Mary E. Washburn

My research at the University of Georgia focuses on the connection between cellular and chromosomal components as cells develop into pollen.

Pollen is an important part of the life cycle of many plants. The way in which pollen develops requires major changes to both the structure of the cell and the chromosomes within the nucleus. These changes are meticulously coordinated to form grains of pollen, but how the changes interact with one another is not entirely clear.

“Pollen is such an important part of the plant life cycle and gaining a better understanding of its development can help unlock new ways to utilize this process in breeding programs, impacting food security.”