Nicole
Hanley Markelz
2002 - 2003
CEIRP Fellow
Research
Interest:
Light-signaling pathways in plants
Plants
are able to perceive and distinguish between various
colors of light in the visible spectrum and are
able to respond to variations in light intensity
and color ratios. This makes them exquisitely capable
of determining their proximity to neighboring plants,
the time of day, as well as numerous other environmental
conditions. While the responses to light are well
characterized, the molecular bases are not. Therefore,
my current research focuses on dissecting the molecular
basis for light signaling in plants, particularly
in terms of red and far-red light sensing. While
this is my current project, in general I am very
interested in plant biology on all levels. I have
been the teaching assistant for an upper level plant
cell biology course, as well as a non-majors biology
class taught by Plant Biology faculty, dealing with
aspects of global warming, genetic engineering,
and biodiversity.
With
a strong background in plants, I would feel comfortable
teaching any aspect of plant biology including plant
and seed physiology, plant life cycles, water and
carbon cycling, and environment sensing. I also
have a very good background in genetics as well
as general cell and molecular biology. Additionally,
I have a great interest in teaching the mechanics
of genetic engineering in terms of the physical
manipulation of DNA, but also the ramifications
of genetically modified organisms in our society.
