Professor
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Zachary Lippman’s research focuses on the process of flowering and flower production, which drive reproductive success in nature and crop yield in agriculture. Lippman’s research program integrates genetics, development, genomics, and genome editing to study how plant stem cells become flowers, taking advantage of natural and induced variation in inflorescence production and architecture in tomato and related nightshade species to explore how differences in the processes of stem cell maturation explain the diversity in vegetative and reproductive shoot systems in evolution and crop improvement. Elucidating the genes and mechanisms underlying this diversity have led to broader exploration on the roles of structural variation, gene regulation, and epistasis in development, domestication, and breeding. Based on these discoveries, Lippman is developing and applying innovative concepts and tools for crop improvement.
Friday, July 31, 2020
10:45 AM – 11:15 AM EDT