Meet Henry John Squire, a BARD Graduate Fellow currently conducting his research in the Fridman Laboratory at the ARO Volcani Center.
What is the main focus of your research?
“My research is focused on simplifying the process of genetically modifying plants. My PhD work in the Landry Lab at UC Berkeley focused specifically on developing biotechnology tools for directly delivering protein cargoes to plant cells. My work initially focused on model plants but thanks to the BARD Graduate Student Fellowship, I was able to exchange at Dr. Eyal Fridman’s lab at the Volcani Institute where I worked on translating these tools to crop species such as barley. Long-term we hope to reduce the labor and time required to produce genetically modified plants.”
What got you interested in your area of research?
“My background is in chemical engineering, not plant biology. Chemical engineers do not traditionally work on plant biology, so I thought an engineer’s perspective might be valuable to the field. I also saw working in the plant biology space as a great opportunity to learn something totally new. Through my exchange in the Fridman Lab, I learned a lot about fundamental problems in studying plant genetics which have inspired further collaborations moving forward.”
What are your plans after your fellowship?
“I am currently wrapping up the last year of my PhD. I hope to continue working in academia at the intersection of engineering and plant biology, starting my own independent research lab in the near future.”
What tip would you give someone beginning their Graduate Student Fellowship?
“Take advantage of opportunities to learn about fields outside your own and opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. Each field has unique, interesting challenges which sometimes requires an outsider’s perspective to address.”
