Paul K. and Ruth R. Stumpf Professorship
in Plant Biochemistry
Professor Judy Callis
Judy Callis, professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, holds the Paul K. and Ruth R. Stumpf Professorship in Plant Biochemistry.
Callis is widely known for her research on the cellular control of protein degradation in the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway, which is central to a multitude of processes related to cell growth, development, and death. Of special interest to Callis is the auxin family of plant hormones that mediate growth and development. Changes in the concentration of proteins that serve as sensors of hormones result in changes in gene expression. Understanding how these hormones work and how plants sense the hormones can lead to new understanding of cellular regulation of growth and response to the environment, according to Callis.
Though Callis studies the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway is present in both plants and animals, and cellular control of protein degradation is a universal function. For plants, understanding protein degradation is also essential for understanding disease resistance and defense response. In animals, it is relevant to a multitude of diseases that result from protein build-up.
In addition to her research, Callis teaches BIS 103: Bioenergetics/Metabolism; MCB 126: Plant Biochemistry; and MCB 138: a seminar on Metabolism. Prior to Callis' appointment, the Stumpf professorship was held by J. Clark Lagarias, professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and member of the National Academy of Sciences. Lagarias is recognized internationally for his research involving the plant photoreceptor, phytochrome.