Molecular Biologist
Phone: (301) 504-5629
Biographical Information:
Dr. Janet Slovin's research in the Fruit and Vegetable Lab is directed toward using molecular approaches to determine how normal plant responses to stress can be manipulated to improve the development of basal and acquired thermotolerance during critical periods in plant growth and development, and thus, improve agricultural performance.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Slovin conducted research to elucidate the mechanisms by which plants regulate hormone metabolism in response to the environment. She was instrumental in bringing a genetic approach to studies of IAA metabolism, and discovered that IAA is synthesized by a metabolic pathway that does not involve the amino acid tryptophan.
Dr. Slovin was the first to demonstrate translational control of gene expression in plants. She is also a recognized expert on the Lemnaceae and on the use of genetic systems to study plant development.
She has authored over 35 publications in wide ranging aspects of plant growth and development.
Research Interests
- Development of a model system using diploid strawberry to study molecular mechanisms and gene function in the family Rosaceae.
- Elucidating the contribution of various stress proteins to thermotolerance in strawberry.
- Developing specific molecular markers for genes involved in stress responses.
- Determining the function of strawberry fruit proteins that are covalently bound to the plant hormone auxin.
Publications (click on publication tab at left)
