I did my Master thesis at the 'Functional Interactomics' group in 2019-2020. During this year, I explored the approach of mining the TOR-SnRK1 nutrient signalling network towards higher yielding and stress resilient plants via  combinatorial CRISPR screens. Intrigued by the research and encouraged by the warm atmosphere in the group, I decided to apply for an FWO-SB mandate in order to continue this quest and contribute to a more sustainable and climate robust agricultural system.
When I am not in the lab, I am always eager to jump on my bike for a trip, enjoying nature and being inspired and ready for new challenges!

Inter-organelle Stress Signalling

To be able to survive constantly changing and often harmful environmental conditions, plants must continuously adapt. Therefore, plants have complex mechanisms that sense and transduce environmental stimuli into adaptive and defence responses. Organelles within the cell are thought to be important sensors of such stresses, such as water limitation or pathogen attack. They communicate their stressed status with the nucleus to activate tolerance mechanisms and defence responses against the incoming stresses. We have previously revealed a novel mechanism of how mitochondria, chloroplasts, and the endoplasmic reticulum communicate stress signals to coordinate stress signal transduction into adaptive responses in the nucleus. However, we still lack a profound mechanistic understanding of how organelles cooperate with each other during stress responses. The signalling sources within the organelles, their release and/or propagation, and their perception by other organelles and eventually by the nucleus are still enigmatic. Therefore, the Inter-organelle Stress Signalling team performs studies to understand the complex organelle-organelle and organelle-to-nucleus cross-talk using high-end multi-omics and cell biology approaches.

Lindsy graduated with a Master in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from Ghent University in 2023. During her Master thesis in the lab of Prof. Frank Van Breusegem (VIB-UGent PSB), she focused on the role of cysteine oxidative post-translational modifications, more specifically protein sulfinylation, and the role of sulfiredoxin in the oxidative stress response in plants. After her Master thesis, she started in the lab of Prof. Bert De Rybel (VIB-UGent PSB), working on the Plant Single Cell Platform. During her time on the platform she gained novel knowledge and skills using single cell and single nuclei transcriptomics technologies. Later in 2024, Lindsy started her PhD journey in the group of Prof. Inge De Clercq (VIB-UGent PSB) where she studies the post-translational regulation mechanisms of membrane-bound transcription factors during mitochondrial retrograde signaling.