Fatema Alquarish, our first PhD. defense in Stress Granule Lab. 

Deciphering the Role of Biomolecular Condensates in Plants

Abstract:
Climate change and weather variability significantly impact agricultural production, posing challenges to plant survival and productivity. One adaptive mechanism plants employ to respond to environmental stimuli is the formation of biomolecular condensates.
Over the past decade, biomolecular condensates have gained considerable attention, particularly in understanding how plants perceive temperature fluctuations and their role in stress response and tolerance. This research aims to expand our current knowledge of biomolecular condensates, specifically stress granules and processing bodies, by investigating their dynamics, composition, and formation in the context of heat stress response.
By unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to environmental variability, this work will contribute to enhancing plant resilience and improving agricultural sustainability.

Bio:
Fatema is a PhD candidate in Bioscience, specializing in Cell & Molecular Biology, under the supervision of Prof. Monika Chodasiewicz. Her research focuses on plant stress responses, specifically exploring the role of plastidial stress granules in enhancing plant tolerance, as well as the intricate interplay between biomolecular condensates under heat stress.
She holds an MSc in Bioscience from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where her master's thesis investigated the characterization of a novel nuclear-specific Dicer isoform in human cells. Prior to that, she earned a First-Class Honours BSc in Genetics from University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, completing a research project on the analysis of StopGo in foot-and-mouth disease virus.