IT pros don’t typically expect to be published in scientific research journals – especially not one regarding plant sciences. But that’s exactly what happened to IT Manager IV Tracy Persky and Software Applications Developer III Ashish Ausekar.

The research, “The plant endoplasmic reticulum UPRome: A repository and Pathway browser for genes involved in signaling networks linked to the endoplasmic reticulum,” was published in “Plant Direct” in July.

The experience began last year when Jeanmarie Vermarie Verchot, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, contacted Persky about designing a website offering direct links to information and databases of genes and proteins across various plant species. Persky and Ausekar also worked on the project with Venura Herath, Ph.D., of the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka.

“The site serves as a repository of external databases,” Persky explained. “There is a scalable image that displays a cell containing many plant proteins. Each protein can be clicked, which results in a list of plant species and a list of corresponding databases.”

Ausekar and Persky said they are honored to have worked on the article for the journal and enjoyed doing something out of the ordinary.

“We really enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to work with researchers on interesting and diverse projects that have an effect on the real world,” Persky said. “Our usual business applications are important, and we love to make people’s jobs and tasks easier, but sometimes it is fun to work on something different. This was definitely one of those projects.”