Research

Research Priorities: Genomics of algae, mineral metabolism in algae and plants, effects of mineral deficiency on photosynthesis, metabolism of trace elements, regulation and accumulation of precursors for biofuels in algae

Sabeeha Merchant is a biochemist and plant researcher. Her main research focuses on plant metabolism. She elucidates the means by which plants survive mineral deficiency. Her research has delivered key insights into the metabolism of trace elements.

In order to survive and grow, plans need carbon dioxide (CO2), water, sunlight and minerals. Trace elements such as zinc, copper, iron, and manganese meet the mineral requirements. Environmental factors may limit the availability of minerals, which affects photosynthetic performance. Sabeeha Merchant investigates how plants can survive a lack of important minerals. She works with the model organism of the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and studies, in particular, the genetics, genomics, and biochemistry of how algae adapt to the lack of trace elements.

She and her working group have discovered the transcription factor that is responsible for recognising copper and that plays a role in the development of plants when copper is lacking. She documents the mechanisms underlying trace metal economy – in particular, how plants reduce, recycle, and reuse metals in order to optimise limited resources. Her lab uses mass spectrometry in combination with imaging processes to observe trace elements, as well as conventional genetics and genomics to monitor organisms’ reactions. This work led to the discovery of a metal storage compartment in plants.

Other research involves using systems biology to discover the metabolic pathways and regulatory factors that promote the accumulation of triglycerides (precursors for biofuels) in algae.

Career

• since 2018 Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
• 2014-2018 Director, Institute for Genetics and Proteomics, University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, USA
• 2012 Research Stay, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
• 1998 Visiting Professor, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
• 1996-2018 Professor of Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
• 1992 Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
• 1987 Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
• 1984-1987 Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
• 1983 PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
• 1979 BSc, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA

Functions

• 2017 Member, Jury for the category “Life Sciences”, Infosys Prize, Infosys Technologies, Bangalore, India
• 2015-2019 Editor-in-Chief, The Plant Cell
• since 2005 Editor-in-Chief, Annual Review of Plant Biology

Auszeichnungen und Mitgliedschaften

• since 2016 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• since 2015 External Member, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
• since 2014 Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA
• 2012 Darbaker Award, Botanical Society of America, USA
• since 2012 Member, National Academy of Sciences (NAS), USA
• 2012 Humboldt Research Award, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany
• 2010 Charles F. Kettering Award, American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), USA
• since 2008 Member, ASPB, USA
• 2006 Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal, NAS, USA
• since 2005 Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), USA
• 2004 Herbert Newby McCoy Award, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA
• 1999 Charles Albert Shull Award, ASPB
• 1998 Fellow, Guggenheim Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
• 1992 Research Career Development Award, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, USA
• 1992, 1991, 1989 Career Development Award, UCLA, USA