Dr. Roberts' Lab

Dr. Alison Roberts

Dr. Roberts is a professor at the University of RI. Dr. Roberts studies how plants make cellulose. Cellulose is the defense around the cell that protects it. Cellulose is what makes stems and branches strong. Amazingly, we still don't quite understand how plants can determine the rigidity and makeup of their cell wall structure. Because this is a very complex molecular question, Dr. Roberts works on moss, because moss is a bit simpler to figure out. Once mosses are better understood as to how they make their cells walls, then the same concepts can be applied to understand other species of plants, especially those of human economic interest.

The lab can have 2-3 undergraduates at a time. Some important skills and instruments Dr. Roberts' lab uses are: DNA extraction, PCR, centrifugation, genetic transformation, fluorescent tags, and many more.

The major lab interests are:

Cloning, sequencing and characterization of the expression patterns of CesA genes from organisms representing various stages in the evolution of plant vascular tissue.

Identification of the domains within the CesA protein that are involved in assembly of the terminal complex and interaction with associated proteins.

Investigation of the role of the cytoskeleton in coordinating cell expansion and patterned secondary cell wall deposition.

Best to contact through email: aroberts@uri.edu

Unique Lab Tool

To the left is a cell disruptor that is used to break open plant cells in Dr. Robert's lab. Cell disruptors are required for studying plant cells because plant cells have quite tough plant cell walls that need to be broken before researchers can study plant cells.