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Eunyoung Chae is a trained molecular evolutionary geneticist with a broad interest in understanding genetic variation among species and its influences on adaptive potential in changing environments. Her current research focuses on plant immunity, characterized by significant genetic variation in land plant species. Key questions driving her work in the Chae laboratory include how the plant immune system copes with constantly changing pathogen pressures using innate immunity, the tremendous diversity of genomic loci encoding immune receptors, and how the immune system manages extraordinary receptor diversity while relying on relatively simpler signaling hubs. To address these questions, she leverages the DANGEROUS MIX (DM) autoimmunity system, a discovery from hybrid necrosis studies. This system provides an excellent platform for exploring the evolution and function of plant immune systems. Autoimmune plants, which suffer from inadvertently activated immune responses, experience developmental defects that reflect the trade-off between immunity and growth. Through a multidisciplinary approach, Chae investigates how plants have evolved complex, error-prone immune systems that finely regulate the balance between immunity and growth in parallel.
Department of Politics and International Relations - Higher Level English requirement.