The UniversiTy of georgia franklin college of arts and sciences a DeparTmenT of planT Biology newsletter JUne 2010 monocot Tree of life The yucca flower is not your grandfather’s plant systematics insect pollinated by the yucca moth. ystematists have tried to understand nuclear genes for over fifty species. These how species are related to each data should allow us to resolve relation- other since Theophrastus, the father ships among all monocot families and Sof botany, lived between the third and gain new insights into the evolution of ing. “As a postdoc I started studying the second century BC. Down through the morphological characteristics, life history amazing obligate pollination mutualism ages, they have depended on comparing traits and genome structure throughout between yuccas and yucca moths. Yucca flower structure, stems and leaves to sort monocot history.” moths have specialized mouthparts they out relationships. Both Wendy Zomlefer, another Plant use to collect yucca pollen and actively In the last 20 years plant system- Biology faculty member participating in deposit it on yucca stigmas. This is not atists have added a dynamic tool to their the Monocot Tree of Life project, and your typical insect pollination sys- toolkit—DNA sequencing. Thanks to the Jim, got hooked on studying non-grass tem! Female yucca moths place their egg recent development of powerful high- monocot species, in the orders Liliales in yucca ovaries before walking up the through put technologies, also known as and Asparagales, respectively. Wendy’s pistil and actively jamming pollen into “next generation” technologies, research- undergraduate days in Vermont helped the bowl-shaped yucca stigmas. In doing ers now have access to much more forge her love of the liliaceous plants. so, a yucca moth is promoting seed set sequence data. After a long winter she would dream of in the pollinated flower and ensuring a According to Plant Biology faculty spring and trilliums, Solomon seal and food source for her seed-eating larvae.” In member Jim Leebens-Mack, “the field lily of the valley. For her these plants sym- his lab Ph.D students Jeremy Rentch and of molecular systematics is taking full bolized spring. Wendy, classically trained Michael McKain are continuing to inves- advantage of next generation sequencing in plant systematics, has funding for tigate yucca evolution and diversification technologies. In our Monocot Tree of Life student training in both molecular and across the Agavaceae. project we are using these new technolo- morphological systematics. For Jim, the “As much as I love the Asparagales, gies to sequence whole plastid genomes Asparagales, which include the orchids, we can’t ignore the cereals in the Poa- for a few hundred strategically chosen irises, amaryllids, onion, agaves, yuccas ceae and their close relatives. Due in species and thousands of expressed and of course, asparagus, were fascinat- part to the work of Sue Wessler, Andy Paterson, Kelly Dawe, Katrien Devos, Jeff Bennetzen and others at UGA, the Poaceae has become the premier model for understanding plant genome evolu- Jim and tion. In addition to resolving family- wendy admire the level relationships, the Monocot Tree of century plant Life project is estimating the timing of in the pBio genome duplications and changes in gene greenhouse. content within the Poales and throughout monocot history,” Jim said. The Monocot Tree of Life project involves plant systematists around the world in developing a comprehensive understanding of relationships among all plant species from algae to angiosperms. TheMonocot Tree of Life project is part of the iPlant Collaborative. For more information visit, www.iplantcollaborative.org. Jenny Cruse- sanders is the director of research and conservation at the atlanta Botanical garden. of plants, Cocktails and a frog seranata a visit with Jenny Cruse-sanders ur alum Jenny Cruse-Sanders orchid Hexalectris spicata. Jenny’s Ph.D. in Winston-Salem, NC and directed the is now the director of research was directed by Jim Hamrick and in- Salem College Herbarium (listed by Index and conservation for the Atlanta volved the study of evolutionary impacts Herbariorum as the oldest herbarium in OBotanical Garden (ABG) and we couldn’t of ginseng harvesting in the mountains the U.S.). Her graduate work and post- be prouder. I recently visited Jenny at the of the Southern U.S. During her gradu- doctoral experience made the perfect fit ABG and got a behind-the-scenes tour. ate student days she also worked with for her position at the ABG. Jenny directs conservation research Jim Affolter, Director of Research at the Keeping the PBIO UGA connection, on rare plants and amphibians. This is State Botanical Garden of Georgia, as an Jenny is currently working on a project a team effort that includes amphibian intern for the Georgia Plant Conservation with Russell Malmberg and Will Rogers. scientist Dante Fenolio, and amphibian Alliance (GPCA). Her training with the “It’s really nice to have UGA and ABG col- specialists Mark Mandica and Robert GPCA and graduate research gave Jenny laborating on research. The project focuses Hill. They focus on both in situ and ex an opportunity to work with multiple on recovering rare species of Sarracenia, situ approaches to conservation as well state and federal agencies, partnerships insect-eating pitcher plants,” said Jenny. as developing training opportunities for which are important for her current posi- On my tour of the ABG Jenny took me undergraduate interns. tion. As a graduate student she also began to see a greenhouse full of pitcher plants. Jenny was quick to credit the educa- researching evolutionary patterns within She also showed me a new research lab, tion and mentoring she received at UGA a semi-domesticated cactus in Central the library and the tissue culture facility. A for providing the foundation for her job. Mexico. This project was later funded by highlight of any trip to ABG is the Fuqua Her M.S. in 1997 was with David Giannasi NSF and became a collaboration with Orchid Center (FOC), an astounding doing a floristic survey of Currahee Kathy Parker in the Geography Depart- showplace where orchids are safe­‑guarded, and Soapstone mountains near Toccoa, ment at UGA. From Athens, Jenny moved grown from seeds and shared with other Georgia. The unusual plant communi- to Claremont, CA where she did a post- institutions. In the FOC, lush habitats have ties in this area included rare species like doc in the molecular biology laboratory at also been created to display the frogs. The federally endangered Echinacea laevigata Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. Next, search for the tiny creatures is especially (smooth purple coneflower) and the rare Jenny joined the faculty at Salem College fun for children. During graduate school days Jenny taught plant taxonomy to undergraduate students. Part of the tour included a trip to the We share frogs with other gardens and Tavern in Virginia Highlands where one Frog Pod, a cargo-shipping container conservation groups but do not reintro- Saturday a month they bring in a scientist modified into a laboratory for raising duce them into the wild.” They hope the to speak. The place is packed and people frogs at a cost of only $50,000, much less Frog Pod systems can be set up in other are listening and asking good questions. than building a laboratory from scratch. locations around the world. Creating a culture of science is a huge In this nursery space, the amphibian team Jenny plans to add a Science Café to part of our mission”, said Jenny. is working hard to advance the science of the list of events at ABG. “It will be a Jenny’s life outside the garden is shared captive species but getting the conditions monthly program that features a local with her husband Darby Sanders who just right has been a challenge. Jenny scientist speaking informally about their works for Georgia Public Broadcasting, explained, “We’ve had to figure out the work. It will be modeled on the popular five-year-old daughter Tallulah Rose, who best foods, nutrients, and climate control. Science Café that happens at Manuel’s loves school, visiting the Garden and the High Museum, and new twin daughters Estella Fay and Luna Dorothy. Jenny, Darby and Tullulah enjoy the events and exhibits at the Garden. “I encourage ev- eryone to attend Cocktails in the Garden, a social event that happens every Thurs- day night from May 6 – September 30. The garden looks different at night and the frogs in the conservatory are loud,” Jenny said smiling, “and be sure to say hello if you’re visiting the Garden.” To learn more about the garden visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org Jenny working with will rogers in russell malmberg’s lab at Uga. The climate controlled frog pod is a nursery for rare and endangered species. California Dreaming Saying Goodbye to Sue Wessler and Catching Up with Her Former Student, Dawn Holligan Nagel Interviewed by Beth Richardson I was actually “hired” into a position Athat was given to Joe Key when he stepped down as head of the Biology Divi- sion. I interviewed in three departments (Genetics, Biochemistry and Botany) and chose Botany. Gary was the department head and I still remember seeing him standing there when I got off the plane with a sign that said “Waxy Locus”. This was when you could still go to the gate, and I remember thinking that people getting off the plane must have been thinking what poor person had a name like Waxy Locus! I was not the first woman in the de- sue wessler (seated fifth from the left) shares a serious moment with her class. partment – Judy Jernstedt was here when her daughter Becca (first on the left) will start at scripps College in the fall.