Plants like animals defend themselves from disease and sometimes succumb to microbial disease. My research group is interested in understanding the molecular genetic and biochemical mechanisms of plant immunity. Our long-term goal is to translate our plant immunity knowledge to reduce crop loss and pesticide use in agriculture. After many years of challenging research, my team demonstrated that DIR1 proteins move via the phloem from an initially infected leaf to distant leaves to participate in alerting/priming distant leaves to respond in a resistant manner to future microbial infections. Knowing that DIR1 is a key protein involved in inter-organ communication to initiate resistance, will allow us to dissect the priming response in distant leaves. We are using this knowledge to find environmentally friendly chemical treatments that initiate natural plant defense to provide pesticide-free methods to protect Ontario greenhouse-grown cucumbers and tomatoes from disease. We also study the Age-Related Resistance response in which plants become highly resistant to normally virulent pathogens as they mature. What molecular changes allow a mature plant to perceive and effectively defend against normally virulent pathogens, is another fascinating question we are investigating. As an instructor my goals include convincing students/future citizens that contrary to popular opinion, plants are fascinating and incredibly important for people and the planet. As a mentor to undergraduate and graduate students, I facilitate their growth as scientists and people. I encourage them to improve in areas they find challenging by reminding them it takes time, but it’s worth it.

Plants like animals defend themselves from disease and sometimes succumb to microbial disease. My research group is interested in understanding the molecular genetic and biochemical mechanisms of plant immunity. Our long-term goal is to translate our plant immunity knowledge to reduce crop loss and pesticide use in agriculture. After many years of challenging research, my team demonstrated that DIR1 proteins move via the phloem from an initially infected leaf to distant leaves to participate in alerting/priming distant leaves to respond in a resistant manner to future microbial infections. Knowing that DIR1 is a key protein involved in inter-organ communication to initiate resistance, will allow us to dissect the priming response in distant leaves. We are using this knowledge to find environmentally friendly chemical treatments that initiate natural plant defense to provide pesticide-free methods to protect Ontario greenhouse-grown cucumbers and tomatoes from disease. We also study the Age-Related Resistance response in which plants become highly resistant to normally virulent pathogens as they mature. What molecular changes allow a mature plant to perceive and effectively defend against normally virulent pathogens, is another fascinating question we are investigating. As an instructor my goals include convincing students/future citizens that contrary to popular opinion, plants are fascinating and incredibly important for people and the planet. As a mentor to undergraduate and graduate students, I facilitate their growth as scientists and people. I encourage them to improve in areas they find challenging by reminding them it takes time, but it’s worth it.

Development in multicellular bacteria; Regulation by small RNAs; Antibiotic production The goal of our research is to understand development and regulation in multicellular bacteria, using Streptomyces coelicolor as our model system. The streptomycetes are extremely important to the pharmaceutical industry as they make a large number of secondary metabolites having a profound medical benefit, including anti-cancer agents, immunosuppressants, and the majority of clinically useful antibiotics. They are also unusual in that they have a complex, multicellular life cycle and are capable of differentiating into distinct tissue types. Intriguingly, this differentiation process coincides with the production of secondary metabolites. One aspect of our research is focused on understanding the components necessary for differentiation, and centres on a novel family of proteins, termed the chaplins, that are essential for the transition from one differentiated state to another. We are also interested in the regulatory networks that control differentiation, metabolism, and environmental adaptation in S. coelicolor, and are focussing on a newly emerging, and universally important, class of regulators known as the small RNAs.

Development in multicellular bacteria; Regulation by small RNAs; Antibiotic production The goal of our research is to understand development and regulation in multicellular bacteria, using Streptomyces coelicolor as our model system. The streptomycetes are extremely important to the pharmaceutical industry as they make a large number of secondary metabolites having a profound medical benefit, including anti-cancer agents, immunosuppressants, and the majority of clinically useful antibiotics. They are also unusual in that they have a complex, multicellular life cycle and are capable of differentiating into distinct tissue types. Intriguingly, this differentiation process coincides with the production of secondary metabolites. One aspect of our research is focused on understanding the components necessary for differentiation, and centres on a novel family of proteins, termed the chaplins, that are essential for the transition from one differentiated state to another. We are also interested in the regulatory networks that control differentiation, metabolism, and environmental adaptation in S. coelicolor, and are focussing on a newly emerging, and universally important, class of regulators known as the small RNAs.

Our research in microbiology is focused on the soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti that forms N2-fixing root nodules on leguminous plants. The genome of S. meliloti consists of a typical chromosome (3.6 Mb) and pSymA (1.35 Mb) and pSymB (1.68 Mb) replicons. We study genes and processes involved in the interaction of the bacteria with the plant and more generally process that are important for survival in a soil environment. A major current project is to define and manipulate the minimal genes that are necessary and sufficient for nodule formation and N2-fixation. In a key step to achieving a minimal symbiotic genome, we constructed a S. meliloti strain lacking 45% of its genome. In other work, we are studying genes and uptake systems that are regulated in response to phosphate limitation, and in a separate project a locus that confers resistance to bacterial viruses.

Our research in microbiology is focused on the soil bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti that forms N2-fixing root nodules on leguminous plants. The genome of S. meliloti consists of a typical chromosome (3.6 Mb) and pSymA (1.35 Mb) and pSymB (1.68 Mb) replicons. We study genes and processes involved in the interaction of the bacteria with the plant and more generally process that are important for survival in a soil environment. A major current project is to define and manipulate the minimal genes that are necessary and sufficient for nodule formation and N2-fixation. In a key step to achieving a minimal symbiotic genome, we constructed a S. meliloti strain lacking 45% of its genome. In other work, we are studying genes and uptake systems that are regulated in response to phosphate limitation, and in a separate project a locus that confers resistance to bacterial viruses.

Astro-, Computational, Developmental, and Evolutionary biology (with smattering from Ecology and Physiology); Viruses to elephants, including human menopause and especially gastropods, echinoids, and water bears (oh my).

Astro-, Computational, Developmental, and Evolutionary biology (with smattering from Ecology and Physiology); Viruses to elephants, including human menopause and especially gastropods, echinoids, and water bears (oh my).

We study an extremophyte, Eutrema salsugineum, a plant closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana but one far more tolerant of extremes in temperature, water deficits, soil salinity, and nutrient deficiencies. We use comparative genomics, physiology, and biochemical approaches to identify traits that allow E. salsugineum to thrive under extreme environmental conditions. Our approach involves comparing plants collected in the challenging field conditions of its native habitat in the Yukon, Canada, with plants subjected to controlled stress treatments in growth cabinets. Identifying stress tolerance traits will enable us to improve our crop species and help us stabilize yields that are already adversely impacted by climate change.

We study an extremophyte, Eutrema salsugineum, a plant closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana but one far more tolerant of extremes in temperature, water deficits, soil salinity, and nutrient deficiencies. We use comparative genomics, physiology, and biochemical approaches to identify traits that allow E. salsugineum to thrive under extreme environmental conditions. Our approach involves comparing plants collected in the challenging field conditions of its native habitat in the Yukon, Canada, with plants subjected to controlled stress treatments in growth cabinets. Identifying stress tolerance traits will enable us to improve our crop species and help us stabilize yields that are already adversely impacted by climate change.