Name: Ana Marie Palanca
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA (Born in Manila, Philippines)
Lab: Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory of Julie Law
Lab website: https://law.salk.edu/
Hobbies: I enjoy baking, cooking, gardening, traveling and doing puzzles (all kinds)
What do you study? I study epigenetic changes in the DNA. An epigenetic change is when something modifies how a gene is expressed instead of changing the DNA code itself. I am looking at what happens when a chemical group is added to a part of the DNA, which changes the way that part of the DNA is read by the cell and expressed. This specific epigenetic change is called DNA methylation. My research focuses on a family of methyl-binding domain proteins (MBDs). I am using the plant model system, Arabidopsis thaliana, to characterize these MBDs and their role in gene regulation.
Why is it important? DNA methylation is common in many organisms and in some ways acts like a stop sign by “turning a gene off”, known as gene silencing in eukaryotic organisms like plants and animals. It plays an important role in a range of biological processes including organism development and genome stability. Abnormal DNA methylation is associated with a range of human diseases, including neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. While great strides have been made in understanding of how DNA methylation is put in place, maintained and even removed, how DNA methylation causes gene silencing and how changes in DNA methylation patterns contribute to the progression of disease states is still unclear.
How did you become interested in science? Discovering things- asking questions and trying to figure out the answers.
What do you like about being a scientist? There are several things I like about being a scientist. First, you are at the cutting edge of discovery. Second, you get the chance to meet and collaborate with people from all over the world. Third, you get to mentor people.
What are 5 general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
DNA, gene, protein, expression, gene regulation
What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research?
methylation, epigenetics, chromatin, genomics, Arabidopsis thaliana
Sneak peek!
Here’s a picture of the model plant that we study.
