolates raises the question which regulatory roles they may play in planta.

Marie-Louise explains,

“Since the first time I came across glucosinolates, I have been wondering why a single plant would produce such a diverse group compounds. I am excited about this project where I get the chance to elucidate the potentially additional regulatory roles of glucosinolates in the plants.”

Marie-Louise’s PhD supervisor is DynaMo partner Associate Professor Meike Burow.

Welcome Marie-Louise!