Past Undergraduate Researchers
- Kendra Williams
- Quentin Funk
- Ashley Green
- Allyson Hunter
Shinkle Research Group
Students in my laboratory pursue projects related to questions about how plants perceive and respond to ultraviolet radiation of the shortest wavelengths that reach the earth’s surface (UV- B). In previous years we have shown that plants respond differently to the highest energy UV-B photons than they do to UV-B in general. One hypothesis we are currently testing is that DNA damage (through the formation of cyclopyrimidine dimers – see figure) is used as a sensor that triggers rapid changes in plant growth and accumulation of UV-absorbing pigments. A competing hypothesis under study is that the UV-B creates active oxygen species. Most experiments are done on seedlings under controlled light conditions to get uniform biochemical and physiological responses. We use a combination of digital imaging and electromechanical transducers to measure growth and use chemical separations to extract UV-absorbing pigments and subject them to various analyses. We collaborate with Mitchell lab at MD Anderson Science Park at Bastrop to measure DNA damage in response to UV exposure . Through the BioMath program we have evidence that cell walls in plants responding to UV-B can contract to create differential growth. This is an unprecedented phenomenon in plant cell walls. One project that will yield important results to validate this discovery is biophysical and biochemical characterization of the responding tissues. This summer the lab will also be collecting field data on solar UV radiation at field sites in several nearby counties.
Recent Publications
Undergraduate students are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Shinkle, J. R., M.C. Edwards*, A Koenig*, A Shaltz* and P.W. Barnes (2010) Photomorphogenic regulation of increases in UV absorbing pigments in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings induced by different UV-B and UV-C wavebands. Physiologia Plantarum, 138:113-121.
Magerøy, M.H.*, E.H. Kowalik*, K Folta and J.R. Shinkle (2010) Phototropin1 Contributes to UV-C Induced Stem Growth Responses. Plant Signaling and Behavior 5: 1204-1210
Qualifications of successful applicants
Students should have completed at least two semesters of both biology and chemistry. Additional courses that would give insight into a student’s project include: Genetics, Plant Biology, Ecology, Microbiology, Biochemistry or Vertebrate Physiology. Additional Chemistry or Physics would also help. None are required. Innate curiosity and a desire to contribute are more central requirements than a high GPA. At the same time, a competitive applicant should be able to show some evidence of skills in the area of note-taking, advanced planning and ability to see the bigger picture. I am most interested in students who would want to start the project before summer, and who feel it is likely that they will keep on it into the following academic year.
