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Christina Maria Franck, M. Sc.
PhD Student
phone: +49 (0) 221 470 3906
Email: c.franck(at)uni-koeln.de


Curriculum vitae:

  • 2010 - 2013    Bachelor of Science in Biology 

University of Zürich, Switzerland

  • 2013 - 2015    Master of Science in Plant Biology 

University of Zürich, Switzerland
Title of M.Sc. thesis: “Assessing the role of NADPH oxidases RbohH and RbohJ on pollen tube growth with Cellular Force Microscopy”
Lab of Ueli Grossniklaus

  • 2015 - present    PhD in Botany

University of Cologne, Germany
Research focus: Assessing the role of protein phosphatases ATUNIS1/2 in pollen tube growth control
AG Dr. Aurélien Boisson-Dernier

Scientific interest:
My main research interest lies in investigating cellular growth dynamics in plant cells. I mostly work on Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes as models, as they are single cells and elongate uni-directionally. Growing plant cells require continuous monitoring of their cell wall integrity and coordination of the latter with their internal growth machinery. In pollen tubes, the cell wall integrity pathway is governed by two redundant receptor-like kinases of the CrRLK1L- subfamily, named ANXUR1/2. In my project, I focus on two putative downstream members of the ANXUR-dependent pathway, the protein phosphatases ATUNIS1/2, and investigate their function in pollen tube growth.

Outside of the lab, I like bouldering, Rugby, running and music, as well as brewing and tasting beer =)

Publications:


ANXUR receptor-like kinases coordinate cell wall integrity with growth at the pollen tube tip via NADPH oxidases.
Boisson-Dernier A, Lituiev DS, Nestorova A, Franck CM, Thirugnanarajah S, Grossniklaus U.
PLoS Biol. 2013

Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase MARIS functions downstream of CrRLK1L-dependent signaling during tip growth.
Boisson-Dernier A, Franck CM, Lituiev DS, Grossniklaus U.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015