Molecular genetics of gene expression and development

As a molecular geneticist, my research interests are genome organisation and understanding gene expression and function, with respect to plant and mammalian development. Transposon tagging and map-based cloning approaches are used to clone and characterize key plant genes that control cell growth and/or cell division, and the formation of fundamentally important organs in plants, such as leaves. Molecular tools are also being developed to identify and clone chromosomal regions regulating DNA methylation and mRNA stability. We are also investigating the molecular basis of genome instability and variation in gene expression in response to genetic and environmental factors.

Selected Publications:

- Searle, I.R., Men, A.E., Laniya, T.S., Buzas, D.M., Iturbe-Ormaetxe, I., Carroll,B.J. (corresponding author) and Gresshoff, P.M. (2003). Long distance signalling in nodulation directed by a CLAVATA1-like receptor kinase. Science 299, 109-112.

- Waldron, J., Peace, C., Searle, I. R., Furtado, A., Wade, N., Graham, M. and Carroll, B.J. (2002). Randomly Amplified DNA Fingerprinting (RAF): a culmination of DNA marker protocols based on arbitrarily-primed PCR. J. Biomedicine and Biotechnology 2, 141-150.

- Keddie, J. S., Carroll, B. J., (joint first authors) Thomas, C.M., Reyes, M. E. C., Klimyuk, V., Holtan, H., Gruissem, W., and Jones, J. D. G. (1998). Transposon Tagging of the Defective embryo and meristems Gene of Tomato. Plant Cell 10, 877-888.

- Keddie, J. S., Carroll, B. J., Jones, J. D. G. and Gruissem, W. (1996). The DCL gene of tomato is required for chloroplast development and palisade cell morphogenesis in leaves. EMBO J 15, 4208-4217.

Research Collaborators:

CHILCOTT Sarah
DAVID Rakesh
WILLIAMS Shaiyena
BROSNAN Michael
IZQUIERDO Liz
PHUTIKANIT Nawapen
GARTNER-RUPPRECHT Barbara
BROSNAN Michael
VANDERSTAAY Anna

Postdoctoral Staff:

LUO Jiang Hong - The University of Queensland
WANG Zhonghua - The University of Queensland
BERKING Olga - The University of Queensland

Students:

GURSANSCKY Nial - HON
AUNG Hnin - PhD
BROSNAN Christopher - PhD
FLETCHER Stephen - MPhil
IRAM Shazia - PhD
CHRISTIE Michael - PhD
PETERS Jonathan - PhD
MORROW Carl - PhD