Brad Binder

A characteristic of living organisms is that they respond to the environment. My lab studies the mechanisms of signal transduction for ethylene. Ethylene was the first gaseous signaling molecule discovered and is well-known as a hormone in plants where it regulates and influences many critical physiological and developmental processes such as fruit ripening. Ethylene is the underlying cause for the saying: one bad apple spoils the bunch. To understand ethylene signaling in plants, my lab primarily focuses on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. To pursue this research, we combine biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, chemistry, modeling, and physiology. This multifaceted approach is allowing us to gain a better understanding about the mechanisms of ethylene signaling and crosstalk with other pathways.

In contrast to plants, little is known about the role of ethylene in other organisms. Analysis of sequenced bacterial genomes has shown that many contain putative ethylene receptors. Therefore, we are studying the effects of ethylene on these species and the role of these receptors in bacteria.