Patrick Krysan serves as a Professor in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where his research centers on functional genomics of Arabidopsis signal transduction pathways. His laboratory investigates conserved molecular mechanisms governing plant development, with particular emphasis on MAP kinase cascades and their role in cellular processes like cytokinesis. PhD, Stanford University Medical School (1993) Postdoctoral Research, University of Wisconsin (1993-1997) Dr. Krysan's research program integrates plant molecular genetics, genomics, and cell biology to dissect signal transduction networks in Arabidopsis thaliana. His laboratory pioneered genetic evidence linking MAP kinase pathways to plant cell division through analysis of ANP gene family mutants, revealing functional redundancy among MAP3K components. Current work expands to genome-wide mutation detection using custom oligonucleotide microarrays containing 750,000 features per chip, enabling high-throughput cataloging of mutations for reverse-genetic analysis. This technological innovation aims to create an ordered resource of mutagenized Arabidopsis lines for rapid identification of targeted mutations. Analysis of his 2000-2002 publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory focused on Arabidopsis functional genomics, with consistent emphasis on MAP kinase signaling mechanisms, T-DNA insertion mutant characterization, and development of genomic resources. His work bridges molecular genetics, plant physiology, and bioinformatics, demonstrating how plants integrate multiple signals through conserved kinase cascades to regulate fundamental biological processes. Scientific awards: No specific honors or fellowships are documented in the provided materials. As principal investigator of an active research laboratory, Dr. Krysan directs externally funded projects in plant genomics and signal transduction. While specific grant details are absent from the source text, his development of the Arabidopsis Knockout facility and oligonucleotide microarray technologies indicates substantial research funding. His mentoring responsibilities likely include supervision of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, though no advisee names are provided. The Krysan laboratory operates within the Department of Horticulture at UW-Madison and maintains close collaboration with the university's Arabidopsis Knockout facility. Current research focuses on expanding analysis to additional MAP kinase pathway components, investigating upstream activation signals, and elucidating mechanisms that maintain specificity among coexisting signaling pathways in plant cells.
