Graduate Students

(2007-2012)

I am from Bogatá, Columbia. In the Devarenne lab I worked on characterizing the interaction of Adi3 with the SnRK1 complex and how phosphorylation of the SnRK1 β-subunit by Adi3 controls the activity and cell localization of the SnRK1 complex.
Julian was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Washington in the lab of Keiko Torii from 01.01.2013 to 01.17.2015 and now (as of 01.20.2015) is a Research Scientist at the Broad Institute.

(2007-2012)

My research focuses on the molecular basis behind the biosynthesis of the C₃₄ isoprenoid known as botryococcene from Botryococcus braunii. Exploring the structures of each protein in this unique pathway, I plan to elucidate the specific structural characteristics involved in product determination between botryococcene synthesis and other closely related isoprenoid compounds. I also plan to reconstruct the C₁₅ to C₃₄ synthesis both in vitro and in vivo for further mutational experiments.

These studies lay a foundation for exploring the production of biofuels in B. braunii and other algae while also establishing new tools for exploring the biology of these hydrocarbon rich algae.

Taylor was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Washington University, St. Louis in the lab of Ursula Goodenough from 09.01.2012 to 09.01.2015, a Postdoctoral Researcher in the lab of Danny Ducat at Michigan State University from 09.15.2015 to 08.01.2017, and is now (as of 08.18.2017) an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University in the Polytechnic School Environmental and Resource Management Program in the  Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering. He is also a member of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability.

(2013-2018)

I was born in Portland, Oregon and lived half my life there and the other half in San Diego, California. I earned a Bachelors degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Portland. I began graduate school at Texas A&M in August, 2012 and joined the Devarenne Lab in May, 2013.

I have two projects, the first of which is focused on isolating and characterizing lipid droplets (LDs) from Botryococcus braunii, race B.  I am interested in questions such as: what proteins are associated with LDs and what functions do they serve?  How are hydrocarbons metabolized in LDs?  How do LDs move through the cell and influence development?  How are LD hydrocarbons incorporated into the extra-cellular matrix?  My second project is focused on the biosynthesis of alkadienes and alkatrienes in B. braunii race A.  The aim of this project is to identify and characterize the enzyme(s) in the anabolic pathway of these hydrocarbons.

Dan successfully defended his thesis on March 5, 2018 but delayed graduation until December, 2018 in order to teach an entrepreneurship class at A&M and work on his algae biofuel company Botryonyx.  Currently (as of 06.17.2019) Dan is working for Pacific Biosciences as a Scientist I for field applications support in bioinformatics, and is based in Chicago.

(2013-2017)

I am from Antakya, Turkey and I have been in the US since 2008. I got my M.S. degree in chemistry at Wright State University in June, 2012. I have been a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics at Texas A&M since August, 2012 and I joined the Devarenne lab and the family of green algae researchers in May, 2013.

My research projects include using Raman spectroscopy to understand the structure of the botryococcene hydrocarbons produced by the B race of Botryococcus braunii. The project will entail purifying all isomers of botryococcene from the B race, analyzing their structures by GC/MS and NMR, and determining the specific Raman spectroscopy signatures for each isomer. These characteristic Raman signature of each molecule will be mapped in a live B. braunii colony using confocal Raman spectroscopy to understand biosynthesis and distribution of botryococcenes within the colony. A second project I am working on involves the characterization of the gene/enzyme responsible for production of the B race colony polysaccharide sheath.

Mehmet successfully defended his PhD thesis on 09.12.2017, and is now (as of 01.29.2018) a Postdoctoral Researcher in the lab of Daniel Amador-Noguez in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin.

(2012-2018)

I am from Tianjin, China and received my BS in Life Sciences from Xiamen University in 2011. I joined the Texas A&M University Biochemistry and Biophysics graduate program in the Fall of 2011 and then joined the Devarenne Lab in May, 2012.
I am researching the SnRK complex in relation to regulation of programmed cell death and cell metabolism in tomato. I am interested in: 1) how the different homologs of the three subunits in SnRK complex interact; 2) how Adi3 regulation influences the SnRK complex phosphorylation state, cellular localization and kinase activity; 3) how this regulation influences metabolism and energy expenditures; and finally, 4) how all these aspects contribute to pathogen resistance.

Dongyin successfully defended her thesis in February, 2018 and is now a Scientific Analyst at Morrison & Foerster, LLP in San Francisco, CA (as of 03.25.2019).

(2007-2012)

The individual cells of any multicellular organism must be able to choose to die during circumstances where cell death facilitates the development, health, or survival of the whole organism. It is equally important that cells can choose not to die when the organism needs them alive. Because neither too many, nor too few, nor the wrong cells must make the decision to die, programmed cell death (PCD) is a very complex and highly regulated process.

One way cells can regulate PCD is by utilizing signal transduction pathways to promote or suppress PCD, as needed, in response to different internal and external signals. In plants, the proteins that participate in plant PCD signaling have not been well characterized, and in general, it is unknown how the regulation of individual proteins affects the control and extent of cell death.

I study two plant protein kinases, PDK1 and Adi3, which are involved in PCD signaling. Adi3 negatively regulates cell death in tomato, and is activated by PDK1 phosphorylation. PDK1 phosphorylates several protein kinases that participate in distinct signaling pathways related to cell growth, survival, and death. Each of these pathways is at least partially dependent on PDK1 phosphorylation of its substrate.

In general, I am interested in studying how regulation of the PDK1-Adi3 mediated signaling pathway contributes to regulation of PCD in tomato. In other words, how does activation of this pathway function to suppress cell death? My projects in the lab involve:

1. Identifying and characterizing sites of PDK1 phosphorylation on Adi3, as well as sites of Adi3 autophosphorylation
2. Investigating how Adi3 is stabilized in a functional (kinase-active) conformation
3. Discovering additional components of the PDK1-Adi3 pathway (specifically, proteins phosphorylated by Adi3) and characterizing the interaction of Adi3 with these substrates
4. Investigating how upregulation and downregulation of Adi3 affect the extent to which PCD occurs

Anna was a Postdoctoral Researcher from 2012-2015 at the Univeristy of Arizona in the lab of Noah Whiteman. After the Whiteman lab she was a Postdoctoral Researcher from in 2016-2017 in the lab of Marc Beilstein at the University of Arizona. Currently (as of 07.25.2018) Anna works as a scientist for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

(2012-2017)

I am from Udayapur, Nepal. I received my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Arlington in 2011. I am interested in understanding the biosynthetic pathway for the tetraterpenoid hydrocarbon known as lycopadiene in the L race of Botryococcus braunii. My project also involves the study of sterol biosynthesis in B. braunii. I joined TAMU Biochemistry graduate program in August, 2011 and joined the Devarenne lab in May 2012. I like traveling and listening to music.

Hem successfully defended his PhD thesis on 06.02.2017, and as of 07.01.2017 is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the lab of Vinayak Agarwal at Georgia Institute of Technology.