Suong Nguyen earned her B.S. in Biotechnology (2007) and M.S. in Genetics (2010) from the University of Natural Sciences, HCM, Vietnam. She then commenced her PhD study in the laboratory of Assoc/Prof. David McCurdy at the University of Newcastle. Her project was to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the development of transfer cells – a unique cell type specialised for nutrient transport in plants. She completed her PhD in 2017 and continued transfer cell research in the McCurdy Lab as a Research Assistant. In March 2020 she joined the BlueGreen team of Prof. Brett Neilan at UON as a Postdoctoral Research Associate to study cyanobacteria.
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Newcastle
Master of Science, National University of Civil Engineering - Vietnam
Keywords
cyanobacteria, bioinformatics
Languages
English (Working)
Fields of Research
Code
Description
Percentage
310799
Microbiology not elsewhere classified
100
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
Title
Organisation / Department
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Newcastle School of Environmental and Life Sciences Australia
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Newcastle School of Environmental and Life Sciences Australia
Nguyen STT, McCurdy DW, 'Wall ingrowth deposition in phloem parenchyma transfer cells in Arabidopsis: Heteroblastic variations and a potential role in pathogen defence', Plant Signaling and Behavior, 12 (2017) [C1]
Nguyen STT, Greaves T, McCurdy DW, 'Heteroblastic Development of Transfer Cells Is Controlled by the microRNA miR156/SPL Module', PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 173 1676-1691 (2017) [C1]
Nguyen STT, McCurdy DW, 'High-resolution confocal imaging of wall ingrowth deposition in plant transfer cells: Semi-quantitative analysis of phloem parenchyma transfer cell development in leaf minor veins of Arabidopsis', BMC Plant Biology, 15 (2015) [C1]
Background: Transfer cells (TCs) are trans-differentiated versions of existing cell types designed to facilitate enhanced membrane transport of nutrients at symplasmic/apoplasmic ... [more]
Background: Transfer cells (TCs) are trans-differentiated versions of existing cell types designed to facilitate enhanced membrane transport of nutrients at symplasmic/apoplasmic interfaces. This transport capacity is conferred by intricate wall ingrowths deposited secondarily on the inner face of the primary cell wall, hence promoting the potential trans-membrane flux of solutes and consequently assigning TCs as having key roles in plant growth and productivity. However, TCs are typically positioned deep within tissues and have been studied mostly by electron microscopy. Recent advances in fluorophore labelling of plant cell walls using a modified pseudo-Schiff-propidium iodide (mPS-PI) staining procedure in combination with high-resolution confocal microscopy have allowed visualization of cellular details of individual tissue layers in whole mounts, hence enabling study of tissue and cellular architecture without the need for tissue sectioning. Here we apply a simplified version of the mPS-PI procedure for confocal imaging of cellulose-enriched wall ingrowths in vascular TCs at the whole tissue level. Results: The simplified mPS-PI staining procedure produced high-resolution three-dimensional images of individual cell types in vascular bundles and, importantly, wall ingrowths in phloem parenchyma (PP) TCs in minor veins of Arabidopsis leaves and companion cell TCs in pea. More efficient staining of tissues was obtained by replacing complex clearing procedures with a simple post-fixation bleaching step. We used this modified procedure to survey the presence of PP TCs in other tissues of Arabidopsis including cotyledons, cauline leaves and sepals. This high-resolution imaging enabled us to classify different stages of wall ingrowth development in Arabidopsis leaves, hence enabling semi-quantitative assessment of the extent of wall ingrowth deposition in PP TCs at the whole leaf level. Finally, we conducted a defoliation experiment as an example of using this approach to statistically analyze responses of PP TC development to leaf ablation. Conclusions: Use of a modified mPS-PI staining technique resulted in high-resolution confocal imaging of polarized wall ingrowth deposition in TCs. This technique can be used in place of conventional electron microscopy and opens new possibilities to study mechanisms determining polarized deposition of wall ingrowths and use reverse genetics to identify regulatory genes controlling TC trans-differentiation.
Chinnappa KSA, Nguyen TTS, Hou J, Wu Y, McCurdy DW, 'Phloem parenchyma transfer cells in Arabidopsis - an experimental system to identify transcriptional regulators of wall ingrowth formation', Frontiers in Plant Science, 4 (2013) [C1]
