Jeffrey L. Caplan

Associate Director of Bioimaging
Research Assistant Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences

Delaware Biotechnology Institute
Delaware Technology Park
15 Innovation Way
Newark DE 19711

Phone: (302) 831-3450
FAX:    (302) 831-4841
E-Mail: jcaplan@udel.edu
Web Site

Education
Ph.D., Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, 2008
B.S., Horticulture, University of Connecticut, 2001
B.S., Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 2000

Research Interests:
As the Associate Director of Bioimaging, Dr. Caplan is committed to maintaining a shared microscopy facility that places a strong emphasis on training new users and collaborating with scientists working a variety of research topics.

Dr. Caplan’s research focuses on employing advanced imaging technologies to study the function of programmed cell death during plant innate immunity. When infected by a pathogen, plants rapidly induce programmed cell death in an attempt to kill infected tissue and prevent the spread of disease.  To mount this response successfully, the transcriptional reprogramming of chloroplasts, mitochondria and nuclei must be coordinated. His research uses in vivo imaging techniques to study the formation, dynamics and physical connections between chloroplasts and nuclei. Chloroplasts connect to nuclei via tubule-like structures called stromules during innate immunity.  He is currently investigating what machinery is required for stromule formation and how stromules augment the communication between chloroplasts and nuclei during plant innate immunity.