It's springtime on campus, which means that flowers and plants of all kinds are bursting to life, growing and blooming.
But why? What's going on inside a plant to drive this growth? It's a simple question that scientists have long sought to understand. In the Department of Biological Sciences, the Bezanilla Lab has recently published findings in the Journal of Cell Biology that sheds light on this mystery.
In their research, Professor Magdalena Bezanilla and senior research scientist Shu-Zon Wu, along with researchers from the University of Rhode Island, discovered how a somewhat mysterious protein known as cellulose synthase-like D, or CSLD, plays a crucial role in plant growth and is likely a generator of cellulose, which is the main structural component of all plants.
"This research has shed light on the role of these proteins in plant growth," Bezanilla says of the study, which was published in April. "In the spring, these proteins are busily working to help provide new cells for the plant."
Read more at phys.org