Sally Assmann

Waller Professor of Biology

Sally Assmann

Research Summary

Molecular biology of plant G-proteins and kinases. Phytohormone regulation of signal transduction and RNA processing. Second messenger regulation of ion channels in plant cells.

Huck Graduate Students

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Translational insights into abiotic interactions: From Arabidopsis to crop plants

Adrienne H.K. Roeder, Yiting Shi, Shuhua Yang, Mohamad Abbas, Rashmi Sasidharan, Marcelo J. Yanovsky, Jorge José Casal, Sandrine Ruffel, Nicolaus Von Wirén, Sarah M. Assmann, Noah A. Kinscherf, Arkadipta Bakshi, Burcu Alptekin, Simon Gilroy, Malleshaiah Sharathkumar, Salomé Prat, Cristiana T. Argueso, 2025, Plant Cell

VariantFoldRNA: a flexible, containerized, and scalable pipeline for genome-wide riboSNitch prediction

Kobie J. Kirven, Philip C. Bevilacqua, Sarah M. Assmann, 2025, NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics

Is GCR1 the GPR157 of plants?

Aditi Gotkhindikar, David Chakravorty, Durba Sengupta, Manali Joshi, Sarah M. Assmann, 2025, Plant Physiology

A network-based modeling framework reveals the core signal transduction network underlying high carbon dioxide-induced stomatal closure in guard cells

Xiao Gan, P Sengottaiyan, Kyu Park, Sarah M. Assmann, Reka Albert, 2024, PLoS Biology on p. e3002592

Stomatal responses to VPD utilize guard cell intracellular signaling components

Yotam Zait, Ariel Joseph, Sarah M. Assmann, 2024, Frontiers in Plant Science

Influence of expression and purification protocols on Gα biochemical activity: kinetics of plant and mammalian G protein cycles.

T Gookin, D Chakravorty, Sarah Assmann, 2023, bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology

Extra-large G proteins have extra-large effects on agronomic traits and stress tolerance in maize and rice

Christian F. Cantos, Claude W. dePamphilis, Sarah M. Assmann, 2023, Trends in Plant Science on p. 1033-1044

Rock, scissors, paper: How RNA structure informs function

Sarah Assmann, H Chou, Philip C. Bevilacqua, 2023, Plant Cell on p. 1671-1707

Oryza CLIMtools: A genome–environment association resource reveals adaptive roles for heterotrimeric G proteins in the regulation of rice agronomic traits

Angel Ferrero-Serrano, David Chakravorty, K Kirven, Sarah Assmann, 2023, Plant Communications on p. 100813

Flanking Sequence Cotranscriptionally Regulates Twister Ribozyme Activity

L McKinley, R Kern, Sarah Assmann, Philip Bevilacqua, 2023, Biochemistry on p. 53-68

Most-Cited Papers

Genome-Wide Analysis of RNA Secondary Structure

Philip C. Bevilacqua, Laura Ritchey, Zhao Su, Sarah M. Assmann, 2016, Annual Review of Genetics on p. 235--266

Guard cell sensory systems: recent insights on stomatal responses to light, abscisic acid, and CO<sub>2</sub>

Sarah M. Assmann, Timothy Jegla, 2016, Current Opinion in Plant Biology on p. 157-167

50 years of Arabidopsis research: Highlights and future directions

Nicholas J. Provart, Jose Alonso, Sarah M. Assmann, Dominique Bergmann, Siobhan M. Brady, Jelena Brkljacic, John Browse, Clint Chapple, Vincent Colot, Sean Cutler, Jeff Dangl, David Ehrhardt, Joanna D. Friesner, Wolf B. Frommer, Erich Grotewold, Elliot Meyerowitz, Jennifer Nemhauser, Magnus Nordborg, Craig Pikaard, John Shanklin, Chris Somerville, Mark Stitt, Keiko U. Torii, Jamie Waese, Doris Wagner, Peter Mccourt, 2016, New Phytologist on p. 921-944

The RNA structurome: Transcriptome-wide structure probing with next-generation sequencing

Chun Kit Kwok, Yin Tang, Sarah M. Assmann, Philip C. Bevilacqua, 2015, Trends in Biochemical Sciences on p. 221-232

Extra-large G proteins expand the repertoire of subunits in arabidopsis heterotrimeric G protein signaling

David Chakravorty, Timothy E. Gookin, Matthew J. Milner, Yunqing Yu, Sarah M. Assmann, 2015, Plant Physiology on p. 512-29

Genome-wide RNA structurome reprogramming by acute heat shock globally regulates mRNA abundance

Zhao Su, Yin Tang, Laura E. Ritchey, David C. Tack, Mengmeng Zhu, Philip C. Bevilacqua, Sarah M. Assmann, 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. 12170-12175

The G protein β-subunit, AGB1, interacts with FERONIA in RALF1-regulated stomatal movement

Yunqing Yu, David Chakravorty, Sarah M. Assmann, 2018, Plant Physiology on p. 2426-2440

The guard cell metabolome: Functions in stomatal movement and global food security

Biswapriya B. Misra, Biswa R. Acharya, David Granot, Sarah M. Assmann, Sixue Chen, 2015, Frontiers in Plant Science on p. 1-13

Molecular and systems approaches towards drought-tolerant canola crops

Mengmeng Zhu, J. Grey Monroe, Yasir Suhail, Florent Villiers, Jack Mullen, Dianne Pater, Felix Hauser, Byeong Wook Jeon, Joel S. Bader, June M. Kwak, Julian I. Schroeder, John K. Mckay, Sarah M. Assmann, 2016, New Phytologist on p. 1169-1189

The α-subunit of the rice heterotrimeric G protein, RGA1, regulates drought tolerance during the vegetative phase in the dwarf rice mutant d1

Ángel Ferrero-Serrano, Sarah M. Assmann, 2016, Journal of Experimental Botany on p. 3433-3443

News Articles Featuring Sally Assmann

Sep 11, 2025

To Eat or To Breathe; That is the Question

New molecular insights into plant decision-making could shape the next generation of seed traits for a hotter, drier world.

Full Article

Aug 26, 2025

Hidden messengers tell plants when to eat and breathe

Hidden within seemingly still plants are chemical signals that help them manage energy and water, a puzzle now solved by Penn State scientists.

Full Article

Aug 25, 2025

Messenger signals that cue plants to ‘eat’ and ‘breathe’ revealed for first time

A new study by an international team of scientists led by Penn State researchers reveals for the first time the molecular messengers that control how and when plants “breathe” and “eat,” which could have implications for agriculture.

Full Article

Jun 30, 2025

Lab Bench to Commercialization program broadens its scope

Eberly College of Science seed grant program to shift emphasis to earlier development of research, focusing on societal impact and career readiness.

Full Article

Mar 10, 2025

Plant biologist awarded the Masatoshi Nei Innovation Prize in Biology

Sarah Assmann, Waller Professor of Plant Biology at Penn State, has been awarded the Masatoshi Nei Innovation Prize in Biology. The award was established through a generous gift from Masatoshi Nei, professor emeritus of biology at Penn State; Laura Carnell, professor of biology at Temple University; and Nei’s wife, Nobuko Nei. The prize is intended to recognize a preeminent scientist who is on the faculty at Penn State, is an innovator in their field, and has achieved outstanding scientific research and leadership in the biological sciences.

Full Article

Apr 17, 2023

Structured Nucleic Acids Day, Robert Simpson and Sons Lecture set for April 18

A half-day symposium on structured (noncanonical) nucleic acids will be held on Tuesday, April 18, in Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, Penn State University Park.

Full Article

Jun 13, 2022

Climate-associated genetic switches found in plants

Genetic variants that can act as switches directing structural changes in the RNA molecules that code for proteins in plants have been experimentally validated in plants for the first time. The changes to RNA structure can affect the molecule’s stability, how it interacts with other molecules, and how efficiently it can be translated into protein — all of which can impact its function and the traits of the plant.

Full Article