Welcome to the Wasteneys Lab!

 

Our lab is located at the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. Every day, we work to expand our understanding of the mechanisms that drive cell division and expansion in plants.

The microtubule cytoskeleton is a key player in governing these events. By influencing the properties of the cellulosic cell walls of plants, microtubules dictate the direction and location of cell expansion.

Furthermore, since plant cells are glued together in place and thus cannot migrate, the timing, placement and direction of cell division is paramount in dictating organogenesis and development.

Our lab is currently focused on elucidating the mechanisms of how microtubules in plant cells are organized, and how these different organizations affect cell expansion and division.