Maloof Lab:Melissa Pytlak

Melissa was a graduate student in the Plant Biology Graduate Group at UC Davis . She graduated with her M.S. in Plant Biology on June 14, 2007. Prior to joining the Maloof Lab in 2005 she spent a year and a half researching abiotic stress tolerance in the Blumwald Lab. She completed her BS in Biology from SUNY Geneseo in 2003 and joined the graduate program at UC Davis immediately afterward. Outside the lab she is frequently found in front of her computer either surfing the internet or playing games. She also enjoys reading and discovering new music.

Research Project
My work focuses on the interplay between the phytohormone auxin and the shade avoidance response in Arabidopsis thaliana. The title of my thesis is "The Role of Auxin in Shade Avoidance."

Where is she now?
Melissa has accepted a position as a Teacher Support Representative at PASCO Scientific. Her role will be to support and teach science teachers across the country to utilize technology in their classrooms. This meshes well with her interests in science, teaching and technology.