PLANT CELL DYNAMICS MEETING 2026

June 2-5

Washington State University,

Pullman, WA

Participants will be arriving at Pullman and Spokane Airport. A shuttle will be provided twice per day from Spokane Airport to Pullman. There is a bus connection from Pullman airport to the campus.

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Registration (Plant Bioscience building second floor)

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Opening Reception. Plant Biosciences second floor

6:30 pm Opening Remarks (Andrei Smertenko and Cecilia Rodriguez-Furlan) BLS402.

6:45 pm - 7:30 pm Anna Stepanova (North Carolina State University)

Keynote Talk: "Tinkering with Plant Hormones"

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Poster setup in the atrium of Plant Sciences Building second and third floors with food and beverages

7:30 am - 8:30 am Light breakfast, Plant Sciences second floor

8:30 am - 9:15 am Emily R. Larson (University of Montreal)

Keynote talk: “How is the endomembrane system coordinated to support plant cell growth and adaptation?”

9:15 am - 10:30 am Organelles (session chair: Sabrina Chin)

9:15 am - 9:45 am Georgia Drakakaki’s Lab (University of California, Riverside)

Toshisangba Chuba

“Regulation of cell plate development during cytokinesis via hormonal signaling”

Hannah McCurry

“Chloride ions are sequestered in stem tip cortex and phloem and in apical leaf tips of pistachios undergoing salinity and drought stress”

9:45 am – 10:15 am Phil Bates lab (Washington State University)

Nicholas Neumann

“Deciphering the potential metabolons that regulate triacylglycerol biosynthesis in oilseeds”

Sean T. McGuire

“Seed-enriched GDSL-esterase/lipases modulate developing seed lipid profiles and interact dynamically with the endoplasmic reticulum”

Rajeev Ranjan

“Distinct and Cooperative Roles of DGAT1, DGAT2, and DGAT3 in Triacylglycerol Biosynthesis in Physaria fendleri”

10:15 am - 10:45 am Coffee break, Plant Sciences second floor

10:45 - 12:30 pm Cellular transport and responses (session chair: Josephine LoRicco)

10:45 am - 11:15 am Andreas Nebenfuehr (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

“Motors and tracks: interplay between myosin xi motor activity and actin filament organization”

Dana Lynch

“Arabidopsis MYOSIN XIJ modulates pollen tube formation in vitro”

11:15 am - 11:35 am Hanjo Helman’s lab (Washington State University)

Sam Smalley

“Decoding BPM-Mediated Regulatory Networks in Plant Salt Stress Responses”

11:35 am - 11:55 am Kyaw Aung’s lab (Iowa State University)

Zhongpeng Li

“PDLP5 regulates aquaporin-mediated hydrogen peroxide transport in Arabidopsis”

11:55 am - 12:15 pm Michael Knoblauch’s lab (Washington State University)

Viktoria Vasina

“Functional Studies and Evidence for Sieve Tube Autonomous Protein Synthesis in Sieve Element Plastids”

12:15 am Group photo taken outside Plant Sciences Building

12:30 - 2:00 pm Lunch, Molecular Biosciences roof terrace

Sponsor exhibitions: Leica, VWR, Fisher

3:10pm - 4:00 pm Workshop 1: “NSF funding opportunities for early career scientists”

Clifford Weil (National Science Foundation)

4:10 pm -5:50 pm Cytoskeleton (session chair: Sebastian Bednarek)

4:10 pm - 4:40 pm Tomo Kawashima’s lab (University of Kentucky)

Vijyesh Sharma

“Isovariant-specific roles of actin in Arabidopsis endosperm development and seed size regulation”

Alexander Staykov

“Roles of VLN2 and VLN4 Genes in Regulating F-Actin Reproductive Dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana”

4:40 pm - 5:00 pm Carolyn Rasmussen’s lab (UC Riverside)

Makayla Drew

“Investigating TANGLED1-mediated division plane positioning using a homology-based functional approach”

5:00 pm - 5:20 pm Sabrina Chin (The University of Tennessee Knoxville)

“SPI functions as a major actin nucleation pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana root hair tip growth that operates independently of ARP2/3”

5:20 pm - 5:50 pm Andrei Smertenko’s lab (Washington State University)

Kris Rapeta

“Pattern analysis of stable microtubule populations using photoconvertible fluorescent probe EosFP”

Se Eun Jung

“Regulation of vascular pit development by BdKin13A-2”

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Poster session 1 in the atrium of Plant Sciences Building second and third floors with food and beverages. Even numbers present.

7:30 am - 8:30 am Light breakfast, Plant Biosciences second floor

8:30 am -10:15 am Endomembranes (session Chair: Andreas Nebenfuehr), Molecular Biosciences 402

8:30 am -9:00 am Sebastian Bednarek’s lab (University of Wisconsin, Madison)

John Gordon

“Investigation of the SCD2 family and its role in SCD complex assembly”

Rachel Maurice

“Elucidating SCD Complex-mediated activation of RabE1, a small GTPase involved in post-Golgi transport”

Timber Mattson

“Investigating the roles of adaptor protein-1 and clathrin light chain in clathrin-coated vesicle transport”

9:00 am - 9:30 am Marisa Otegui’s lab (University of Wisconsin, Madison)

Yuchen Shi

“VPS4-mediated membrane remodeling during plant cytokinesis”

Tianle Zhou

“Role of the Autophagy Receptor NBR1 in Chloroplast Remodeling in Maize”

9:30 am - 10:00 am Rodriguez-Furlan’s lab (Washington State University)

Roya Campos

“Vacuole dynamics during root cell dedifferentiation”

Veronica Castro

“Functional Regulation of RABG3f by Phosphorylation in Arabidopsis”

10:00 am - 10:30 am Frederika Brandizzi’s lab (Michigan State University)

Deepak Bhandari

“Logistics of Defense: Membrane Contact Sites in Plant Immunity”

Brandon C. Reagan

“Staying in Shape Under Pressure: the Role of Lunaparks in Maintaining the Integrity of the ER in Response to Stress”

10:30 am - 11:00 am Coffee break, Plant Sciences second floor.

11:00 am - 12:30 pm Cell Walls and Mechanical Forces (session chair: Marcela Rojas-Pierce), BLS402

11:00 am - 11:20 am Adrienne Roeder’s lab (Cornell University)

Aanzan Sachdeva

“Force Parameters Drive Distinct Ca²⁺ Signatures and DEG Profiles in Arabidopsis thaliana”

11:20 am - 11:40 am Ivan Radin’s lab

Brandon Schmidt

“Chloroplast mechanotransduction in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii”

11:40 am - 12:00 pm Daniel Szymanski’s lab (Purdue University)

Luis G. Romaguera-Rios

“A biomechanical analysis of the maintenance of epidermal geometry and integrity during leaf morphogenesis”

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Charls Anderson’s Lab (The Pennsylvania State University)

Vyankatesh Zambare

“Mechanical properties explain the defective development of root hairs in xyloglucan-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana”

Ritu Vadodaria

“Lateral root emergence is modulated by polygalacturonase-induced pectin degradation in Arabidopsis thaliana”

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Lunch Break, Molecular Biosciences roof terrace

2:15 pm - 3:35 pm Workshop 2: "Engineering regulatory logic in plants: a synthetic biology workshop"

Anna Stepanova (North Carolina State University)

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Signaling and polarity (Session chair: Tomo Kawashima)

4:00 pm - 4:30 pm Julian Shroeder’s lab (University of California San Diego)

Hyunhee Joo

“A genomic-scale artificial microRNA library identifies redundant JMJ proteins modulating stomatal movements”

Og-Geum Woo

“Dynamic Analysis of Receptor-Like Protein Interactions in Plant CO2 Signaling”

4:30 pm - 4:50 pm Penelope Lindsay (Oregon State University)

“Antagonistic interactions between CLAVATA receptors shape maize ear development”

4:50 pm - 5:10 pm Camille Steber’s lab (USDA ARS, Pullman)

Corbin Chapman

“Avoiding cakes that fall by controlling alpha-amylase expression in wheat grain”

5:10 pm - 5:30 pm Sergey Ivanov (Oregon State University)

“Function and biogenesis of membrane interface in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis”

5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Juan Dong’ lab (Texas A&M University/Professor)

Juan Dong

“A cell polarity signaling module regulates upright growth in Arabidopsis”

Ziyi Feng

“PRAF membrane trafficking regulators integrate phot1-mediated blue light signaling to hypocotyl bending”

6:00 - 10:00 pm Poster session 2 in the atrium of Plant Sciences Building second and third floors with food and beverages. Odd numbers present.

9:30 pm Poster Figure Image Contest: votes are due.

7:30 am - 8:30 am Light breakfast, Plant Biosciences second floor

8:30 am - 10:15 am New technologies for plant cell biology (Session chair: Juan Dong)

8:30 am - 9:00 am John Sedbrook’s lab

John Sedbrook

“Developing pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) as a new model system and oilseed producing intermediate crop”

Liza Gautam

“Employing CRISPR genome editing to increase seed size in the new oilseed crop, pennycress”

9:00 am - 9:30 am Marcela Rojas-Pierce’s lab

A K M Mahmudul Huque

“Engineering inducible target protein degradation systems in plants”

9:30 am - 10:00 am Josh Castillo (Leica Microsystems)

“New imaging systems for plant cell biology”

10:00 am - 10:20 am Jeremy Petravicz (Star Protocols)

“Addressing Reproducibility in Scientific Research”

10:20 am - 10:50 am Coffee break, Plant Biosciences second floor

10:50 am - 12:30 pm Cellular stress responses and signaling (session chair: Georgia Drakakaki)

10:50 am - 11:20 am Gloria Muday’s lab (Wake Forest University)

Mohammad Foteh Ali

“Heat stress alters the cytosolic Ca2+ oscillation pattern in the tomato pollen tube”

11:20 am - 11:40 am Josephine LoRicco (Muhlenberg College)

“Responses to abiotic stress in the unicellular Zygnematophyte, Penium margaritaceum”

11:40 am - 12:00 pm Katerina Schwarzerova’a lab (Charls University, Prague, Czech Republic)

Dipanjali Kachhap

“Heat stress-induced dynamics: response and remodelling of plant peroxisomes”

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Closing remarks and business meeting: PCD 2027 and 2028 locations and format, T-shirt winner announcement.

12:45 - 2:00 pm Lunch Break, Molecular Biosciences terrace

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Hike to Kamiak Butte - Spectacular Palouse Views, Meet at the second floor of Plant Science Building.

6:00 to 10:00 pm Banquet, Senior Ball Room, Compton Union Building.

8:00 - 9:30 am Light breakfast, Plant Sciences second floor