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.
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)
Jacob Holcomb (Undergraduate student)
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.
