I study the roles of particular genes in plant development. Specifically, my students and I investigate the formation and function of peroxisomes, organelles of the cell that are necessary for the breakdown of fats and several other vital functions. In particular, I use mutant plants to study the developmental defects that result from faulty peroxisome function. After isolating and characterizing a mutant, my students and I use a technique called recombination mapping to locate the mutant gene and then sequence DNA to identify the mutation
