Dr. Maja Klosinska

Education:

M.S. in Biology, Environmental Biology, University of Lodz, Poland
M.S. in Biology, Genetics, University of Lodz, Poland
Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Princeton University

Courses Taught:

BIOL 101 – Foundations of Biology
BIOL 472 – Introduction to Epigenetics

Areas of Specialization:

Genetics, Molecular Biology, Epigenetics, Plant Biology

Research Interest(s):

My research focuses on epigenetics, a science studying heritable changes in phenotype not caused by changes in DNA sequence, in plants. I’m especially interested in an epigenetic phenomenon known as gene imprinting. Gene imprinting is found in mammals and flowering plants where a subset of genes is expressed from only one copy in a parent-of-origin dependent manner, with either the copy inherited from the mother or the one from the father being active. In plants, imprinted gene expression takes place in seeds, and can be potentially important for agriculture. Gene imprinting is well described in a few species under optimal growth conditions; however, it is not known how it is influenced by environmental stress. My research involves studying changes to imprinted gene expression under heat, drought and other stresses in the plant model species, Arabidopsis thaliana, using molecular biology and genetic techniques and bioinformatics. I aim to determine how dynamic gene imprinting is under diverse growth conditions and whether it could play an adaptive role under environmental stress.

Selected Publication(s):

Klosinska M., Picard C., Gehring M. (2016) Conserved imprinting associated with unique epigenetic signatures in the Arabidopsis genus. Nat Plants 2:16145

Klosinska M., Crutchfield C., Bradley P., Rabinowitz J., Broach J. (2011) Yeast cells can access distinct quiescent states. Genes Dev. 25, 336-49

Klosinska M., Blasiak J. (2004) Triple-stranded DNA and its applications. (review) Postepy Biologii Komorki 31, 647-661