From the CSMB Website: “The Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences (CSMB) New Investigator Award was established by the Society to recognize and support the next generation of scientists in Canada. The award is given on the basis of (i) excellence in research and (ii) demonstration of leadership.”
Read more about the award on the CSMB website, the Department of Cell & Systems Biology news, or on the UofT Celebrates page.
Why does our lab study cell wall signaling? Plant cell walls are a critical source for raw materials. They provide dietary fibre in our food, and can be processed into natural, vegan textiles (like cotton, linen, and rayon), vegan gelling/thickening agents (such as pectins), green replacements to single use plastics (wood, paper, or compostable bioplastics), or renewable biofuels. Cell walls are therefore important targets for biotechnology, but attempts to modify plant cell walls have exposed a critical gap in the knowledge: plant cell wall modification can trigger cell wall signaling, which can limit plant growth. In our newest paper in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science, MSc student Gauen Shin reviews what is known about cell wall signaling and what knowledge gaps remain to be closed by ongoing research.
Shin, G. & McFarlane, H.E.# (2025) “Understanding cell wall signaling to open new opportunities for modifying plant cell walls.” Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences 105: 1-8.
McFarLab PhD student Fabrizio Chow and MSc student Eskandar Mohammad have recently published our method for screening mutants for cell wall secretion defects. The protocol included detailed procedures, as well as troubleshooting steps, and example results for anyone who wants to apply this method to study their own mutants. Check out the paper in STAR Protocols for more details:
Chow, F., Mohammad, E., and McFarlane, H.E. “Protocol for detecting intracellular aggregations in Arabidopsis thaliana cell wall mutants using FM4-64 staining” Cell Press STAR Protocols 6: 103665.
Today, the McFarLab welcomes new postdoc, Dr. Eduardo Ramirez Rodriguez. Eduardo earned his BSc at Tec de Monterrey in Mexico, then his Masters of Biotechnology at the University of Melbourne in Australia, then his PhD at the University of Toronto. He will be funded by Heather’s Canada Research Chair to study molecular mechanisms of cell wall signal transduction.
Heather has been awarded the Dorothy Shoichet Women Faculty in Science Award of Excellence. From the UofT website: “Professor Molly Shoichet created The Dorothy Shoichet Women Faculty in Science Award of Excellence in honour of her mother, an honorary degree recipient. This fund provides teaching-release-time funds to pre-tenure/early-tenured female professors in any of the physical or life sciences, computer sciences, statistical sciences or mathematics within the Faculty of Arts & Science.”
Read more on the Department of Cell & Systems Biology page, the Faculty of Arts & Science webpage or on the UofT Celebrates page.
Today, Eduardo Ramirez Rodriguez successfully defended his PhD thesis “Decoding the signals that shape plant cell walls” Eduardo’s thesis investigated changes to the phosphoproteome that are induced by cell wall signaling and characterized an intracellular kinase that acts in a phosphorelay to receive and then transmit cell wall signals. Eduardo gave a fantastic presentation to a standing-room-only crowd of supporters from the department. Special thanks to his external examiner, Prof. R. Glen Uhrig, from the University of Alberta. Congratulations, Dr. Ramirez Rodriguez!
Today, the McFarLab welcomes new postdoc, Dr. Jordan Ferria. Jordan conducted his PhD at the University of Cambridge with Prof. Beverley Glover. Jordan joins us after his first postdoc with Prof. Arezki Boudaoud at École Polytechnique – Paris. He will join our OMAFA-funded project to identify new components of cell wall signaling. Welcome, Jordan!
The McFarLab welcomes new PhD student Rowan Brookman. Rowan joins the lab after completed his BSc at the University of Toronto (as a McFarLab undergraduate student!) and an MSc with Robin Cameron at McMaster University. Rowan will examine how cell wall signaling triggers changes in cell wall synthesis and secretion. Rowan won an Ontario Graduate Scholarship to support his studies. Welcome Rowan!
Just a week after transferring to the PhD program, PhD student, Fabrizio Chow, has been awarded the Rustom H. Dastur Graduate Scholarship in Cell and Systems Biology. Congratulations, Fabrizio!
Today, Fabrizio Chow successfully completed his PhD transfer exam. Congratulations, Fabrizio, and welcome to your PhD!