Dr. Judy Brusslan, July 2025 Snapshot
Dr. Judy Brusslan is a professor in the Biological Sciences Department. Research students in the Brusslan laboratory study the process of aging in plant leaves, termed senescence. Growth of new leaves is fueled by the photosynthesis that occurs in existing leaves on the plant, but growth can also be supplemented by nutrients recycled from older leaves as they die.
The Brusslan lab is studying the molecular signals that tell a leaf to die and how these signals relate to other plant functions like producing a flower or surviving harsh conditions like salt and drought.
Other projects in the Brusslan lab explore the role of the small membrane bound extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are secreted by cells as potential regulators of leaf senescence. Dr. Brusslan and her students discovered that mutations in genes encoding proteins that are highly abundant in plant EVs affect the timing of leaf senescence, suggesting that EVs may be another type of signal for when it is time for a leaf to die.
Not only do these studies help us to better understand genetics and molecular signaling, but they are also critical for expanding our knowledge of agriculture and the production of food.
Learn more about Dr. Judy Brusslan and her work.
