Living cells constantly process information from their surroundings and respond to external cues. Our lab studies molecular mechanisms used by plant cells in response to adverse environmental changes, such as temperature extremes or drought. We specifically focus our efforts on genes acting in the ubiquitin 26S proteasome system (UPS), which sculpts proteomes of all eukaryotic cells and helps tune them to specific conditions. Students in the group use functional genomic and molecular genetic tools to discover novel roles for genes in the UPS that help plants survive changing surroundings.