Kyaw Aung

Kyaw (Joe) Aung is an Assistant Professor in the Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology Department at Iowa State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Michigan State University (2011), an M.S. and B.S. in Horticulture from National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan (2002 and 2000). His research focuses on plant-microbe interactions, plasmodesmata regulation, and plant immunity. He investigates how intercellular communication via plasmodesmata (PD) maintains homeostasis in plant growth and defense.

Key research areas include:

• Cell type-specific regulation of PD function via PDLP proteins (e.g., PDLP5/PDLP6)
• PD as signaling hubs involving LRR-RLKs and CRKs
• Dynamic PD regulation during bacterial infections (e.g., Pseudomonas syringae)
• Engineering climate-resilient crops through PD-mediated communication

His lab employs molecular, genetic, and biochemical approaches, including proximity labeling assays to map PD proteomes. Major findings include PDLP proteins' roles in callose regulation at cell interfaces and bacterial effector movement through PD.

Notable collaborations include work with Dr. Sheng Yang He (MSU) and Dr. Jianping Hu (MSU). Current efforts focus on identifying PD-associated proteins critical for plant immunity and intercellular signaling.