Violeta Ivanova

Violeta Ivanova is a PhD student in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. She received a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and a Master's degree in Gene and Cell Engineering at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". The main objective of her research is to characterize novel interacting partners of the brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 in plant cells that are part of the vesicle trafficking logistics and have an impact on its signaling activity. An important aspect of her studies is the dissection of the molecular mechanisms of autophagic depletion of BRI1 which appears to be essential for receptor desensitization, especially in stress conditions.V

At the University of Worcester, Violeta will work in the group of Prof. Mahmut Tor on investigating the mechanisms of dsRNA uptake in plants, including experimental inhibition of endocytosis to block dsRNA internalization. Her work will also involve in vitro transcription of genes and subsequent inoculation assays on Arabidopsis seedlings to assess functional outcomes.