Martin F. Yanofsky

As a developmental biologist, I have studied the underlying mechanisms that control flower and fruit development in the model plant Arabidopsis. Using genetics to isolate and characterize mutants influencing the patterning of reproductive organs, together with molecular methods to isolate and characterize the corresponding genes, our studies have identified many of the major regulatory genes that are required for flower and fruit development. Current efforts are focused on exploring the network of genetic interactions that pattern the fruit and lead to the differentiation of specific cell types.