February 16 - Dr. Natalia Dudareva
Food: Bagels
Outreach: Tues, Feb. 28 from 2-4PM at Wea Ridge Elementary
Discussed the possibility of a trip to Dow Agro in Indy again
this year.
Dr. Natalia Dudareva, Horticulture Dept.
Studies the biosynthesis of volatile compounds that defend
plants and attract pollinators (scent in particular)
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These compounds also inform neighboring plants about pathogen attack
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No 2 flowers have the exact same scent
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Volatile compounds also contribute to fruit flavor
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There are 1700 scent compounds from 90 plant families
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She uses snapdragons and petunias as her model systems
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Snapdragons produce scented compounds during the day because bees are their primary pollinators, while petunias are pollinated by moths and therefore produce their scented compounds at night
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Floral scent emission decreases after pollination (no longer needs to attract pollinators)
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Specifically 41hrs later, when fertilization occurs
These are some of the main questions she asked when conducting
her research:
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How do plants make these compounds?
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How is emission regulated?
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Where in the plants are these compounds made?
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How do insects perceive different compounds?
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Could volatile profile be improved by metabolic engineering?
Next Meeting: March 1, 2012, Dr. Dickson from the Classics
Dept. will be talking about humoral medicine.