GFP quick guide! 🧵

Green fluorescent protein, isolated from Aequorea victoria 🪼, has 11 antiparallel beta strands forming a cylinder that contains the chromophore (green).

Fluorescence of the chromophore is protected from quenching with water by the stable barrel structure.

I am proud of PhD student Fanfan Li (center, in green cargo pants) for receiving a second-place oral presentation award at the Canadian Association for Plant Biotechnology seminars. More to come from her work soon!🌺& thanks to the organizers for arranging this accessible series for students across the country.

Tomorrow is the first day of summer -- and we welcome two new team members to the lab. Andrew Park and Victor Reyes de la Rosa (NSERC-USRA) Read their profiles here: dastmalchilab.com/team.html

Meticulous characterization of Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase (CYP73A) and p-Coumaroyl 3′-Hydroxylase (CYP98A) from the plant species Leucojum aestivum -- important gatekeepers of downstream alkaloids.

7 things I learned from the Asimov Press article about the discovery of artemisinin—an antimalarial drug that has saved millions of lives—and Chinese research under Mao.

1. The drug was discovered after reading a two thousand year-old book written by a Jin Dynasty physician.

Excited to share our characterization of C4H and C3'H from Leucojum aestivum! #Amaryllidaceae #alkaloids #PlantBiochemistry #GRBV #PlantScience sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

🎉 Get ready for the 63rd Annual Conference of PSNA! 🎉 Exciting talks, planetary sessions, workshops, and more await you this July in Monterrey, Mexico🌄! 🌟 Stay tuned for updates on registration and abstract submissions – coming your way soon! #PSNA2024 #PlantScience

Two fully funded PhD positions in our lab at ⁦UTMBiology. We will use #SIF (solar induced fluorescence) and #drones to assess photosynthesis and GPP at fluxsites in Ontario and Quebec. Deadline for domestic grad students is closing soon. More info: [email protected]

Around 20 years ago, the Jay Keasling lab published the #bioproduction of an #antimalarial precursor in yeast. What an achievement + source of inspiration! Today, I'm proud to highlight this game changing approach with Niko Papon in Nature Reviews Genetics
nature.com/articles/s4157…

I’m usually only positive on here, but this downward trend is impossible to ignore and worth pointing out to those that are not aware.

Fascinating story. Chloroplast-localized arogenate dehydratases (ADTs) appear to interact with the isoflavonoid metabolon tethered to the ER. Are the ADTs partially cytosolic, or is it a case of trans-organellar linkages?

Saponin‐free yellow pea seeds developed by CRISPR/Cas9. An interesting example of what can be accomplished by metabolic engineering. #plantprotein #legumes onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pl…

Recruitment time again! We're looking for 2 fearless junior postdocs to dive into the discovery of bioactive fungal metabolites produced in tomato-fungi warfare, in a joint project with Marjan De Mey and Audenaert labs @UGent. More info and application via jobso.id/hiqx

Plant Science Support! Having a problem in the lab? Let the CSPB community help.

Thrilled to announce the publication of groundbreaking research on Microalgae-derived cannabinoids by Elisa, Fatima & our team! First-ever report of diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum-derived cannabigerolic acid💊 #Innovation #SustainableBiomanufacturing ✨sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

century of studying plant secondary metabolism—From “what?” to “where, how, and why?” academic.oup.com/plphys/article… Plant Physiology

#booklist2023 I found comfort in the works of Julian Barnes towards the end of the year. Memory is a theme that runs through his work — whether that of historical figures (Gustave Flaubert) or of personal relationships. “History is a greased pig,” is a line that resonates today.

We celebrated the season at a nice little café downtown. The team is coming along — Lee passed her comps, Fanfan has a pub in the works, Puneet passed her proposal, and Meha is ramping up on protein mutagenesis. Oh and Audrey is done her last undergrad exam! See you in Jan!