A year has gone by since arriving at UMass Amherst and there is so much news to update! (This is code for Michelle has been remiss in updating the website).

We have added many new lab members and need to welcome undergrads Nancy, Ian and Julia who arrived in January 2019 and are all still with us. Stephanie also joined us for the summer. New grad student Nia arrived in May while new post-doc Arif joined in July. The lab does not feel so empty anymore, and we are in full swing. Most of our team visited the Titan arum when it was blooming in the UMass Morrill Greenhouse, so we snapped a team photo.

Anastasiya went to ASPB and presented her poster as part of her SURF project she did in the Facette lab.  Anastasiya is finishing her degree in New Mexico, and went to the Danforth Center over the summer for an internship - she will be looking for grad schools for next year!

April comes with great news for 2 Facette lab members! Graduate student Janette got a UNM Biology Department Scholarship, and undergraduate Anastasiya got an ASPB SURF award. Great job, Janette and Anastasiya!

Janette brought in this custom cake made by her sister for Michelle's birthday! Hurray for maize!

A post-doc is available, starting immediately, to determine the role of receptor-like proteins in promoting stomatal closure, especially in response to pathogen elicitors.
 
The project in involves physiological and functional assays of stomatal function, as well as protein work including co-IP/MS. Previous experience with plants is not required. Experience with performing co-IP/MS, confocal microscopy, OR plant physiology (e.g, Licor gas exchange measurements) are assets, but also not required. Applicants with a background in immunity (in any system) are especially encouraged to apply.  
 
The appointment is funded for two years and renewed on an annual basis, with the possibility of extension. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Applicants should send a cover letter describing your interests and expertise, a CV and names for 3 references to mfacette@unm.edu. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Individuals with a MS degree and lab experience may also be considered as a technician for this project; please contact Dr. Facette if the project interests you and you have applicable skills.

The Facette lab is excited to welcome post-doctoral researcher, Qiong Nan. Qiong joins us from Lanzhou University in China, where he finished his Ph.D. working on a new role for Actin Depolymerizing Factor. Qiong has done some beautiful work on actin in pollen tubes. Check out some of his publications!

Nan, Q., Qian, D., Niu, Y., He, Y., Tong, S., Niu, Z., ... & Xiang, Y. (2017). Plant actin-depolymerizing factors possess opposing biochemical properties arising from key amino acid changes throughout evolution. The Plant Cell, 29(2), 395-408.
http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/2/395

Zhu, J., Nan, Q., Qin, T., Qian, D., Mao, T., Yuan, S., ... & Xiang, Y. (2017). Higher-ordered Actin Structures Remodeled by Arabidopsis ACTIN-DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR5 Are Important for Pollen Germination and Pollen Tube Growth. Molecular Plant, 10(8), 1065-1081.
http://www.cell.com/molecular-plant/fulltext/S1674-2052(17)30167-3

Janette attended the 2017 Midwest Plant Cell Biology meeting in Madison, WI where she presented a talk and a poster. It looks like it was a fabulous meeting with Keynotes from Tobias Baskin and Jaimie Van Norman, as well a special panel session with Richard Cyr, Peter Helper, Andrew Staehelin and Sue Wick. Michelle is sad she couldn't go!

​Postdoctoral Researcher in Plant Cell Polarity
 
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral researcher in Dr. Michelle Facette’s lab at the University of New Mexico. The Facette lab has two areas of focus: cell polarization & asymmetric cell division; and the function of grass stomata, both using maize as a model system. We approach these problems using genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. The position will be available immediately to characterize new proteins identified through reverse and forward genetic approaches that are important for asymmetric division during the formation of the maize stomatal complex. For more information see: http://facettelab.weebly.com/publications.html .
 
Previous experience in cell and molecular biology is required. Previous experience using confocal microscopy or next generation sequencing is an asset. Experience with plant model systems (such as Arabidopsis, rice, maize or Brachypodium) is also an asset but not required (including plant tissue culture and/or transformation of monocots). Candidates should have a publication record, good communication skills, and be willing to mentor graduate and undergraduate students.
 
The appointment is funded for two years and renewed on an annual basis, with the possibility of extension. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Applicants should send a cover letter describing your interests and expertise, a CV and names for 3 references to mfacette@unm.edu. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Are you a UNM undergrad looking for experience working in a lab? Contact Dr. Facette directly: mfacette_at_unm.edu

The Facette lab is looking for a student employee to aid in routine daily tasks. Duties will include dish washing, preparation and sterilizing of solutions, media preparation, planting and care of maize plants, greenhouse care (sweeping, pot washing, disposal of soil, etc.). Additionally, the employee may be asked to aid other lab members in routine lab duties such as DNA extraction, PCR and plant phenotyping. Preference will be given to students in the UNM biology program. Previous lab experience is an asset but not required. Work-study eligible students are preferred.

Link to job ad: unm.csod.com/ats/careersite/jobdetails.aspx?site=5&c=unm&id=757

Janette and Michelle went to the 2017 Maize Genetics Conference. Janette received a MaGNET Award to attend! Janette did a great job presenting her poster (oops, no picture!) and got to meet Michelle's former post-doc advisor, Laurie Smith, as well as the folks from the Wright and Rasmussen labs (also former Smith Post-docs).

From left to right: Nick Miles (Wright lab), Amanda Wright, Janette Mendoza (Facette lab), Michelle Facette, Laurie Smith, Paula Doblas (Smith lab), Susanne Matchi (Smith Lab), Miguel Vasquez (Smith Lab), Carolyn Rasmussen.