For further information about Dr. Macfie and her research, please visit her website at:
http://publish.uwo.ca/~smacfie/
Dr. Sheila Macfie
Mechanisms of Metal Tolerance
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Position: Associate Professor Office: BGS 2051 Phone: 519 661 - 2111 x86487 Fax: 519 661-3935 Email: smacfie@uwo.ca Web site: http://publish.uwo.ca/~smacfie/ |
Research Statement
Many plants have a remarkable ability to withstand high concentrations of potentially toxic metals in their environment. A better understanding of the biochemical and physiological mechanisms that permit such tolerance may provide valuable information regarding the use of plants to restore contaminated areas.
Current projects involve edible plants, including wheat (Triticum spp) barley (Hordeum vulgare) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa), as well as Arabidopsis thaliana. The approaches that we are taking include: (1) investigate the production and exudation of organic compounds as a mechanism to detoxify metal ions, (2) determine the localization of metal ions at the subcellular level, (3) model the movement of metals from the soil into the plant and (4) identify the relationship between metal toxicity and a number of biochemical pathways that mediate plant stress.
