Michael J Zanis

Assistant Professor

Department: Botany and Plant Pathology
Phone: 765.494.6606
Fax: 765.496.1135
Office: Whistler Hall, Room B032
E-mail: mzanis@purdue.edu

Area of Expertise: Plant Evolutionary Biology - Evolution and genetics of plant form and development, plant systematics and phylogenetic methodology, evolution of genetic networks.

I am interested in the evolution of development. Specifically, I am interested in how developmental pathways diversify via gene duplication events. My research draws from the strengths of several fields (genetics, development, and phylogenetics) to understand the evolution of developmentally important genes.

Gene duplications are a prevalent feature of eukaryotic genomes. Understanding the evolution of gene duplications is important to our understanding of genetic redundancy and the evolution of new gene function. My current research involves the investigation of two developmentally important duplicate genes that regulate male (stamens) and female (carpels) organ development in flowering plants, using the grass family as a model system. The grasses are an excellent system because of the substantial amount of genetic, morphological, and evolutionary work that has been done on this group. We are also extending our research to other angiosperms that have experienced similar, yet independent, duplications of key reproductive organ genes.

- Recent Publications

Tucker, R. C., Zanis, M. J., Emery, N. E., & Gibson, K. D. (2011). Effects of water depth and population on the vegetative growth of southern wild rice (Zizania aquatica). Aquatic Botany, 94, 113-118.

Gustin, J. L., Zanis, M. J., & Salt, D. E. (2011). Structure and evolution of the plant cation diffusion facilitator family of ion transporters.. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 11, 76.

Tucker, R. C., Zanis, M. J., Emery, N. E., & Gibson, K. D. (2010). Effects of water depth and seed provenance on the growth of wild rice (Zizania aquatica). Aquatic Botany, 94, 113-118.

Gustin, J. L., Zanis, M. J., & Salt, D. E. (2010). Structure and Evolution of the Plant Cation Diffusion Facilitator Family of Ion Transporters. BMC Evolutionary Biology.

Sindhu, A., Chintamanai, S., Brandt, A. S., Zanis, M. J., Scofield, S. R., & Johal, G. S. (2008). Guardian of Grasses: Specific Origin and Conservation of a Unique Disease Resistance Gene in the Grass Lineage. PNAS, 105, 1762-1767.

Zanis, M. J. (2007). Grass spikelet genetics and duplicate gene comparisons. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 168, 93-110.

Whipple, C. J., Zanis, M. J., Kellogg, E. A., & Schmidt, R. J. (2007). Conservation of B class gene expression in the second whorl of a basal grass and outgroups links the origin of lodicules and petals. PNAS, 104, 1081-1086.

+ Patents

- Awards & Honors

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award (2009). Department of Botany and Plant Pathology.

Kavli Fellow (2008). National Academies Kavli Frontiers of Science.

+ News Releases

Released	URL	Source
4/1/2008	Gene guards grain-producing grasses	Agricultures Magazine
1/31/2008	Gene guards grain-producing grasses so people and animals can eat	University News Service