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Ryan Sartor
Contact info: |
About myself:
I am a Ph.D. student in the Biological Science department at U.C. San Diego. My co-advisors are
Steve Briggs and Nuno Bandeira. The Briggs lab is part of the biological science department and is
interested in studying plant defense with a focus on high-throughput protein quantification using
mass spectrometry. The Bandeira lab is part of the computer science department and is interested
in advancing the relatively young field of protein mass spec analysis by developing computational
methods to analyze mass spec data. My main project involves a recently discovered group of
endogenously produced small peptides in maize (ZmPep1-6). Although they are produced by the
plant, these peptides elicit a very strong immune response similar to when the plant detects a
harmful pathogen. The exact purpose for this pathway is still unknown as are most of the
components involved. Using the mass spec resources along with a wealth of plant defense knowledge
available from the Briggs lab combined with data analysis expertise from the Bandeira lab, I am
undertaking a quantitative approach to measure these peptides in maize recombinant inbred lines in
order to better understand how the six different peptides are involved in immunity and also to
determine other factors that contribute to this pathway.
My Education:
B.S. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Links:
B.S. Computer Science
Michigan State University