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Lab News
Genome Research (cover) paper on a massive polyploidy event early in the history of flowering plants featrued in Science Journal
Researchers in the dePamphilis lab and other collaborators in The Floral Genome Project may have found the answer to Darwin's "Abominable Mystery" about why flowering plants underwent such rapid diversification immediately after the first flowering plants appeared in the fossil record some 140 million years ago. Evidence uncovered by this research team suggests that a whole-genome duplication event occured in the earliest flowering plants. After such a massive polyploidy event, having a full genome's worth of raw genetic material available to take on new genetic function could drive rapid evolution. To learn more about this discovery, read the article in Fall 2006 issue of Penn State's Science Journal or read the orginal Genome Research paper. This work was funded by the National Science Foundation.
Floral Genome Project
Our lab is proud to be taking part in The Floral Genome Project, which is investigating the origin, conservation, and diversification of the genetic architecture of the flower, and developing conceptual and real tools for evolutionary functional genomics in plants. Expression patterns are being evaluated for hundreds of genes in model species, and summarized in 3-D virtual reconstructions of developing flowers. This project will generate the first comparative data set of expression patterns for a large number of genes across diverse angiosperms. This multi-institutional project is being funded by the National Science Foundation. Read more about the Penn State contribution to the Floral Genome Project in Science Journal, The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences and Research Penn State
dePamphilis lab Cuscuta work featured in Research Penn State
The January 2003 issue of Research Penn State features the work of graduate student, Joel McNeal (now at Harvard University), on Cuscuta rostrata, a parasitic plant responsible for millions of dollars of crop damage each year. This plant is a close relative of the Morning Glory, but it has developed haustoria, or sucker-like attachments that let it feed on host plants. Part of Joel's work involved comparing the chloroplast genomes of Cuscuta species and the tobacco plant, another close relative. While some sections of the chloroplast genomes of Cuscuta species were almost identical to the tobacco plant's, other sections are completely missing, probably due to the reduced need to manufacture their own food through photosynthesis. Here is a link to the article.
Barkman Water Lily Paper featured in Eberly Bulletin
The December 2000 issue of the Eberly College of Science Newsletter has a wonderful feature on the Barkman et al. 2000 paper in PNAS: "Independent and combined analyses of sequences from all three genomic compartments converge on the root of flowering plant phylogeny." There is a link to the article (with pictures) here, and you can find the PDF file of the paper here.
Rafflesia in the News
The parasitic flowering plant Rafflesia has gotten quite a bit of press in recent years. In Science News Vol. 156 (September 11, 1999), a three-page article was printed on Rafflesia past, present, and future. There was mention of Dr. dePamphilis, including several quotes and write-up on the current lab research. Then in March 2000, the youth-oriented magazine National Geographic World had a one page picture and short write-up on Rafflesia. For more information, check the lab's Rafflesia page...
New Papers
For recent publications from the dePamphilis lab, check out the Papers/Publications page...
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Last modified: 31 October, 2006