Sophie Buysse

Hi there! I'm Sophie (she/her), a fourth year PhD Candidate at Michigan State University.

I'm co-advised by Emily Josephs and Jeff Conner in the Plant Biology Department and the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program. I am broadly interested in plant evolution. The main themes in my dissertation work are the evolution of phenotypic plasticity and the interaction of genetic drift and selection in trait loss.

Research

I research plant evolution by using the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. I'm particularly interested in adaptation to changing climates. My research includes:

selfie of Sophie in front of a growth chamber filled with flats and pots

The role of plasticity in adaptation to climate change

I am fascinated by the ability of plants to respond to their environment and to adapt to stressful environments. In this project, I am investigating the role of phenotypic plasticity in adpatation to climate change by incorporating within and between population variation in plasticity, selection gradients for plasticity, and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis to start to uncover the genetic architecture of plasticity for multiple traits.
The results from this project will be applicable in understanding the effect of assisted migration and improving crops for climate resiliency.

Check out the work I've presented thus far on this project!
Evolution 2022 Poster - pilot study results
Evolution 2023 Poster - first results from RILs

image of short stamens; credit to Frances Whalen

Constraint of Trait Loss

Traits are maintained through a balance of genetic drift and selection. When traits have no impact on fitness, we generally expect them to be lost through drift. In this project, I am investigating the roles of genetic drift and selection in short stamen loss in A. thaliana. Previous evidence shows that short stamens do not contribute to fitness in A. thaliana, but they have been retained. I am investigating why using populations along an elevation gradient in the Spanish Pyrenees.

image of Sophie in front of a scientific poster with a model of the project

Can we use models to teach science literacy skills?

As a Future Academic Scholar in Teaching at MSU, I designed and implemented a teaching-as-research project that used a modelling activity in an introductory biology lab to emphasize to students that science and society are connected.
The outcome of this project will help us understand the role of physically drawing connections between concepts in students' ability to describe the societal context of their lab experiments and if those skills are transfered to more broad assessments of science literacy skills
Data analysis is still in progress, but you take a closer look at my poster here

In addition, I am working to complete a Certificate in College Teaching through the Graduate School at MSU. My portfolio will be updated as I progress through the program.

Certificate In College Teaching Portfolio

CV

Check out my CV here
In short, my resarch skills include:

  • Bioinformatics and statistical analysis
  • Growing and phenotyping plants
  • Literature Review
  • Molecular techniques
  • Outreach and Mentoring
  • Drinking Tea

Mentored students with independent projects include: Evan Adamski (MSU Undergrad, Spring 2024), Tori Nicholes (KBS REU student, 2022), Trevor Markwood (MSU Undergrad, 2022-2023), Athena Dila (Plant Genomics REU student, 2023), and interacting with other Josephs Lab undergraduates.

Contact Me

The best way to contact me is to send me an email