Keith Adams
Research Interests My research interests intersect among genomics, molecular evolution, and molecular genetics. My lab’s research is in the areas of genome evolution, molecular evolution, and gene expression – transcriptomics. We study how gene expression patterns, regulation, alternative splicing, and functions evolve. We focus on genes duplicated by whole genome duplication (polyploidy) and other duplication mechanisms at different evolutionary time scales. We use molecular techniques and bioinformatics analyses of large sequence and expression data sets (RNA-seq – Illumina and PacBio) to test hypotheses and answer questions. Some of the major questions that we study include: – How do duplicated genes change in expression […]
Coralie Salesse-Smith
Research interests One aspect of ensuring future food security is the ability to produce more crop products using fewer resources – such as land, water, and fertilizer – in the face of climate change. In the Salesse-Smith lab, we are helping to address this challenge by using synthetic biology to study the molecular mechanisms of carbon metabolism and photosynthesis, with the goal of engineering crops with improved productivity and resilience. Our main target is the enzyme Rubisco, which is responsible for nearly all biological carbon fixation, but we are also interested in other components of leaf carbon assimilation. Our research combines plant […]
Jacob Moutouama
Research Interests We are interested in investigating the abiotic and biotic drivers of species’ distributions, with a focus on how global change influences species range limits and extinction risk. We are also interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying plants use by indigenous communities in tropical regions. Our research combines demographic data, manipulative lab and field experiments, and mathematical models to address pressing conservation and management challenges in a rapidly changing world. Selected Publications
Monika Fischer
Research Interests Monika is a mycologist who is passionate about understanding the biological mechanisms that drive ecological processes. Our lab seeks to understand what it means to be a fire-adapted fungus, and the role(s) that these fungi play during post-fire recovery. Fire-loving fungi are highly active within days following fire, including the model organism, Neurospora crassa. To build a holistic framework of the fungal role in post-fire recovery – we work across scales, using a breadth of techniques including classical genetics, cell biology, genomics, directed laboratory experiments with synthetic communities, and field surveys. Selected Publications MS Fischer, NJ Patel, PJ de […]
Wayne Maddison
Research Interests My research arose from a fascination with the diversity of forms and behaviours of jumping spiders, which led to systematics, which led to phylogenetic theory and computer programming. My work continues to be both empirical, on spiders, and theoretical, on the use of phylogeny in evolutionary inference. Team Members U. Garcilazo CruzK. Marathe
Reinhard Jetter
Research Interests The plant surface – a vast stage for interactions… These are the biological questions that motivate the research in my lab. In order to answer them, we employ molecular genetic, microscopic and eco-physiological (as well as biochemical) techniques to study plant surfaces. Depending on the individual research question, we use Arabidopsis thaliana and an array of other plant species as models for our studies. In particular, we investigate cuticular waxes, which coat most above-ground plant organs. We explore both the biological functions of these waxes and the molecular biology underlying their formation. We investigate wax functions such as their central physiological […]
Patrick Keeling
Research Interests Research in the lab is generally related to the molecular evolution and cell biology of eukaryotes, in particular the protists (i.e., eukaryotes that are not animals, fungi, or plants). Protists are mostly single celled organisms, but are many are extremely complex and sophisticated despite their small size. Protists also represent the greatest part of eukaryotic diversity, although most protists groups are very poorly studied, especially at the molecular level. We use molecular biology, microscopy, and increasingly use genome wide analyses such as EST sequencing and genome sequence surveys to study a number of questions in different lineages of protists. […]
Mary Berbee
Research Interests Fungi can cause plant diseases, serve as mycorrhizal partners, and decompose litter and woody debris. Berbee lab research is directed towards understanding how fungi evolved and adapted to interdependence with land plants. Berbee lab projects, funded by the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canadia include: • Analyzing evolution of the powerful cell wall degrading enzymes that fungi secrete as an adaptation to plant-based nutrition, by using genome sequencing of early-diverging fungi. This research has the potential to reveal novel enzymes for cellulose decomposition with potential for industrial applications. • Improving estimates of geological ages of fungi by […]
Jörg Bohlmann
Research Interests Plants are sessile organisms which have the ability to survive under constantly changing environmental conditions over lifespans of several weeks to hundreds of years. To cope with biotic or abiotic stress, plants have evolved a complex specialized metabolism which contains hundreds of thousands of unique small molecules. Many of these bioactive molecules have beneficial applications for humans. Through genomic, proteomic, metabolomic and biochemical approaches our laboratory is exploring two aspects of plant specialized metabolism: (1) the role it plays in plant defense, and (2) how its genes and enzymes can be prospected for metabolic engineering of high-value bioproducts. The foundation of our research program has concentrated primarily on the terpenoid pathway, […]
Laura Wegener Parfrey
Research Interests Research in the Parfrey lab focuses on the microbial ecology of eukaryotic microbes (protists) and bacteria. We work primarily in two distinct ecosystems: the mammalian gut and coastal ecosystems. Our gut microbiome research combines descriptive research with manipulative experiments to ask what is the ‘normal’ community of eukaryotic microbes (aka “parasites”) residing in humans and other mammals, and what are the consequences of losing our microbial diversity? Along coastal British Columbia we are investigating how water column and biofilm microbes colonize marine hosts (invertebrates, seaweed, and sea grass), and how these host-associated microbes impact host and ecosystem health. Team […]
Loren Rieseberg
Research Interests My lab employs population genomic approaches, computational methods, and field and greenhouse studies to study plant adaptation and speciation. We are especially interested in how gene flow, both within and between species, influences these processes. We also study factors that affect rates of gene flow, including reproductive barriers such as niche differentiation, phenological isolation, and pollen competition, as well as chromosomal inversions that impede gene flow mainly by suppressing recombination. On a more practical level, we integrate genomic and phenotypic data with results from laboratory and greenhouse experiments to identify evolutionary changes that causally drive plant invasions, mine natural […]
Jonathan Davies
Research Interests My research lies at the interface between ecology and evolutionary biology, making use of the information contained within phylogenetic trees to provide a bridge between them. The integration of phylogenetic approaches in ecology has been transformative, and has given rise to new sub-disciplines in biodiversity science, invasion biology, climate change biology, emerging infectious disease research and community ecology. Selected Publications For past and current publications visit this link: https://phyloecology.ca/publications/ Davies, T. J. [2021]. Ecophylogenetics redux. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.13682. Ssebuliba*, E., & Davies, T. J. [2021]. Assessing the phylogenetic host breadth of millet pathogens and its implication for disease spillover. Ecological […]
Lacey Samuels
Research Interests The Samuels lab studies how plant cells secrete their cell walls, both the polysaccharides and specialized cell wall components such as lipids and lignin. Our approach is to integrate cell biology with molecular biology and biochemistry to put cell wall biosynthesis and secretion into a cellular context. All plant growth, including agricultural and forestry production, is based on the organized assembly of plant cells into tissues, organs and whole plants. The plant cell wall determines the shape of the cell and connects cells into tissues and higher order structures, thus plant growth depends on cell wall production. In addition, terrestrial plants have evolved specialized […]
Naomi Fast
Research Interests Our research strives to understand genome evolution in single-celled eukaryotes, focusing on changes in genome size. As genomes are reduced in size, there are likely to be changes in the amounts of non-coding material. Of particular interest is the retention, reduction and/or removal of introns. Introns interrupt genes, and are removed from mRNA by a large macromolecular protein and RNA complex called the spliceosome. In metazoans, where genomes tend to be quite large, introns can be quite long (sometimes several kb), and the spliceosome is extremely large with over a hundred proteins. In contrast, the yeast Saccharomyces possesses a […]
Philippe Tortell
Research Interests I am a sea-going oceanographer with broad interests in marine biogeochemical cycles. Current work in my research group focuses on understanding the biological, chemical and physical factors regulating oceanic primary productivity and the concentration of climate active gases including carbon dioxide (CO2), dimethylsulfide (DMS), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). My group has made significant contributions to the development and implementation of new measurement techniques based on sea-going mass spectrometry, optical measurements and tracer-based rate incubation experiments. Our Research includes controlled laboratory studies and extensive field campaigns to a number of ocean regions. Current field areas of interest include […]
Sean Graham
Research Interests I have mentored 27 graduate students in my lab to date, and currently supervise six PhD and two MSc students. My lab group works on a broad variety of problems in plant systematics and evolution. Our work includes inference of the major details of the land-plant portion of the ‘Tree of Life,’ comparative genomics, and inferring the phylogeny and evolution of understudied plant lineages: Comparative genomics of green & mycoheterotrophic plantsOngoing work includes studies of plastid genome dissolution in mycoheterotrophic plants—plants that obtain some or all of their nutrition from fungal partners—and comparative transcriptome studies of these plants and their […]
Xin Li
Research Interests The long-term goal of our research program is to understand the molecular mechanisms of plant innate immunity. We study plant defense against pathogen infection in the context of gene regulation, protein-protein interaction and signal transduction using the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Our program aims to discover new regulatory components of plant disease resistance and to elucidate the biochemical functions of a number of regulators we have already identified. Understanding the innate ability of plants to defend themselves against pathogen infection promises to revolutionize disease control practices in our fields using environmentally friendly strategies. A model depicting the involvement of the […]
Liang Song
Research Interests 1. Abscisic acid-regulated gene expression networks Animals often employ a fight-or-flight strategy when facing challenges. By contrast, plants handle challenges on site through many molecular, morphological, and physiological solutions. The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a nexus molecule of stress responses and plant development. Without proper ABA responses, plants would make unwise decisions such as germinating prematurely or failing to preserve water and other resources during a drought. The ABA responses are orchestrated through the expression of thousands of genes and the regulation of these gene products. Our lab studies ABA-regulated gene expression, and the specific regulation in […]
Sean Michaletz
Research Interests We are interested in the physical processes linking environmental variation to plant physiology, and how this “scales up” to influence higher-level patterns and processes. To investigate these topics, we use interdisciplinary approaches that draw upon fields such as physics, chemistry, engineering, and geoscience. Our work often involves development of mechanistic theory and models, which are parameterized, tested, and refined using data from the laboratory and the field. We also focus on long-term monitoring of climate, ecophysiology, and vegetation dynamics in our growing network of Forest MacroSystems sites located around the world. You can find out more about our research […]
Brian Leander
Research Interests Our research concentrates on the discovery and characterization of marine organismal diversity and comparative studies of novel morphological systems in predatory eukaryotes (i.e., marine zoology & protistology). We are fundamentally interested in the diversity and evolution of organisms, particularly traits associated with feeding, locomotion and symbiotic interactions. By addressing specific hypotheses about trait evolution using comparative molecular methods, we study the innovations and transformations associated with broad patterns of organismal diversity (e.g., convergent evolution over vast phylogenetic distances). This exploratory approach is motivated by the thrill of discovery, the beautiful and the bizarre, and the yearning to build a […]
Abel Rosado
Research Interests Out of over a quarter of a million plant species, each of which contains complex and dynamic chemical make over, a mere fraction of one percent (1%) has been adequately investigated by western science. Yet, the human experimentation and exploration of plant medicines among Indigenous populations over millennia has created an extended catalog of approximately 20000 plant species with health benefits that represents the main source of medicine for most of the World. My laboratory is part of a cross-disciplinary research cluster encompassing Anthropology, Ethnobiology, plant and food sciences, analytical chemistry, and clinical nutrition working in collaboration with private companies […]
Curtis Suttle
Research Interests There has been increasing interest in the biology and ecology of viruses and other pathogens that infect microalgae. Viruses that infect bacteria and phytoplankton play a key role in the dynamics of organisms and nutrients in marine and freshwater ecosystems, and consequently also affect nutrient and energy cycling. A primary research focus of my laboratory is to understand the biology and ecology of viruses that infect microalgae and cyanobacteria. Research interests include 1) discerning the effect of viruses on primary productivity and phytoplankton population dynamics; 2) isolating and characterizing novel viruses from marine environments; 3) developing molecular approaches for […]
Geoffrey Wasteneys
Research Interests 1) The control of microtubule dynamics by microtubule-associated proteins.2) Microtubule polymer activities and the spatial organization of cortical microtubule arrays.3) The function of cortical microtubule arrays in the mechanical properties of cellulosic cell walls. Team Memebers Laryssa Halat, PhD CandidateMeng Li, PhD CandidateAida Rakei, PhD CandidateJayamini Jayawardhane, PhD CandidateSean Ritter, PhD CandidateBreanne Bali, MSc CandidateDonglei Li, MSc CandidateChak-Chung (Tommy) Kuo, undergraduate researcher Selected Publications For all past and current publications visit: https://wasteneyslab.wixsite.com/ubcwasteneys/publications Marcus Woodley, Adam Mulvihill, Miki Fujita, Geoffrey Wasteneys (2018) Exploring microtubule-dependent cellulose-synthase-complex movement with high precision particle tracking. Plants 7, 53, doi:10.3390/plants7030053 Ruan Y, Halat L, Khan D, […]
Michelle Tseng
Research Interests Plankton & Freshwater Ecosystems Insect Communities Team Members Selected Publications Google Scholar Profile: link* denotes undergraduate coauthors, please email for pdf requests
Jeannette Whitton
Research Interests I am a plant evolutionary biologist with interests that span the areas of population genetics, phylogenetics and speciation. For me, questions surrounding the nature of plant species are boundlessly interesting – How do populations of a species, scattered across hundreds or thousands of kilometers, maintain their genetic and evolutionary integrity? How do factors such as changes in chromosome numbers and breeding system influence the ecological and genetic interactions of populations that differ in these traits? How does natural selection influence the divergence of populations and groups of populations when gene flow still occurs between diverging units? These are just […]
Yuelin Zhang
Research Interests Sensing and defending against microbial infections is essential to the survival of multicellular organisms. Recognition of PAMPs (pathogen-associated molecular patterns) or effector proteins from pathogens by plant immune receptors leads to activation of downstream signaling cascades and plant resistance to pathogens at the infection site. Activation of local defense further induces a secondary immune response in the distal parts of plants termed systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Our research is focused on the following two areas. 1. Signal Transduction Pathways downstream of Plant Immune ReceptorsIn plants, there are three main classes of immune receptors. The largest class encodes intracellular NB-LRR […]
Quentin Cronk
Research Interest Our lab integrates comparative genomics, molecular developmental biology and evolutionary biology to study plant form. We are interested in the how different morphologies evolve in plants, as well as the functional significance of morphological differences between species. Our model organisms for this include the Leguminosae (floral morphology) and black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (adaptive evolution of trees). Next generation sequencing of whole genomes and transcriptomes is an important part of our work. Funding for research in our lab comes from the Discovery Grants programme of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Genome Canada. Team Members […]
Pam Kalas
Teaching Interest Whether I am teaching a large first year lecture, a specialized upper-level seminar-style course, in a classroom or in a laboratory, my ultimate goals are to stimulate curiosity and critical thinking, and to help students become independent learners. As a scientist, I aim at adopting teaching practices that have been validated through rigorous evidence-based research. To educate myself about such practices, I regularly participate in science teaching and learning events, discussion groups, as well as education conferences and other off-campus professional development activities. I am always keen on experimenting with new activities and strategies in my classrooms, and I […]
Santokh Singh
Teaching Interests My teaching philosophy centers on an active learning approach as I engage my students in critical thinking, problem-solving, scientific communication and experiential learning. These learning outcomes appear to be fundamental to transformative education. I believe that an effective teacher provides a catalyst for students’ learning by being passionate and enthusiastic for teaching and learning. I strive to stimulate my students’ intellectual growth and higher learning by focusing on student-centered and research-based teaching and learning methods. I have introduced new methods and tools for student assessment. For example, I have developed and introduced a student assessment method using short presentations […]
Vivienne Lam
Teaching Interests My teaching philosophy is based on providing a welcoming environment for scientific learning and inquiry for students from diverse backgrounds. As I strongly believe in student-driven learning, I use a variety of active learning strategies and discussion-based approaches to encourage students to learn and to help each other develop critical thinking and effective science communication skills. I believe that my role as an instructor is to facilitate learning through understanding, rather than rote memorization: I like to use ‘real life’ examples (from news articles, or social/internet-based media) to convey concepts taught in the classroom and to illustrate how they […]
Amy Angert
Research Interests My lab group works at the interface of ecology and evolutionary biology. Much of our research focuses on the evolutionary ecology of species’ geographic distributions, asking what limits adaptation at the edges of species’ ranges, why closely related species vary by orders of magnitude in range size, and how ranges are likely to shift in response to climatic changes. Another line of inquiry focuses on population and community dynamics and mechanisms of species coexistence. These different projects are united by a focus on mechanisms of, and constraints on, niche evolution, and the consequences of divergence in niche properties for […]
Marco Todesco
Research Interests Plants have developed an incredible variety of strategies to survive to the different challenges they encounter in nature – harsh climates, lack of nutrients, herbivores, etc. The goal of our research is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of this adaptive diversity: how it mediates the interactions between plants and their environment, what are the genes and genetic variants controlling it, and how it can contribute to producing crops that are more sustainable, more resilient, and more productive. We do this by using a combination of genomics, quantitative genetics, molecular biology, developmental and evolutionary biology, ecology and field experiments, working mostly […]