Researching the Roots of Plant Growth
Assistant Professor Sabrina Chin’s lab studies how plant roots perceive and respond to stimuli.
Assistant Professor Sabrina Chin joined the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology in 2025. She teaches the Cellular and Molecular Biology and the Journal Club in Plant Biology courses.
The Chin Lab studies how plant roots perceive and respond to external stimuli, using advanced cell imaging techniques, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, root morphology, and functional analysis.
“My lab is investigating the actin regulatory pathways that control the spatial and temporal organization of distinct actin architectures in root cells,” she explained. “We use Arabidopsis thaliana root hairs as a model system to dissect how actin regulators build and maintain polarized cytoskeletal networks during growth.
“By combining genetics, live-cell imaging, and quantitative analysis, we aim to define the mechanisms that generate the fine, dynamic actin arrays at the root hair tip and the thick, bundled filaments along the shank. This work provides a mechanistic foundation for understanding how root cells coordinate structure and function during development.”
An undergraduate plant biology course was a formative experience for Chin, leading her to a summer research project and eventually a PhD in root biology.
“Although studying roots is more challenging because they are the hidden half of the plant, I have always felt that they are interesting organs that are the foundation of plant viability, akin to how buildings require a strong base to be built tall,” Chin said.
She had two postdoctoral positions exploring how the actin cytoskeleton affects root development and response to external stimuli such as gravity. “I was fortunate that these positions were NASA-funded projects that allowed me to explore how to better grow plants in the space environment, which required me to remove assumptions about normal Earth conditions and re-examine the fundamental mechanisms—which is surprisingly hard, as I always take gravity for granted,” she said.
Chin is looking for students with an adaptive mindset, strong communication skills, a willingness to learn, and a rigorous, detail-oriented approach to scientific inquiry to join her lab.
In her spare time, she enjoys visiting art museums, going for walks at botanic gardens, playing video games, reading and watching science fiction, and lazing with her cat.