About IPG
Post Doc Directory
Yangrong Cao
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Plant Sciences
E-mail: caoy@missouri.edu
Standard Techniques: Molecular biology, Protein purification, Immunoblotting Techniques
Other Techniques: Protoplast Isolation,Pathogen Challenge Assays
Model Systems: Arabidopsis,Grape
Research: Chitin-triggered innate immunity in plants
Ryan N. Douglas
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Biological Sciences
E-mail: douglasrn@missouri.edu
Standard Techniques: Molecular biology, Genetics, Microscopy, qPCR
Other Techniques: Chromatin Immunoprecipitation,In situ hybridization,Fluorescence in situ hybridization, RNAseq
Model Systems: Maize,Informatics
Statistical Packages: R
Research: I have created a unique series of active, inactive, and reactivated centromeres to study epigenetic aspects involved in specifying maize centromere function. I am utilizing next-generation technologies such as RNAseq and ChIP-seq to examine our series of centromeres.
I have also been involved in the de novo assembly of the supernumerary maize B chromosome and I am investigating RNA transcription originating from the B chromosome.
Mather A. Khan
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Plant Sciences
E-mail: khanma@missouri.edu
Standard Techniques: Molecular biology, Immunoblotting Techniques, Genetics, Plant Transformation, qPCR, Yeast transformation, Yeast Colony PCR, Functional screening of genes
Other Techniques: Gene silencing,Gas chromatography,High-performance liquid chromatography, ICP-OES
Model Systems: Arabidopsis,Grape
Research: Plants and seeds are the main dietary source of essential micronutrients (Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn) for humans and livestock but also the main entry point for toxic elements (Cd, Pb, As, and Hg) into the food chain. Consumption of heavy metal contaminated food is among the major concerns for global food security. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), crop productions will need to increase by 70% to feed over 9 billion people by 2050. Any effort devoted to increase yield has to ensure that the nutritional value of seeds and grains is retained or, preferably, improved. Understanding the fundamentals of growth and development of plants is of the utmost importance in order to meet the global demands for food. Uptake and distribution of nutrients and water from the soil and within the plant tissues is a dynamic process driven by root uptake transporters. Therefore, transporters are among the key target in developing crop plants with higher yield, rich nutrient value and tolerance to adverse environmental conditions.
My research, mainly focus on to characterize transporters responsible for long distance movement of different molecules including essential and toxic metals. We have identified and cloned 70+ Arabidopsis transporters preferentially expressed in companion cells, and assembled a functional expression library of these phloem transporters using yeast as heterologous expression system. This library is being instrumental to identify transporters mediating mobilization of essential and toxic metals from leaves to seeds.
Gunvant Patil
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Plant Sciences
E-mail: patilg at missouri dot edu
Standard Techniques: Molecular Biology, genetic engineering, tissue culture
Research: Soybean oil improvment
Silvas J. Prince
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Plant Sciences
E-mail: princesj@missouri.edu
Standard Techniques: Molecular biology, Genetics, Microscopy, qPCR
Model Systems: Arabidopsis,Soybean,Grape
Statistical Packages: SAS,SPSS,R
Research: Dissecting genes regulating root growth and plasticity in drought and flooding stress using omics and sequencing approaches
Priya Voothuluru
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Plant Sciences
E-mail: voothulurup@missouri.edu
Standard Techniques: Protein purification, Immunoblotting Techniques, Genetics, Microscopy, qPCR, Growth Kinematics, Isopiestic thermocouple psychrometry
Other Techniques: Transmission electron microscopy
Model Systems: Arabidopsis,Maize,Soybean,Grape
Research: I am interested in studying the mechanisms involved in abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in plants. My current research in the Sharp lab is to understand the mechanistic basis of root growth maintenance under water stress by using plant physiology and genomic tools. The long term goal of my current research is to produce plants with enhanced root system development under drought conditions.
Yongqin Wang
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Plant Sciences
E-mail: wangyq at missouri dot edu
Standard Techniques: Molecular biology, Genetics, Cellular biology
Research: I am mainly focusing on how genes are involved in regulation of soybean growth and survival under drought conditions. RNA Seq, soybean hairy root transformation, BPMV induced gene silencing in soybean and over-expression of soybean candidate genes in Arabidopsis to test gene function are major methods used in my current study. I also work on root specific up-regulation or knock-down of genes in order to generate stable transgenic soybean lines with improved yield stability under drought conditions by enhancing deep rooting capacity and early seedling vigor.
Abou Yobi
Post Doctoral Fellow
Division of Plant Sciences
E-mail: abou.yobi@ars.usda.gov OR yobia@missouri.edu
Standard Techniques: Molecular biology, Plant Transformation, qPCR
Other Techniques: Gas chromatography,High-performance liquid chromatography,Mass spectrometry
Model Systems: Maize, Sporobolus
Research: