UC Davis experts: Genetic studies for agricultural plants

The following UC Davis faculty members are available to discuss issues related to genetic research on agricultural plants. If you need information on a topic not listed, please contact Patricia Bailey, News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu.

Steffen Abel
Assistant professor of vegetable crops
(530) 752-5549
sabel@ucdavis.edu
Studies molecular mechanisms of plant-hormone action, particularly of the hormone auxin, and examines genes that enable plants to adapt to limited phosphate availability in soil. Also researching potential for biotechnology to increase levels of cancer-preventive compounds in vegetable crops.

Alan Bennett
Professor of vegetable crops
Executive director, UC Technology Transfer
(530) 297-4496 or (530) 752-1411
abbennett@ucdavis.edu
Studies genetic modification of fruit quality, particularly as related to post-harvest performance. Responsible for patent and license activities of the University of California, with special interest in intellectual property issues in agricultural biotechnology.

Richard Bostock
Professor and chair of plant pathology
(530) 752-4269
rmbostock@ucdavis.edu
Studies biochemistry and molecular biology
of host–pathogen interaction and diseases of orchard crops, especially early signal events
in plant responses to pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Also studies interactions between signaling pathways that regulate plant defense responses to pathogens and insects.

Kent Bradford
Professor of vegetable crops
Director, UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center
(530) 752-6087
kjbradford@ucdavis.edu
Studies all aspects of seed biology, including molecular biology. Research is aimed at developing non-destructive markers for progress toward germination using reporter genes and germination-specific promoters.

George Bruening
Professor of plant pathology
Against Pathogens
(530) 752-6487
gebruening@ucdavis.edu
Member of the National Academy of Sciences. Research focuses on the biochemistry and molecular genetics of plant viruses and subviral agents and mechanisms of natural and genetically –engineered resistance against viruses.

Abhaya Dandekar
Professor of pomology
(530) 752-7784
amdandekar@ucdavis.edu
Research involves gene transfer, expression and regulation in perennial plants, with an emphasis on pest and disease resistance. Developed transgenic apple and walnut trees that express insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and is studying improvement of fruit quality in apples using gene transfer.

Jorge Dubcovsky
Associate professor of agronomy
(530) 752-4361
jdubcovsky@ucdavis.edu
Studies molecular genetics of wheat and gene content and evolution of barley, maize, rice, sorghum and wheat.

Jan Dvorak
Professor of agronomy
(530) 752-6549
jdvorak@ucdavi.edu
Working on national wheat genome mapping project, focusing on the D genome—one of wheat’s three genomes. Also studying wheat evolution, genome evolution and molecular basis of stress tolerance in plants.

Bryce Falk
Professor of plant pathology
(530) 754-9302
bwfalk@ucdavis.edu
Studies genes that allow viruses to replicate and spread within plants and to be spread among plants by insect vectors. Hopes to use viral genes to interfere with viral life cycle and control plant diseases.

Paul Gepts
Professor of agronomy and range science
(530) 752-7743, 752-7743
plgepts@ucdavis.edu
Studies genetics of food legumes. Using beans as a model, focuses on evolution under cultivation, genome mapping of genetically complex traits, evolution of insect resistance genes and escape of cultivated genes into wild populations.

David Gilchrist
Professor of plant pathology
(530) 752-6614
dggilchrist@ucdavis.edu
Uses genetic modification to study role of apoptosis in plant diseases and to express novel disease resistance genes in transgenic plants.

Bruce Hammock
Professor of entomology
(530) 752-7519
bdhammock@ucdavis.edu
Member of the National Academy of Sciences. Uses recombinant DNA technology to design viruses to better control insect pests. Studies insect endocrine system and isolates genes for toxins of scorpions. In animal and human health, working to integrate genomics, proteomics and metabolomics; also works on hypertension and inflammation.

Clarence Kado
Professor of plant pathology
(530) 752-0325
cikado@ucdavis.edu
Research focuses on virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, plasmid biology and plant biotechnology involving genetic engineering for disease resistance and biological control. Using light-producing genes to monitor disease-causing microbes and to make plants glow in the dark.

Gale McGranahan
Pomologist
(530) 752-0113
ghmcgranahan@ucdavis.edu
Uses gene-transfer techniques to improve woody plant species, particularly walnut trees. Current research is focused on methods for introducing foreign genes into walnuts and regeneration of whole plants through somatic embryogenesis.

Richard Michelmore
Professor of vegetable crops
(530) 752-1729
michelmore@vegmail.ucdavis.edu
Studying molecular and classical genetics of disease resistance in plants, particularly lettuce, tomato and Arabidopsis, with a major emphasis on lettuce and its pathogens. Using genomics approaches including expression arrays and bioinformatics to determine resistance-gene function.

David Neale
Director, Institute of Forest Genetics
(530) 754-8431
dneale@dendrome.ucdavis.edu
Studies the function of genes in forest trees, especially those controlling complex traits. Also studies practical traits such as wood quality, growth and disease resistance, and will expand research to identify genes determining patterns of adaptation and response to environmental stresses.

Carlos Quiros
Professor of vegetable crops
(530) 752-1734
cfquiros@ucdavis.edu Studies the structure and organization of genomes of cabbages, mustards and other Brassica species.

Pamela Ronald
Professor of plant pathology
(530) 752-1654
pcronald@ucdavis.edu
First to genetically engineer disease resistance in rice. Started fund to compensate developing nations for valuable genes obtained from native plants and animals. Founding CEO, Tellus Genetics Inc., Davis, Calif

Thea Wilkins
Professor of agronomy
(530) 752-0614
tawilkins@ucdavis.edu
Director of the national cotton genome project, encompassing five universities. Using DNA microarrays to study gene expression, particularly genes important to cotton fiber. Studies how cotton has developed from primitive forms to high-yield commercial varieties.

Valerie Williamson
Professor of nematology
(530) 752-3502
vmwilliamson@ucdavis.edu
Conducts molecular studies on nematode- and aphid-resistance genes in tomatoes. Also works on molecular characterization of root-knot nematodes.

John Yoder
Professor of vegetable crops
(530) 752-1741
jiyoder@ucdavis.edu
Studying parasitic wildflower Triphysaria to identify genes active during development of haustoria, unique organs in parasitic plants used for invading host plants. Also identifying critical genetic factors in host and parasite plants to identify targets for engineering host resistance.

Media contact

• Patricia Bailey, News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu

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