Brandon Celaya

2000/01 CEIRP Fellow

Biology/Biochemistry

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

2000 - 2001 CEIRP Fellow Statement

One of the most interesting facets of biology is the development of a complex organism from a single cell. Through several research projects, I am trying to understand the intricate chemical and environmental cues that create dynamic changes in plants and animals. In my current research, I am studying light transmission in the developing corn seed (Zea mays). Corn, or maize, has been a primary food staple and agricultural backbone for many years, yet the transmission of light and light’s precise role as a biological effector remain largely a mystery. I am trying to develop an array of genes known to be stimulated by light and to observe the modulation of light signals at different times in plant development. Through this work, we hope to prove that this type of array of genes can be useful in other kinds of experimentation, to elucidate further the role of these genes in the light-signaling pathway, and to perhaps identify other elements that may play role in this signaling pathway.