Anika Benske

I recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012 with my B.Sc. in Genetics. During my undergraduate studies, I worked with Sara Patterson in the Department of Horticulture. While much of my work involved tissue culture lines of various plant species, I began an independent project performing biochemical assays of Arabidopsis thaliana plants containing mutations in cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H).  C4H catalyzes one of the primary steps in the phenylpropanoid pathway, which synthesizes the monomers of lignin. Lignin is an important component of the secondary cell wall that provides mechanical support and a water-impermeable surface. My studies using the c4h mutants expanded my molecular techniques and introduced me to biochemical analysis. This experience sparked my interest in the cell wall structure of plants and the various techniques used to address these research questions.

My decision to come to the University of British Columbia was driven by my desire to continue research on the cell wall in a cooperative research community. I am currently involved in the training program “Working on Walls” (WoW) that is funded by the NSERC CREATE grant. I am a Masters student who is co-supervised by Dr. Brian Ellis in the Michael Smith Laboratories and Dr. Lacey Samuels in the Department of Botany.

Research aimed to alter lignin composition of the cell wall is of great interest to several industries. The compound is difficult to degrade- causing problems for the paper industry, forage crops industry, and the biofuels industry. My current research is focused on the role of laccases in the patterning of lignification. Through the use of an inducible gene expression system that causes ectopic differentiation of tracheary elements, I will use microscopic techniques to analyze trafficking patterns of two specific laccase proteins that have been shown to contribute to the lignification of stems. Research words: Arabidopsis, laccase, lignin, tracheary element, secondary cell wall, xylem