[Plantsci] TOMORROW (Tuesday) 9:00 AM - July 13 - Summer Zoom Seminar Series: Towards a Joint Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Desert Environments

[Garcia, Jennifer Jene - (jennyj)]

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA & KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PRESENTS:
2021 Summer Zoom Seminar Series:
Towards a Joint Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Desert Environments
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
9AM – 10:30 (AZ) / 1900h – 2030h at KAUST, Saudi Arabia
https://kaust.zoom.us/j/93988721070
password: 905015

Monday, July 12
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CDA seminar: Magdy Mahfouz and Rebecca Mosher

Tuesday, July 13, 2021
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. (AST)
On Zoom
Password: 905015

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Harnessing Nature for Plant Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology
By Magdy Mahfouz
Associate Professor of Bioengineering, KAUST
Abstract
I started my graduate research working with the natural genetic engineer Agrobacterium tumefaciens, investigating the ability of different strains to induce tumors on plant tissues for use in plant biotechnology. After that, I continued my Ph.D. training in plant molecular biology studying the molecular underpinnings of the interplay between stress and growth in plants. In my postdoctoral work, I studied microbes to harness their power to produce key molecules with anticancer activities in human cells. Now, in my laboratory, we harness natural systems from microbes to design, build, and test key approaches for crop bioengineering, biosensing, and molecular biomanufacturing. We have developed TALEN and CRISPR systems for targeted genome modification and regulation and for engineering plant immunity. In my talk, I will introduce these natural mechanisms and explain how we harness their power for precision genome engineering, trait engineering, directed evolution, diagnostics, and biomanufacturing.
About the speaker
Professor Magdy Mahfouz received his Ph.D. in molecular genetics from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. He subsequently did industry-funded postdoctoral training in microbiology at the College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, focusing on identifying anticancer cell-penetrating peptide molecules from microbial sources. Mahfouz is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Plant Science, and Bioscience at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Mahfouz is the principal investigator of the Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology. His research group focuses on developing genome engineering and synthetic biology technologies and applications for crop bioengineering, biomanufacturing, and diagnostics. His laboratory employs molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and nanoscience approaches to develop disruptive technologies for rewriting genome sequences for trait engineering, biosensing of nucleic acids of pathogens or disease markers, as well as other analytes, and the use of plants as a chassis for molecular biomanufacturing of select chemicals and therapeutics. He developed key technologies for plant genome engineering, engineering plant immunity, and synthetic directed evolution of plant traits, as well as novel approaches for pathogen diagnostics. He authored and co-authored more than 80 publications and seven pending or issued patent applications. He has given invited talks at the leading genome engineering and synthetic biology conferences.

Maternal Small RNAs Influence Seed Development in Brassica Rapa

By Rebecca Mosher
Associate Professor, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona
Abstract
Seed development is the bedrock of agricultural productivity, as seeds provide food, fuel, and future crops. The growing population, combined with loss of arable land, necessitates increasing agricultural productivity per acre. Understanding the factors influencing seed yield is therefore an important target for agricultural research, and will prompt long-term improvements in farm productivity and profitability while protecting natural resources. Brassica rapa mutants lacking small RNA-mediated DNA methylation (RdDM) exhibit seed abortion without other developmental phenotypes, suggesting a link between RdDM and seed development. RdDM is required in the maternal soma, although abortion occurs after fertilization. Recently, we discovered overwhelming expression of small interfering (si)RNAs from a small number of loci in maternal somatic tissue. These siRNAs trigger DNA methylation in trans at related protein-coding genes, and might allow the maternal sporophyte to influence gene expression in the developing endosperm. Understanding the complex communication between maternal and filial tissues could provide a novel avenue for improvement of seed crops.
About the speaker
Rebecca Mosher is Associate Professor in the School of Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona. She studies RNA directed DNA Methylation (RdDM), including the evolution of gene silencing machinery in plants and how epigenetic information is passed from parent to offspring. Her research group combines classical genetics and with modern genomics to study small RNAs and DNA methylation in a variety of plant systems. She serves on the editorial boards of The Plant Cell, Plant Direct, and Trends in Plant Science, and is the recipient of The Bart Cardon Early Career Faculty Teaching Award.
Part of the KAUST - University of Arizona summer seminar series – Towards a Joint Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Desert Environments. Click here<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/t.e2ma.net/click/48fktg/wm13qnb/8jbvgfb__;!!Nmw4Hv0!hPjS0gY3hnOhCTl6mCHGHLNLAkhw2Q59DqGiodLpg4B2rmxfE0i9MJ4JgXi7aozsyAE$> to view the full schedule.
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