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UA Plant Genomics Labs

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Summer Schedule of weekly meeting    

Poster Session

Arabidopsis and Plant Genome Resources

Laboratory Activities
Activities designed by interns to take back to the classroom

BIOTECH Home
Gateway to the BIOTECH Project

PREP Handbook with activities using Arabidopsis thaliana

The University of Arizona

Department of Plant Sciences

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Undergraduate Biology Research Program

The Biology Project

Biology Learning Center

Science Education Connection

Other sites in Arizona

Arizona State University

Northern Arizona University

Arizona Department of Education

Teacher Internship in Plant Genomics Plant Genomics Labs

Judith Brown: 1) Construction and characterization of a subtracted whitefly EST library. 2) Construction and characterization of salivary gland/gut library from viruliferous whiteflies. 3) Whitefly endosymbiont library construction and EST sequencing.

Vicki Chandler: 1) Characterize transgenic maize plants carrying dsRNA silencing constructs targeting chromatin protein encoding genes by DNA gel blot analysis of introduced DNA and RT-PCR analysis of target RNA levels. 2) Participate in crossing transgenes into appropriate lines for assaying effects on paramutation at b and on transgene silencing.

David Galbraith: Characterize Arabidopsis mutants carrying mutations in specific cytochrome P450 genes

David Gang: Plants produce an amazing diversity of small chemicals, used by the plant to fight off herbivores and pests and by people as medicinal and flavoring agents. My lab uses modern tools of biochemistry, genomics, and analytical chemistry to investigate how these important compounds are produced by plants. In particular, we are interested in the anti-inflammatory components of ginger and turmeric and in the flavor compounds in sweet basil.

Rich Jorgensen: 1) Investigate alternative splicing of messenger RNAs in Arabidopsis. 2) Use gene silencing to do functional genomics in polyploid plants.

Brian Larkins: 1) Characterize the regulation of maize endosperm development as it relates to protein synthesis and protein quality. 2) Determine the role of DNA endoreduplication in starch and protein synthesis. 3) Functional genomics of kernel development based on analysis of Mutator-induced mutants.

Marc Orbach: Create an insertion mutant library of Magnaporthe grisea, a fungal pathogen of rice, using a promoterless reporter cassette to allow screening for expression of genes that the construct inserts into. Phenotypic analysis of the insertion strains, involving both visual and biochemical analysis of the transformed lines.

Karen Schumaker: 1) Compare the function of salt and osmotic tolerance determinants and the associated regulatory pathways in a salt-tolerant plant (salt cress, a halophyte) and its salt-sensitive relative (Arabidopsis, a glycophyte). 2) Functionally determine the role of SOS2-like protein kinases in the response of Arabidopsis to environmental cues and abiotic stresses 3) Functionally determine the role of chromatin regulatory proteins in the response of Arabidopsis to abiotic stress.

Elizabeth Vierling: 1) Define natural genetic variation in plant heat tolerance. 2) Map genes for heat tolerance using molecular methods. 3) Proteomic analysis of differences between mutant plants.

Rod Wing: High-throughput genomics institute focusing on structural and functional genomics of crop plants including sequencing, physical mapping, BAC libraries, EST libraries and functional genomics.

Ramin Yadegari: We use genetic and molecular approaches to understand how seeds develop in response to fertilization in flowering plants. The intern will: 1) Analyze the expression of important regulatory genes during plant development and growth; and 2) Participate in analysis of mutants with defects in seed development.

Carolyn Napoli: This educational outreach program will provide experience for high school teachers in the area of bioinformatics and functional genomics. There are three objectives associated with this outreach: (1) to produce, in partnership with teachers, a set of web-based, integrated teaching modules to introduce students to the biological importance of chromatin by way of discussions centered on DNA, genes, and chromosomes, as well introduce students to the scientific method and experimental analysis; (2) to provide teachers with working experience in select aspects of bioinformatics; and (3) to develop a protocol for experiments to be conducted in classroom locations under circumstances of limited supplies and equipment. All project-generated results and materials will be available at the database site, http://www.chromdb.org/.