Aleksandra Skirycz (Group Leader) 

Aleksandra (Ola) Skirycz was born and raised in Poland, where she studied Biotechnology at the University of Wroclaw. She defended her Ph.D. from the University of Potsdam, Germany, in 2008. She then moved to Belgium to the Plant System Biology Institute in Gent (group of Prof. Dirk Inze), where she researched the molecular mechanisms underlying plant growth inhibition in response to water-limiting conditions. In 2012, she moved to the Filare Institute in Milano, Italy (group of Prof. Chiara Tonelli), and in 2013, to the ITV Institute of Technology in Belem, Brazil. Working in the Amazon region, she became fascinated by the secret life of natural products.  In 2015, she returned to Germany and established a small-molecule regulation group at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Golm in the Department of Prof. Lothar Willmitzer. In October 2020, she was appointed assistant professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, US. In January 2024, the lab moved to Michigan State University.

Hannah McKinnon Reish (Lab Manager) 

Hannah completed her master’s degree at Southeast Missouri State University in June 2024. Her thesis was on plastic biodegradation in multiple generations of darkling beetles and their microbiota. She graduated from Michigan Technological University in 2020 with a B.S. in Biology-Ecology. Her undergraduate research focus was aquatic toxicology. She has also worked in clinical virology and microbiology testing through her work in a COVID-19 testing lab and a pediatric genetics lab at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Hillary Fischer (Postdoctoral Researcher) 

Lead of the aphid small molecule work

Hillary Fischer is from the great state of Nebraska, The Good Life, where resplendent sunsets paint the skies over miles and miles of corn fields and prairies. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying Entomology, Plant Biology, Chemistry, and English for her BS. While working in the lab of Tiffany Heng-Moss as an undergrad, Hillary fell in love with researching aphids (Insecta:Hemiptera) in the lab and the field. These herbivorous Vampires of the Plant feed on the phloem and do extensive damage to crops. Hillary then moved to the University of Arkansas for her PhD to study the impact of chloroplastic reactive oxygen species on plant resistance to aphids with Fiona Goggin. After graduation, Hillary continued exploring the complex relationship between plants and aphids, finally coming to Ola’s lab to look at aphid salivary metabolites and how they impact the plant during feeding. Hillary has two beautiful cats who follow her around the world and she loves reading, writing, cycling, and canoeing.

Jieun Kang (Postdoctoral Researcher) 

Lead of the plant-microbe interaction work

During my PhD, I focused on bacterial virulence systems and plant immunity, aiming to gain a deep understanding of their interactions to ultimately discover improved methods for crop protection in agricultural settings. In Ola’s lab, I have expanded my expertise by exploring protein-metabolite interactions starting from the analysis of untargeted proteomic and metabolomic data.

Pallavi Agarwal (Postdoctoral Researcher)

Lead of the dipeptide-enzyme interaction work

Hailing from India, I did  my Master’s in Applied Botany at IIT Kharagpur, where I found my love for molecular biology. I received Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship to pursue PhD in Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Potsdam, Germany. My research spans characterizing the genes involved in plant stress response, positional identity in animal-Hydra, and biosynthesis of pharmacologically relevant plant secondary metabolites. Currently, at Ola’s group, I employ biochemical and molecular biology methods to address the role of dipeptides in carbon metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana. Beyond lab work, I cherish my time with family and friends. I love to dance, paint and journal. My journey intertwines academia and personal passions, and I look forward to continue learning and evolving.

Laleh Dinpazhouh (Graduate Student)

Laleh is a PhD student studying the role of dipeptides in improving the resilience of Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant, to environmental stresses. She explores this by manipulating the levels of these small molecules and analyzing their interactions with key proteins. Before her PhD, she earned an M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at MSU, developing a computational workflow and database for predicting the collision cross section values of metabolites, focusing on polyalanine molecules that are widely used as calibration standards in the field of ion mobility-mass spectrometry. Beyond research, Laleh serves as the COGS representative for the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Student Organization (January 2024-Present). Her love for plants extends beyond the lab and into her home, where she nurtures a collection of succulents and bonsai trees. Adding to the charm of her household is her cat, Poly, a remarkably talented trick performer who might just outshine your dog!

Pablo Perez Colao (Visiting Scholar)

I was born and raised in Spain, where I have been fascinated by plants and all kinds of organisms since I was a child. This passion led me to pursue a degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Murcia, where I also completed my master’s degree specializing in Molecular Biology. I am currently pursuing my PhD at IBMCP-CSIC in Valencia, studying the mechanisms of plastid differentiation under the supervision of Rodriguez-Concepción. Recently, I joined Skirycz’s lab as a short-term scholar, aiming to identify the protein binding sites of a specific molecule that triggers the differentiation of chloroplasts into tocopherol over-accumulating plastids.

Sophie Bonnema (Undergraduate student)

Sophie is from Holland, Michigan. She is an undergraduate student at Michigan State University pursuing a degree in Physiology with a minor in Spanish. While in the lab, she plans to strengthen her research skills and grow her knowledge of biochemistry. After completing undergrad, she plans to attend graduate or medical school. Outside of the lab, Sophie spends her time running as a member of the cross country and track & field team at MSU, baking, and reading.

Lydia Story (Rotating grad student)

Lydia is from a small town in Pennsylvania and recently moved to Lansing, Michigan for the start of her Ph.D. at MSU. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Wilson college in 2024, double majoring in Chemistry and Biology. Lydia has always enjoyed looking at organisms on the molecular level and understanding the chemistry of a biological system. In the summer of 2023, Lydia was a part of an REU program at the Boyce Thompson Institute working in Ola’s lab under her postdoc, Hillary Fischer. Now in the fall of 2024, Lydia has begun her graduate studies intending on obtaining a dual major Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Molecular Plant Sciences. She is very excited to be back in Ola’s group and diving into more of the protein interactions and small – molecule studies around the model plant Arabidopsis.

Jacob Holcomb (Undergraduate student)

Summer 2024

Jacob grew up in the small town of Hart, Michigan. He recently graduated from an early college program called ASM Tech in Scottville, Michigan, at West Shore Community College. He will be transferring to Michigan State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in plant biology through Lyman Briggs college. Jacob often spends time outdoors in his free time. His main interests in study are in plants and fungi. Jacob currently works to develop and learn new skills as a biologist with the possibility of pursuing a PhD.

Caroline Bevan (Highschool student)

Summer 2024

Caroline Bevan recently finished eleventh grade at Northville High School. She loves learning about the world around her, and was accepted into MSU HSHSP for the summer. Caroline hopes her experience interning, studying entomology and plant biology, will help her explore career paths for college and beyond. Outside of the lab, Caroline loves growing her dearest houseplants, exercising, baking, stargazing, and taking pictures. `