5Q - Xue Pan, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Professor Xue Pan in a sweater standing in a lab

What does your research focus on?  

My research aims to provide a deeper understanding of the role of lipids in plant growth, development, and stress response. The overarching goal is to develop innovative engineering strategies to enhance crop productivity and maximize bio-oil quality, such as seed oil. These strategies will contribute to promoting Canada’s bio-based economy and help it move towards more sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change.

How (or why) did you become interested in that line of research?  

I grew up in a small mountain town in China. My hometown is famous for its beautiful natural scenery. At that time, my parents always took me to mountains to collect wildflowers, wild berries, and mushrooms. I felt so excited seeing all kinds of plants. Growing up in this environment instilled in me a love for plants. I asked myself what I could do that would allow me to enjoy this beauty every day, and the answer was to become a plant biologist. 

After completing my undergrad in Horticulture, I moved to Canada to pursue a MSc at Dalhousie University, where I started working on plant lipids. I was truly amazed by the huge diversity of plant lipids. My MSc research sparked my curiosity for lipid functions in plants and have pursued this ever since.

What’s the most interesting (or underappreciated) aspect of your research that most people won’t know about?  

I’m really interested in how plants operate at the subcellular level, especially the dynamics and organization of cell membranes at the nanoscale level, which may have the potential to influence almost every aspect of cell function.

Lipids are the major component of cell membranes with important structural and signaling functions. However, our understanding of how they regulate the nanoscale organization of cell membranes to control cell signaling in time and space is very limited. We are only just beginning to appreciate the importance of lipids in membrane nano-organization, and exploring their cellular functions remain an exciting area for future research.

Why did you choose UTSC?

There were so many reasons. First and foremost, UTSC is an innovation hub filled with amazing researchers and incredible discoveries. My expertise and research greatly synergize with the ongoing biology research in UTSC.

I also particularly value its diverse campus community, allowing me to walk onto campus and immediately interact with a diverse population of students, staff and faculty. Last but not least, I love the suburban setting and the beautiful natural scenery on the campus. Joining UTSC was a dream come true. I feel extremely lucky to be part of this community.

What are you reading/watching right now? 

I am currently reading Science and Cooking by Michael Brenner, Pia Sörensen, and David Weitz. It is a fascinating food science book full of information. I highly recommend it to those who are curious about how and why the properties (color, flavor and texture) of foods occur.