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The first paper/chapter of my PhD is finally out!
We followed the root development in the #fern #Ceratopteris. This was made because we wanted a well-established fern species to do developmental biology in further studies. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/12/1455
We followed the root development in the #fern #Ceratopteris. This was made because we wanted a well-established fern species to do developmental biology in further studies. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/12/1455
Since I'm an oversharer, I'm going to write down how and why I got into roots and #ferns/ #Ceratopteris.
I have felt for a while that this project has come to life in its own way. This is just my first paper with Ceratopteris, and hopefully, more would come from here.
I have felt for a while that this project has come to life in its own way. This is just my first paper with Ceratopteris, and hopefully, more would come from here.
I got into plant #evodevo after I had an amazing class on this topic with an incredible professor ( @L_A_CruzRamirez, now one of my advisers). Then, I started my master project with him and Luis Herrera-Estrella while working with Marchantia.
During my master, I had the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands and do a small fellowship with Ikram Blilou. There, I began working with Arabidopsis root. She has this way of training that keeps you excited by any project. Because of her, I became fascinated with roots.
After my return to Mexico, I wanted to work with roots. Still, I had no concrete idea for a project. Then, I remember reading this review from Kumpf & Nowack (2015) about the root cap. They have this figure with the roots of Equisetum and Dennstaedtia, where I observed a cell
with a shape that I've never seen before*. I began reading about the evolution of plants. The idea of working with ferns was popping out a lot!!!
*I have a BS in biotechnology, and the majority of my courses were focused on microbiology and medical stuff.
*I have a BS in biotechnology, and the majority of my courses were focused on microbiology and medical stuff.
Azolla & Ceratopteris were the best candidates. I decided to work with #Ceratopteris** because it seemed a perfect fit.
**Marchant (2019) published in the journal of @AmerFernSoc why Ceratopteris is a great plant to work with.
**Marchant (2019) published in the journal of @AmerFernSoc why Ceratopteris is a great plant to work with.
I'm so thankful that my advisers allowed me to take this idea and build a project around it for my PhD.
In 2016, I met @avascog who over the years has taught me a lot of the ferns (and lycophytes). Several discussions with her are somehow incorporated into this paper.
In 2016, I met @avascog who over the years has taught me a lot of the ferns (and lycophytes). Several discussions with her are somehow incorporated into this paper.
Ceratopteris has been an amazing plant to work with. Still, it was hard to standardize all the different methods. Even though, it's called "the Arabidopsis of the fern world", we need to make this fern more approachable and friendly.
Also, I'm so thankful to the fern community. I'm amazed by how supportive and helpful they have been over the years. They have shared Ceratopteris spores, genomic data and methods with us, some strangers and newcomers to the fern world.
I'm so happy this paper is finally out. Now, I need to get back into my computer to tell you more stories about ferns in the near future! 
***
***I need a root emoji!
******I need a root emoji!
