Current News
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December 2009 publication in New Phytologist
*Philippe RN, *Ralph SG, Külheim C, Jancsik SI and Bohlmann J (2009) Poplar defense against insects: genome analysis, full-length cDNA cloning, and transcriptome and protein analysis of the poplar Kunitz-type protease inhibitor family. New Phytologist 184:865-884. *contributed equally as first authors
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November 2009 - Steven Ralph gave a talk to the Biology Dept. at Minot State University, Minot, USA titled:
"Using functional genomics to elucidate plant defense networks in poplar "
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September 2009 publication in Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences
Ralph SG (2009) Studying Populus defenses against insect herbivores in the post-genomic era. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 28:335-345.
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September 2009 - Steven Ralph presented his research at the 12th Annual Plant Genome Research Program Awardee Meeting held in Washington DC.
Ralph SG, Dai W, Kirst M (2009) Genomic approaches to identify insect resistance genes in poplar trees. |
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September 2009 - Alicia Grant (top) and Justin Burum (bottom) each presented a poster at the North Dakota EPSCoR Conference at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
Burum JD and Ralph SG (2009) Quantitative PCR evaluation of poplar cell membrane receptors and their role in plant defense against insects.
Grant AD, Dassinger HB, Ralph SG (2009) Phenotypic and molecular characterization of activation tagged poplar mutants resistant to insect feeding. |
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August 2009 - Steven Ralph received a $677,356 grant from the Plant Genome Research Program of the National Science Foundation to fund the project "Genomic Approaches to Identify Insect Resistance Genes in Poplar Trees ". This three year project will be performed by a team of scientists, graduate students and undergraduates from three universities. Both Dr. Matias Kirst at the University of Florida and Dr. Wenhao "David" Dai at North Dakota State University will participate as co-PIs. |
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May 2009 - Steven Ralph received a $11,939 Faculty Research Seed Money grant from the University of North Dakota to fund the project "Identification and Functional Characterization of Candidate Insect Resistance Gene in Poplar Trees Using Foward Genetics". |
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May 2009 - Justin Burum received the Esther Wadsworth Hall Wheeler Award for his research proposal titled "Investigating the Role of Cell Membrane Receptors in Detecting and Initiating Poplar Defense in Response to Insect Herbivory". This $1,200 award is presented to the Biology graduate student who writes the best research proposal in an annual competition. |
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April 2009 - Dale Brunelle presented his research at the annual McNair Forum held at the University of North Dakota. Brunelle DC, Dassinger HB, Grant AD, Bertrand DC, Ralph SG (2009) Using forward genetics to identify novel insect resistance genes in poplar trees. Congratulations to Dale who graduated with his BS in Biology as a member of the McNair Scholars program! In summer 2009 Dale will begin his MS degree investigating maize genetics in the laboratory of Dr. William Sheridan here at UND. Click here for more information on the Ronald E. McNair Program at UND |
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April 2009 - Haylee Dassinger presented her research at the Northern Plains Biological Symposium held at the University of North Dakota. Dassinger HB, Plett J, Bertrand DC, Grant AD, Regan S, Ralph SG (2009) A genetic screen for the discovery of insect resistant genes in poplar trees. |
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March 2009 - Alicia Grant, a Sophomore Biology major received a $7,500 Advanced Undergraduate Research Award funded by ND EPSCoR to work as an undergraduate lab assistant. Click here for more information
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March 2009 - Justin Burum (top) gave a talk and Dale Brunelle (bottom) presented a poster at The Graduate School Scholarly Forum at the University of North Dakota.
Burum JD and Ralph SG (2009) Investigating the Role of Cell Membrane Receptors in Detecting Inset Herbivory.
Brunelle DC, Bertrand DC, Dassinger HB, Grant AD, and Ralph SG (2009) Using forward genetics to identify novel insect resistance genes in poplar trees. |
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January 2009 publication in Proteomics Lippert DN, Ralph SG, Phillips M, White R, Smith D, Hardie D, Gershenzon J, Ritland K, Borchers CH, Bohlmann J (2009) Quantitative iTRAQ proteome and comparative transcriptome analysis of elicitor-induced Norway spruce (Picea abies) cells reveals elements of calcium signaling in the early conifer defense response. Proteomics 9:350-367.
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November 2008 - The Ralph Lab teamed up with the Mehl Lab and held an official lab opening party. Presentations were given by Dr. Ralph and Dr. Mehl, along with the graduate students from each lab. A cake reception took place afterwards, and then the Ralph Lab continued the fun by heading out to dinner at a local restaurant. The opening party was to thank everyone in the biology department at UND for their support and help in setting up the new labs. |
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October 2008 publication in BMC Genomics
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September 2008 - Haylee Dassinger, Justin Burum, and Diana Bertrand attended the North Dakota EPSCoR Conference held at the University of North Dakota where they each presented posters on their research. Bertrand DC and Ralph SG (2008) A genetic screen for the discovery of insect susceptibility genes in poplar trees. Burum JD and Ralph SG (2008) Investigating the role of cell membrane receptors in plant defenses against feeding insects. Dassinger HB and Ralph SG (2008) A genetic screen for the discovery of insect resistance genes in poplar trees. |
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August 2008 - Steven Ralph, Haylee Dassinger, and Diana Bertrand traveled to Kingston, Ontario to conduct research at Dr. Sharon Regan's laboratory at Queen's University. |
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July 2008 publication in New Phytologist
de Azevedo Souza C, Barbazuk B, Ralph SG , Bohlmann J, Hamberger B and Douglas CJ (2008) Genome-wide analysis of a land plant-specific acyl:coenzymeA synthetase ( ACS ) gene family in Arabidopsis , poplar, rice and Physcomitrella . New Phytologist 179: 987-1003. |
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May 2008 - Haylee Dassinger, a Sophomore Biology and Chemistry major received a $7,500 Advanced Undergraduate Research Award funded by ND EPSCoR to work as an undergraduate lab assistant. |
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May 2008 - Steven Ralph received a $5,000 New Faculty Scholar Award from the University of North Dakota to fund his research screening a population of activation tagged poplar mutants to identify genes that confer resistance to feeding insects. Click here for more information
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April 2008 publication in New Phytologist
Holliday JA, Ralph SG, White R, Bohlmann J and Aitken SN (2008) Global monitoring of autumn gene expression within and among phenotypically divergent populations of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). New Phytologist 178: 103-122. |
North Dakota State University, Fargo |
April 2008 - Steven Ralph gave a talk at the 5th Annual Northern Plains Biological Symposium, Fargo, USA titled:
"Improvement of insect resistance in poplar trees using activation tagged forward genetics"
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January 2008 publication in BMC Genomics
*Ralph SG , *Chun HJE, Cooper D, Kirkpatrick R, Kolosova N, Gunter L, Tuskan GA, Douglas CJ, Holt RA, Jones SJM, Marra MA and Bohlmann J (2008) Analysis of 4,664 high-quality sequence-finished poplar full-length cDNA clones and their utility for the discovery of genes responding to insect feeding. BMC Genomics 9:57 (18 pages). *contributed equally as first authors |
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October 2007 publication in Plant Molecular Biology
Phillips MA, Walter MH, Ralph SG , Dabrowska P, Luck K, Urós EM, Boland W, Strack D, Rodriquez-Concepción M, Bohlmann J and Gershenzon J (2007) Functional identification and differential expression of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase in induced terpenoid resin formation of Norway spruce (Picea abies). Plant Molecular Biology 65: 243-257. |
North Dakota State University, Fargo |
September 2007 - Steven Ralph gave a talk to the Plant Pathology Dept. at North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA titled:
"Exploring poplar defenses against defoliating insects using an integrated genomics and proteomic strategy "
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September 2007 - Steven Ralph presented a poster at the 6th ND/SD EPSCoR Biennial Joint Conference, Fargo, USA titled:
"Exploring poplar defenses against defoliating insects using an integrated genomics and proteomic strategy "
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July 2007 publication in Phytochemistry
Ralph SG, Jancsik S and Bohlmann J (2007) Dirigent proteins in conifer defense II: Extended gene discovery, phylogeny, and constitutive and stress-responsive gene expression analysis in spruce (Picea spp.). Phytochemistry 68:1795-91. |
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July 2007 publication in Tree Genetics and Genomes
Bérubé Y, Zhuang J, Rungis D, Ralph S, Bohlmann J and Ritland K (2007), Characterization of EST-SSRs in loblolly pine and spruce. Tree Genetics and Genomes 3:251-259. |
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July 2007 publication in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
*Miranda M, *Ralph SG, Mellway R, White R, Heath MC, Bohlmann J and Constabel CP (2007) The transcriptional response of hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x P. deltoides) to infection by Melampsora medusae leaf rust involves induction of flavonoid pathway genes leading to the accumulation of proanthocyanidins. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 20:816-831. *contributed equally as first authors |
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