Young Scientists Dr. Alison Roberts, University of Rhode Island - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Young Scientists Dr. Alison Roberts, University of Rhode Island November 18, 2015

Newport Harbor High School 1972-1976 Mr. Burge, Biology Mr. Smith, Chemistry Mr. Dukes, Physics Mr. Fox, Geology

Environmental Education Grand Canyon rafting trip, Senior year Yosemite Institute, Junior year Trans-Sierra backpack, Sophomore year

First Research Project Hand-drawn graphs Typed on a typewriter

University of California, Davis Bachelors in Botany and Geology, 1980 Masters in Botany, 1983 First scientific paper, 1984 Major Professor, Dr. William Lucas

Texas Tech University Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, 1990 Major Professor, Dr. Candace Haigler

University of Rhode Island Professor, 1991-present • Teach: – Introductory biology – Plant anatomy, plant physiology, plant diversity – Microscopy • Research on plant cell walls – Cell biology – Development – Evolution

Alissa Neill Students Chessa Goss Derek Brockmann Ben Knight Sankug Lee Alex Frost Shannon Donovan Ash Haeger John Bushoven Chuck Audette Liz Berry Virginia Lai Christos Dimos Mike Budziszek Ken Uhnak Xingxing Li Tess Duggan Mai Tran

International Conferences International Congresses International Cell Wall Meetings Denmark, 2007 Portugal, 2010 Botany, Germany, 1987 France, 2013 Australia, 2014 International Moss Meetings Botany, Austria, 2005 Cell Biology, Canada, 1988 Germany, 2004 Czech Republic, 2005

Plant Cell Walls • Give plant cells shape and structure • Important commercial products Wood Textiles Dietary fiber Biofuels Paper

Polysaccharides • Major building blocks of cell walls • Sugars linked together (polymers) • Cellulose — 4-linked glucose 4 • MLG (mixed linkage glucan) — 3- and 4-linked glucose 3

Cell wall evolution Sequenced genomes Picea Selaginella Arabidopsis Oryza sativa Physcomitrella Populus Klebsormidium Chlamydomonas glauca moellendorffii thaliana patens trichocarpa flaccidum reinhardtii CSLB/E/G/H/J clade Vascular tissue, lignified secondary cell wall Rosette cellulose synthesis complexes

Physcomitrella patens • Moss • No vascular tissue • Sequenced genome • Easy to alter genes

Moss, MLG & and a mystery enzyme • Unexpectedly, mosses appeared to have MLG • Mosses have a “mystery” gene similar to cellulose synthase • Does the mystery gene encode the MLG synthase?

Sabbatical at University of Adelaide • Injected “mystery” gene into tobacco World experts on MLG! • Tested tobacco leaves for MLG

MLG cutting enzyme: Fragment analysis MLG NOT MLG CONTROL Arabinoglucan (AG) Mystery gene is AG synthase (AGS) A A A

What other plants have AG? • This is where you and the plants you just collected come in! – How do the plants fit into the tree of life? (Phylogenetic analysis) – Do they have AGS genes? (PCR and DNA sequencing) – Do they have AG? (extract and analyze cell wall polysaccharides)