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Faculty Directory
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Magdy S. Alabady
Assistant Research Scientist
- Office: Miller Plant Sciences, Rm 3510 GA
- Voice: 706-503-0442
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Office: Georgia Genomics Facility (GGF), Rm 155A GA
- Voice: 706-542-6877
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Research projects:
A) Background and Interest
My research background is in plant functional genomics and epigenetics. I am interested in a combination of genomic approaches, mainly ultra-throughput sequencing, expression profiling, and computational biology, to understand the regulatory mechanisms of gene expression and genome organization in both developmental and reproductive contexts. I have a particular interest in the small RNA biology and its role in regulating genomes and gene expression, and the subsequent effect on development. By using non-classical plant species, I am interested in the discovery of novel classes of sRNA with novel modes of action, which I speculate exist based on the reported complex sRNA transcriptomes in various species.B) Current Research Projects
1. Characterizing of small RNA regulatory networks in the biofuel crop candidates, Miscanthus and Panicum, and the role of these networks in regulating biomass deposition. [Collaborator: Matthew Hudson, Uni. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]2. Sequencing and characterizing of the mRNA and small RNA transcriptomes of Sipha flava (yellow sugarcane aphid) and investigating of the role of Miscanthus small RNA in response to Sipha flava infestation. [Collaborators: Jarred Presfika (USDA, Fargo, ND), Jeff Bradshaw (Uni. Nebraska-Lincoln), and Pallipparambil Godshen (Uni. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)]
3. Developing of novel Ultra-throughput sequencing protocol to sequence and assemble the plant gene space. [Collaborators: C J Tasi and Roger Nelson (Uni. Of Georgia-Athens)]
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Maor Bar-Peled
Associate Professor
- Office: Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Rm 315 GA
- Voice: 706-542-4496
- Fax: 706-542-4412
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Research projects:
Our laboratory studies the biosynthesis of plant cell walls at the molecular, biochemical and cellular levels. During the past several years we have been working on a project related to biofuels that greatly impacts our nation's potential green energy source. In principle, the idea is to bio-convert biomass (e.g. sugars released from plant cell walls) into ethanol. The major hurdle the industry encounters is that the wall is recalcitrant and currently it is not cost effective for microbial enzymes to degrade the ‘wood’ (lingo-cellulose) into individual sugars that can be fermented to fuel.
One project involves the identification of genes involved in cell wall precursor synthesis and determines how mutations in these genes alter plants to be less recalcitrant to hydrolytic degradation. Other projects involve the development of different types of cell-based assays related to wall biosynthesis in plants and microbes.
For undergraduate research opportunities, please contact Dr. Bar-Peled (peled@ccrc.uga.edu)
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Marguerite (Peggy) Brickman
Associate Professor
- Office: Biological Sciences, Rm 407 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1690
- Fax: 706-542-1695
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Research projects:
I have a novel position for a large research university, that of an introductory Biology teaching specialist. I have a tenure-track appointment in a biological science department but rather than conducting biological research, I focus on developing innovative teaching materials for college students. My major objective in preparing and assessing the effectiveness of these materials is to insure that students fulfilling their general science graduation requirement develop basic science literacy skills. I currently teach over 350 students each semester and strive to impart a lifelong interest in Biology as well as the skills needed to really use that knowledge in decisions they make in their future careers and lives. Publications of my instructional materials include online case studies, inquiry-based labs exercises, and interactive media exercises. My interest in teaching also extends to collaborating with graduate student and post-doctoral instructors interested in researching the effectiveness of teaching methods and sharing those methods in the training and development of future instructors.
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Brigitte U. Bruns
Academic Professional
Lab Coordinator
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 1611A GA
- Voice: 706-542-1783
- Fax: 706-542-1805
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Research projects:
Gene expression in temperature and light-stressed symbiotic dinoflagellates.
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John M. Burke
Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 4617 GA
- Voice: 706-583-5511
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 4604 GA
- Voice: 706-583-5510
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Research projects:
Our primary focus is plant evolutionary genetics and genomics. More specifically, we're studying the genetic basis of evolutionary divergence within the sunflower family (i.e., the Compositae or the Asteraceae). We also maintain an interest in the ecological and evolutionary impact of transgene escape from genetically modified crops into their wild relatives.
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Shu-Mei Chang
Associate Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 3613 GA
- Voice: 706-583-8026
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 3612 GA
- Voice: 706-583-8026
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Research projects:
I am interested in the ecological and evolutionary questions concerning plant reproduction. I am particularly curious about the processes that generate and maintain genetic variation in characters that appear to have obvious effects on reproductive success of plants in natural population. In the past I have combined observation from natural populations, manipulative experiments in the greenhouse and in common gardens, quantitative genetics and molecular evolution approaches in my studies. Though I consider myself an empirical biologist, I am very fond of theoretical studies, and have occasionally done some theoretical investigation for factors difficult to study empirically.
Past research topics include: (1) evolution of selfing in Ipomoea purpurea, (2) molecular evolution of a regulatory gene that influences flower pigmentation in Ipomoea purpurea and (3) characteristics of the spontaneous mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Recently, my research has been focusing on questions relating to the evolution of plant mating systems. There are two main lines of research that are currently ongoing in my lab: (I) Gender specific selection in hermaphroditic plants, and (II) Evolution of separate sexes in plants.
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Kelly Dawe
Distinguished Research Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 4613 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1658
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 4608 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1010
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Research projects:
What are plant centromeres made of? How are they inherited, what proteins interact with them, and how do they evolve? What are centromeres? For over twelve years our lab has been working through the answers to these questions.lab was founded with the goal of understanding plant kinetochores. We have made good progress mostly by making specific antisera and combining the power of maize cytogenetics with 3D light microscopy. Much of our effort has focused on the inner kinetochore proteins Centromeric Histone H3 (CENH3) and Centromere Protein C (CENP-C), as well as MAD2, a spindle checkpoint protein that localizes to the outer kinetochore. We have worked on a serine-50 phosphorylated form of CENH3, NDC80, and several other kinetochore proteins.
Our long-term goal is to identify the complete collection of inner kinetochore proteins, and to develop a model for how these proteins are organized. We intend to pursue the tried-and-true method of identifying candidate inner kinetochore proteins by homology to animal and yeast counterparts. Co-immunoprecipitation will be an important strategy for demonstrating interactions with other proteins, DNA, and RNA. We are also working on Arabidopsis and novel microscopy-based methods to further this work.High-resolution microscopy, anti-kinetochore antisera, and maize cytology/genetics will continue to be major assets in our work.
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Katrien Devos
Professor Plant Biology, Institute of Plant Breeding, and Genetics and Genomics (Crop & Soil Science)
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 4107 GA
- Voice: 706-542-0925
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 4203 GA
- Voice: 706-542-4066
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Research projects:
The research in my lab is targeted on enhancing our understanding of the organization of grass genomes, in particular wheat, millets and switchgrass, a biofuel crop. This is done through genetic and genomic analyses in the target species themselves, as well as through comparative analyses between crop and sequenced model genomes.
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Lisa A. Donovan
Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 3514 GA
- Voice: (706) 542-2969
- Fax: (706) 542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 3501 GA
- Voice: none
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Research projects:
The Donovan lab investigates plant evolutionary ecophysiology, with an emphasis on resource use and stress tolerance traits as they relate to plant performance. We examine ecological and evolutionary responses to growth limiting factors (e.g. water and nutrient limitations, drought, and salinity). Our current study system is primarily a suite of Helianthus species, due to their wide-ranging ecology and available genetic and genomic tools. In general, we want to know how individual plant traits affect plant fitness and distribution, and how these traits evolve. To address these questions, we use a combination of ecological, ecophysiological, evolutionary genetic and genomic approaches. Prospective students with an interest in functional ecology, evolution, and genomics of plant traits are encouraged to apply.
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Glenn Galau
Associate Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 2408 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1859
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 2408 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1859
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Research projects:
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Michael G. Hahn
Professor
- Office: Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Rm 2507 GA
- Voice: 706-542-4457
- Fax: 706-542-4412
- Lab: Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Rm 2048 GA
- Voice: 706-542-4451
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Research projects:
Our laboratory studies the cell biology and biosynthesis of plant cell walls. Plant cell walls play major roles in the biology of plants. Examples of these roles include controlling the growth and shape of plant cells, tissues, organs, and ultimately the entire plant, regulating the movement of nutrients and signals within the apoplast and toward the plasma membrane, serving as the first line of defense against pathogens and environmental stresses, and acting as a source of signaling molecules important in plant development and defense. Plant cell walls are also the principal component of plant biomass, which has become a focal point in the search for alternative and renewable sources of energy (biofuels).
We are pursuing two broad research goals:
(A) We are investigating plant cell wall biosynthesis by looking at two families of genes, primarily in Arabidopsis, thought to encode glycosyltransferases involved in plant cell wall glycan biosynthesis: 1) GAlacturonosylTransferase-Like (GATL) proteins thought to be involved in pectin biosynthesis; 2) FUcosylTransferase (FUT) proteins thought to add fucosyl residues to diverse plant cell wall glycans.
(B) We have developed a large and diverse library of monoclonal antibodies against plant cell wall glycans. These antibodies are being used to determine the locations of diverse cell wall carbohydrate structures (epitopes) in Arabidopsis, switchgrass and poplar. These antibodies are also proving useful for plant cell wall mutant characterization studies, and for quantitating glycans in cell wall extracts.
Our laboratory utilizes a broad range of experimental approaches in these studies, including molecular genetic, biochemical, immunological and microscopic techniques.
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James L. Hamrick
Regents Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 2512 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1826
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 2203 GA
- Voice: 706-542-0281
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Research projects:
My laboratory studies the genetics and evolution of natural plant populations. We are particularly interested in the genetic structure of plant populations and in those factors that influence the development of genetic structure; natural selection, the mating system, pollen movement and seed dispersal.
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Forest Isbell
Assistant Professor (Jan. 2014. Taking Students Fall 2014)
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm GA
- Voice: 706-542-3732
- Fax: 706-542-1805
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Research projects:
Research in my lab investigates the causes and consequences of changes in biodiversity at the intersection of community and ecosystem ecology. We often use field experiments to answer the following questions: (1) What are the consequences of global environmental changes for plant communities and ecosystems? (2) How do changes in plant diversity influence ecosystem functioning and stability? (3) How is plant diversity maintained? (4) To what extent do ecosystem services depend on plant diversity?
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Chang Hyun Khang
Assistant Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 1603 GA
- Voice: 706-542-0461
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 1602 GA
- Voice: 706-543-0527
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Research projects:
Fungi are major pathogens of plants, acting like thieves who come only to steal and destroy. Other fungi are beneficial to plants, enhancing plant productivity. We are interested in understanding what makes fungi pathogenic or beneficial to plants. The mission of the Khang laboratory is to advance our knowledge on cellular and molecular biology of plant-fungal interactions. This knowledge will provide a foundation to solve global food challenges.
To achieve successful colonization, intracellular pathogenic and beneficial fungi must secrete effector proteins into living host cells and acquire nutrients from them. Fascinating, but largely unanswered, questions are how fungi know when to produce effector proteins, how effector proteins are delivered into host cells and what these proteins do inside host cells, how effector genes evolve, and what strategies fungi use to secure nutrients from living host cells. We are addressing these questions by studying rice blast disease, which is caused by the hemibiotrophic, ascomycetous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Our laboratory uses a combination of molecular genetics, cell biology, genomics, and biochemistry approaches.
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Richard A. Lankau
Assistant Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 4510 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1870
- Fax: 706-542-1805
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Research projects:
I am broadly interested in the ecology and evolution of plant and fungal communities. A major goal of my research is to understand the consequences of genetic variation and rapid evolution within species for the structure and functioning of diverse communities. I am particularly interested in the interactions between plants and soil microbial communities, especially mycorrhizal fungi, in determining competitive interactions between plants. To answer these questions, I use a combination of field, greenhouse, and molecular approaches. Most recently I have studied these processes in the context of exotic invasions, where I have found that rapid evolution in the chemical traits of a plant invader, combined with ecological and evolutionary changes in native plant and soil communities, may be acting to reduce the negative impacts of the invasion and allow the recovery of native communities. I will soon begin investigating the role of plant-fungal interactions in ecological responses to rapid climate change.
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James H. Leebens-Mack
Associate Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 4504 GA
- Voice: 706-583-5573
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 4501 GA
- Voice: 706-583-5572
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Research projects:
My research employs genomic, phylogenetic and experimental analyses to investigate the genetic and ecology processes that influence diversification. Specific interests include the molecular genetics of diversification including speciation; the molecular basis of adaptation; the evolution of genome structure; genomic processes influencing gene family evolution; the evolutionary consequences of species interactions; and the coevolution of genes interacting in regulatory and developmental pathways.
Phylogenomics employs genome scale sequence data to resolve organismal relationships and investigate gene family evolution within the context of organismal relationships. Our lab uses phylogenomic approaches to explore the ecological, genetic and developmental processes that contribute to phenotypic diversification and speciation. We focus most of our attention on the evolution of reproductive characters in flowering plants. Much of our research involves phylogenetically based analyses, and we are working with collaborators to develop new empirical and analytical tools to extend the use of phylogenetic methods in comparative genomics. These tools form the foundation for comparative studies aimed at testing the degree to which characterizations of gene function and regulatory networks in model systems are applicable to other plant species.
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Wolfgang Lukowitz
Associate Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 4609 GA
- Voice: 706-542-9252
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 4606 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1121
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Research projects:
Plants, just like animals, start life as a single cell. This cell and its daughters then need to lay down the reference points required for realizing a complex body plan. We would like to understand the molecular mechanics of this process: which cues do plant embryos read-out and how do they interpret them to derive basic positional values, such as top/bottom, surface/interior? We are studying these questions in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana using a variety of approaches, including genetics, targeted manipulations, and imaging.
The two main projects in the lab revolve around key functions in the early patterning process we have originally identified by mutation: a MAP kinase pathway promoting elongation of the zygote and development of its basal daughter cell into the suspensor; and a family of GATA-type transcription factors required for positioning the boundary between suspensor and proembryo, across which the root is organized.
In addition, we have recently begun to look into the role of a kinesin-5 gene in organizing the microtubule arrays mediating nuclear division and cytokinesis. This new project is driven entirely by undergraduate students.
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Russell L. Malmberg
Professor
Associate Dean of Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 3609 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1850 or 706-542-0012
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 3606 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1869
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Research projects:
My current research interests are in the broad areas of bioinformatics and plant evolutionary/ecological genetics. Will Rogers and I are studying the genetics, evolution, and ecology, of the insect-eating pitcher plants (Sarracenia species). Most of my bioinformatics work is in collaboration with Liming Cai of the Computer Science Department to develop methods of modeling and searching genomes for non-coding RNAs.
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Michelle Momany
Department Head
Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 1512/2502 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1811 or 706-542-2014
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 1505 GA
- Voice: 706-542-6026
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Research projects:
Research in my lab focuses on polar growth in the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans and the pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. One major project in the lab is examining septins, novel cytoskeletal proteins, in A. nidulans. Work in other systems has shown that the septins function as scaffolds, organizing the division plane and other areas of new cell growth. Research in our lab has shown that there are 5 septins in A. nidulans and that one of those septins localizes to septa, forming branches and conidiophore layers. The filamentous localization of A. nidulans septins is especially exciting because it furnishes an experimentally tractable system to investigate the significance of the septin filaments previously only reported in animals.
The other major project in the lab is looking at gene expression and polar growth in A. fumigatus. A. fumigatus causes invasive aspergillosis, an often fatal disease of the immunocompromised. We are using microarrays and deep sequencing to study the genes that are expressed in the early growth of this fungus.
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Andrew H. Paterson
Distinguished Research Professor
Director, Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory
- Office: Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Rm 228 GA
- Voice: 706-583-0162
- Fax: 706-583-0160
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Research projects:
My lab studies intrinsic genetic properties that make plants different from other organisms and from one another. In particular, selected plants have become crops because of unique attributes that also make them valuable as botanical models. Crop genetics thus offers the opportunity to increase basic scientific knowledge and apply it to contemporary needs. Our priorities are to explore basic principles of genetics and evolution in the genomes of angiosperms, and to accelerate assembly of the genomic frameworks that will permit such principles to be applied to the study and improvement of major crops.
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Chris J. Peterson
Associate Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 2615 GA
- Voice: 706-542-3754
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 2606 GA
- Voice: 706-542-3869
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Research projects:
My research interests encompass two main areas: 1) forest wind disturbance and regeneration, 2) tropical post-agricultural succession. Relative to forest wind disturbance, I study not only the immediate physical and ecological consequences of windstorms, but also the patterns of regeneration after the disturbance. Relative to tropical succession, I have been documenting both the long-term (10 years and more) pattern of forest regrowth, and the factors driving that pattern, in five sites in premontane tropical wet forest in southern Costa Rica.
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Gregory W. Schmidt
Professor
- Office: Life Sciences, Rm C310 GA
- Voice: 706-542-0280
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Life Sciences, Rm C312 GA
- Voice: 706-542-0279
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Research projects:
My long-term research interest has been to understand processes involved in the formation and maintenance of photosynthetic complexes of plants and algae. Our work pioneered understanding how nuclear-encoded proteins are transported into chloroplasts and integrated into photosynthetic membranes. Other research has concerned how regulation of formation of multi-subunit complexes is achieved, finding that it involves intricate processes that includes gene expression and subsequent control mechanisms (such as post-translational mRNA stabilization, RNA precursor maturation, translational regulation and post-translational protein stabilization and protein phosphorylation mechanisms). My laboratory also invented methods for reconstruction of the light-harvesting antenna complexes for photosynthesis from their purified apoproteins and purified chlorophylls and carotenoids. With molecular mutagenesis techniques, the latter work enabled mapping the proteins’ pigment binding sites, identification of the important roles in light absorption efficiency due to protein-protein interactions, and elucidation of light energy transfer/photoprotection pathways.
Our laboratory has focused in recent years on understanding the genotypic and physiological diversity of the symbiotic algae in corals and their related cnidarian species in reefs around the globe. A major question addressed in current work is why are some corals less susceptible than others to bleaching as a consequence or ocean warming. The evidence points to different capacities of the divergent symbiotic dinoflagellates to maintain photosynthetic efficiencies when subjected to extremes of temperature and light.
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Kathrin F. Stanger-Hall
Associate Professor
Adjunct Faculty Math & Science Ed. and Entomology
- Office: Biological Sciences , Rm 503 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1689
- Fax: 706-542-1695
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Research projects:
My main research interests focus on how to promote active learning and critical thinking in large introductory biology classes, and on the evolution of light signals in North American fireflies.
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Dorset W. Trapnell
Assistant Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 3508 GA
- Voice: 706-542-6506
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 3503 GA
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Research projects:
My research focuses on 1) the impact of landscape level disturbance and habitat fragmentation on the evolutionary trajectories of plant species, particularly neotropical orchids and epiphytes and 2) phylogeographic analyses for the purpose of identifying ancient refugia associated with Pleistocene glacial maxima and subsequent expansion zones of plant taxa in response to global warming.
Our lab employs population genetic tools to develop an understanding of the evolutionary factors that shape patterns of genetic variation in natural plant populations and the manner in which species-wide variation is partitioned and maintained. This is of particular interest in the context of increasingly fragmented landscapes and the ubiquitous nature of human induced habitat disturbance as well as global climate change.
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Zheng-Hua Ye
Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 3607 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1832
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 3604 GA
- Voice: 706-542-5622
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Research projects:
My research interests center on uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of secondary cell walls and the transcriptional regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis in plants.
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Xiaoyu Zhang
Assistant Professor
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 4520 GA
- Voice: 706-542-4822
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 4409 GA
- Voice: 706-542-7878
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Research projects:
The current research in my lab is directed to understand the establishment and maintenance of histone modifications in plants, their roles in regulating gene expression and development, and how they have contributed to the evolution of gene and genome functions. We use Arabidopsis and rice as model systems and employ a wide range of approaches, including genetic, molecular biology, biochemistry and genomic tools such as high-throughput sequencing and high-density tiling microarrays.
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Wendy B. Zomlefer
Associate Professor
Curator of the University of Georgia Herbarium
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 2607 GA
- Voice: 706-583-0389
- Fax: 706-542-1805
- Lab: Plant Sciences, Rm 2501 GA
- Voice: 706-583-0565
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Research projects:
As a modern systematist (morphology, anatomy, field work), I incorporate molecular data with revisionary work on the relationships of certain temperate lily-like plants, the Melanthiaceae, with particular focus on the taxa of tribe Melanthieae.
I also conduct floristic surveys in Georgia and neighboring states. Floristic inventories are an important function of the GA Herbarium. These are field-based studies comprising a plant survey of a natural area, resulting in a complete inventory including voucher specimens.
Regular Faculty
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Mike Arnold
Professor, Genetics
- Office: Life Sciences, Rm GA
- Voice: (706) 542-1407
- Fax: 706-542-3910
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Research projects:
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Jeff Bennetzen
Norman Giles Eminent Scholar Chair in Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics
- Office: Fred C. Davison Life Sciences Building, Rm C426a GA
- Fax: 706-583-0972
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Research projects:
Plant genome structure and evolution, especially the nature of rearrangements and the contributions of transposable elements. The relationship between genome structure/evolution and gene function. Genetic diversity and its use in under-utilized crops of the developing world. The rapid evolution of complex disease resistance loci in plants. Models, mechanisms and metagenomics for lignocellulosic ethanol production.
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Sarah F. Covert
Professor, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Associate Dean Academic Affairs
- Office: Forest Resources, Rm 527 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1385
- Fax: 706-542-8356
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Research projects:
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Alan Darvill
Co-Director, CCRC
- Office: CCRC, Rm 315 GA
- Voice: 706-542-4411
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Research projects:
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Mark A. Farmer
Biological Sciences Division Chair Academic
Professor
- Office: Biological Sciences, Rm 0400A GA
- Voice: 706-542-1693
- Fax: 706-542-4271
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Research projects:
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Zachary A. Lewis
Assistant Professor - Microbiology
- Office: Biological Sciences, Rm 828 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1429
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Research projects:
Chromatin structure and function; Epigenetics; Eukaryotic genome stability; Histone H1
We are interested in understanding epigenetic and chromatin-based mechanisms that contribute to eukaryotic genome function, genome organization, and genome stability. In the nucleus, chromosomal DNA is packaged with histone and non-histone proteins into chromatin. Covalent modification of histone proteins, incorporation of histone variants, and in some organisms, methylation of cytosine bases in DNA all serve to partition chromosomes into distinct structural and functional domains. We are particularly interested in heterochromatin domains, which are highly condensed, transcriptionally silent, and rich in repeated DNA sequences such as transposable elements. Work from several labs has shown that one apparent function of heterochromatin is to preserve genome stability at repeat-rich regions of the genome. We aim to identify components of heterochromatin that perform this function and determine their mechanism of action. For our studies we work with Neurospora crassa, an extremely tractable model fungus that is well suited for investigating chromatin structure and function. Significantly, the molecular composition and genome-level organization of heterochromatin in Neurospora is similar to that of higher eukaryotes, which stands in contrast to a number of other model systems.
A second goal of our lab is to understand the functions and regulation of the linker histone H1. Linker histones are thought to facilitate condensation of the chromatin fiber, but neither the function nor regulation of these proteins is well understood, in part because a microbial model system has not been exploited. The model yeasts do not encode a canonical histone H1 protein. Neurospora, however, contains a single gene encoding a canonical linker histone H1 protein. We are taking advantage of the simple Neurospora system to uncover functions of H1 and determine how this important protein is regulated. For all of our studies, we rely heavily on molecular, genetic, genomic, and proteomic methods.
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Jacqueline Mohan
Assistant Professor, School of Ecology
- Office: Ecology, Rm 103 GA
- Voice: 706-542-2968
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Research projects:
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Debra Mohnen
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Office: Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Rm GA
- Voice: 706-542-4458
- Fax: 706-542-4412
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Research projects:
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David C. Nelson
Assistant Professor - Genetics
- Office: Life Sciences, Rm B101 GA
- Voice: 706-542-0529
- Fax: 706-542-3910
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Research projects:
I am interested in uncovering signal transduction mechanisms that enable plants to sense and respond to their environment. Currently my lab's research is focused on the phenomenon of smoke-induced seed germination - an adaptive trait known to be used by over a thousand plant species to rapidly recolonize the post-fire landscape. We are using genetic approaches in the model system Arabidopsis thaliana to define the smoke-response pathway and determine how it influences plant development through crosstalk with light- and hormone-signaling networks. Ultimately we will apply comparative genetics methods to investigate the broader role of this mechanism in fire ecology and its adaptation among land plants.
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Richard P. Shefferson
Assistant Professor, School of Ecology
- Office: Ecology, Rm 154 GA
- Voice: 706-542-6257
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Andrea Sweigart
Assistant Professor - Genetics
- Office: Life Sciences, Rm B412 GA
- Voice: 706-542-7001
- Fax: 706-542-3910
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A fundamental goal of evolutionary biology is to explain how populations become reproductively isolated species. Does speciation occur in allopatry or do populations diverge in the presence of some gene flow? What is the genetic basis of reproductive isolation? What are the evolutionary forces that create and maintain variation in speciation genes? My research tackles these questions in an emerging model system: the Mimulus guttatus species complex, a group of closely related, ecologically diverse wildflowers that exhibit tremendous variation in reproductive isolation between populations and species. I use a range of approaches – from field and greenhouse experiments to genetic mapping and bioinformatics – to investigate the genetic mechanisms and evolutionary dynamics of speciation.
Adjunct Faculty
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Bill Barstow
Emeritus
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 2508 GA
- Voice: 706-542-1688
- Fax: 706-542-1805
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Marie-Michèle Cordonnier-Pratt
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Marshall Darley
Emeritus
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 3518/3520 GA
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Melvin Fuller
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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David Giannasi
Emeritus
- Office: Plant Sciences, Rm 2605 GA
- Voice: 706-542-8622
- Fax: 706-542-1805
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Stephen P. Hubbell
Emeritus Professor
Distinguished Professor
- Office: UCLA-Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rm GA
- Voice: 310-206-8165
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Senior Staff Scientist
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Panama -
Samuel Jones
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Joe Key
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Gary Kochert
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Burlyn Michel
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Carl Monk
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Barry Palevitz
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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David Porter
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Lee Pratt
Emeritus
- Office: , Rm GA
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Rebecca R. Sharitz
Emeritus Professor
Senior Research Ecologist, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
- Office: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Rm Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802 GA
- Voice: 803-725-5679
- Fax: 803-725-3309
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The research in my laboratory is directed chiefly toward ecological processes in wetlands, including factors affecting the structure and function of river floodplain and swamp forest ecosystems and of isolated depression wetlands (Carolina bays), responses of wetland communities to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and ecological restoration of degraded wetland habitats. We are also conducting studies on the population biology and conservation of rare plants, especially species of the southeastern Fall Line sandhills region.
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Susan R. Wessler
Emeritus Professor
- Office: , Rm GA
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Transposable elements in plants with a focus on the characterization of active transposable elements and a determination of how they contribute to genome evolution and adaptation. To address these questions we use a combination of genetic, biochemical and computational approaches.