Sam Hazen
Professor of Plant Biology
Research Area: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genomics and Genetics
Field of Study: Regulatory Networks and Natural Variation in Plant Cell Wall Biosynthesis and Growth
My laboratory is exploring two distinct avenues to understand biofuel-relevant aspects of plants. (1) We are mapping transcription circuits that regulate growth and cell wall polymer biosynthesis. (2) We are at the forefront of developing a new model system for energy crops, Brachypodium distachyon, and have pioneered use of the microbe Clostridium phytofermentans to measure biomass feedstock quality. By combining these two systems, we seek to characterize natural genetic diversity for biofuel traits and determine the functional role of plant genes that confer improved biomass yield and quality.
Education
Education:
- B.S., University of Arizona, 1994
- M.S., Michigan State University, 1996
- Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2000
Postdoctoral:
- DOE Plant Research Laboratory, East Lansing, 2000-2002
- The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, 2003-2008