TANYA RENNER
University of Arizona
Department of Entomology
Forbes 410, 1140 E. South Campus Dr., Tucson, AZ, 85721
858-344-5772 (cell), 520-621-2847 (office)
tanyarenner@email.arizona.edu, www.tanyarenner.org
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Plant Biology. University of California, Berkeley, 2011.
Advisors: Chelsea D. Specht, Tom Bruns, and Rasmus Nielsen.
B.S. in Biology, Summa Cum Laude. San Diego State University, 2006.
Advisor: Elizabeth R. Waters.
PROFESSIONAL
APPOINTMENTS
NIH Postdoctoral Excellence in Research and Teaching (PERT) Fellow,
Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, current.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Plant and Microbial
Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 2012.
Lecturer, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California,
Berkeley, 2012.
PUBLICATIONS
Renner T, Marek P, Moore W. In prep. The evolutionary origin of
bioluminescence in millipedes.
Renner
T, Romaine AM*, Moore W. In prep. Into the ant nest: molecular
*MENTORED
evolution
of chemoreception and host specialization in predatory
UNDERGRADUATE
paussine
beetles.
STUDENT
Salzman S*, Driscoll H, Renner T, Andre T, Shen S*, Specht CD. In
**MENTORED
review. Spiraling into history: A molecular phylogeny and ancestral
GRADUATE STUDENT
pollination state reconstruction of Costus (Costaceae).
Renner T, Specht CD. 2013. Inside the trap: gland morphologies,
digestive enzymes, and the evolution of plant carnivory in the
Caryophyllales. Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 16: 1-7.
Renner T, Specht CD. 2012. Molecular evolution and selection patterns of
class I chitinase genes in the carnivorous plants of the Caryophyllales.
Molecular Biology and Evolution. 29(10): 2971-2985.
Bauer U, Clemente CJ, Renner T, Federle W. 2012. Form follows function:
morphological diversification and alternative trapping strategies in a
carnivorous plant genus. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 25(1): 90-102.
Renner T, Specht CD. 2011. A sticky situation: assessing adaptations for
plant carnivory in the Caryophyllales utilizing stochastic character
mapping. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 172(7): 889-901.
Renner T, Bragg J, Driscoll HE, Cho J**, Jackson AO, Specht CD. 2009.
Virus-induced gene silencing in the culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale):
an effective mechanism for down-regulating gene expression in
tropical monocots. Molecular Plant. 2(5): 1084-1094.
Romanov MN, Tuttle EM, Houck ML, Modi WS, Chemnick LG, Korody
ML, Stremel Mork EM, Otten C, Renner T, Jones KC, Dandekar S, Da Y,
NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, Green ED, Magrini V,
Hickenbotham MT, Glasscock J, McGrath S, Mardis ER, Ryder OA. 2009.
The value of avian genomics to the conservation of wildlife. BMC
Genomics. 10 (Supplement 2): S10.
Rensing S, Lang D, Zimmer A…Renner T (48/70)…Boore JL [I analyzed
the Hsp70 gene family]. 2008. The genome of the moss Physcomitrella
patens reveals evolutionary insights into the conquest of land by plants.
Science. 319(5859): 64-69.
Renner T, Waters ER. 2007. Comparative genomic analysis of the Hsp70s
from five diverse photosynthetic eukaryotes. Cell Stress & Chaperones.
12(2): 172–185.
GRANTS AND
FELLOWSHIPS
National Institutes of Health, University of Arizona Center for Insect Science,
Postdoctoral Excellence in Research and Teaching (PERT) Fellowship, 2012current.
Chang-Lin Tien Graduate Fellowship in Environmental Sciences, University
of California, Berkeley 2010-2011.
National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant
#DEB-1011021 (Chelsea D. Specht, PI). Chitinase Subfunctionalization in
Carnivorous Plants: the Caryophyllales as a Test Case, 2009-2011.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, 20082010.
Jewell H. and James T. Bonner Fellowship, San Diego Zoo Institute for
Conservation Research, 2006.
RESEARCH
EXPERIENCE
NIH Postdoctoral Excellence in Research and Teaching (PERT) Fellow,
Department of Entomology, University of Arizona. Collaboration with
Wendy Moore. Molecular evolution of chemoreception in Paussinae ant
nest beetles. 2012-present.
Postdoctoral Research Associate. University of California, Berkeley.
Collaboration with Chelsea D. Specht. Heliconiaceae and Costaceae
systematics, biogeography, and the molecular evolution of carnivorous
plant chitinases. 2012.
Graduate Student Researcher in Plant Biology. University of California,
Berkeley, laboratory of Dr. Chelsea D. Specht. Systematics of the
carnivorous Caryophyllales, molecular evolution of chitinases,
development of viral-induced gene silencing methods in the non-model
ginger plant Zingiber. 2006-2011.
Jewell H. and James T. Bonner Fellow. San Diego Zoo Institute for
Conservation Research, Genetics Group led by Dr. Oliver Ryder.
Contributed to identification of a candidate gene for chondrodystrophy in
California condor, performed microsatellite parentage tests and genetic
sexing of San Clemente loggerhead shrike. 2006.
Undergraduate Honors Researcher in Evolutionary Biology. San Diego State
University, laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth R. Waters. Annotation,
bioinformatics, phylogenetic and comparative genomic analysis of Hsp70s
from five diverse photosynthetic eukaryote genomes. 2006.
Undergraduate Researcher in Evolutionary Biology. San Diego State
University, laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth R. Waters. Conducted heat-shock
experiments for Arabis and Marchantia. 2004-2005.
TEACHING
EXPERIENCE
Semester Courses
Adjunct Professor. Natural History of the Southwest (Bio 109), Pima
Community College West Campus. Spring 2014. Duties will include
developing and presenting lectures and laboratories on the natural history,
ecology, and adaptations of macroorganisms in the Southwest. PERT PCC
Teaching Mentor: Brad Fiero.
Lecturer. General Biology (Bio 1B), University of California, Berkeley (UCB).
Spring 2012. Course for undergraduate biology majors, duties included
developing, implementing, and modifying lesson plans and laboratories for
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two lecture/laboratory sections on plant and fungal biology, ecology, and
evolution, preparing quizzes and laboratory practicals and proctoring
exams.
Graduate Student Instructor. Evolution (IB 160), UCB. Fall 2011. Course for
graduate students and undergraduate biology majors, duties included
developing lesson plans, teaching three discussion sections focused on
macro and microevolutionary processes, presenting primary literature,
preparing quizzes and proctoring exams.
Graduate Student Instructor. Plant Morphology (PMB 107), UCB. Fall 2010.
Course for undergraduate plant biology majors, duties included preparing
live plant material, slides, and models for three laboratory sections, and
developing lesson plans to introduce the lab material.
Graduate Student Instructor. General Biology (Bio 1B) UCB. Fall 2008. Course
for undergraduate biology majors, duties included developing and
implementing lesson plans and laboratories for one lecture/ laboratory
section on plants and fungal biology, ecology, and evolution.
Guest lectures and mentorship for courses
Small Research Group Mentor, Honors Introductory Biology (MCB 181H),
University of Arizona. Course for honors undergraduate biology majors,
duties included leading student dry-lab research in molecular evolution of
Coleoptera chemosensory genes over 4 weeks. Spring 2013.
(www.tanyarenner.org/teaching.html).
“The Carnivorous Plants,” Extreme Green (PMB 24), Plant and Microbial
Biology freshman seminar, UCB. 2008.
SERVICE TO
ACADEMIC AND
SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY
Mentorship in Doctoral Research
1. Paul Coleman Eskridge. University of Arizona, IGERT student (NSF
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship): Paussine beetle
transcriptomics. 2012-current.
2. Candice Cherk. UC Berkeley: Utilizing modified infection RNA transcripts
to study the role of genes in floral development in the gingers. 2008.
3. Juliana Cho. UC Berkeley: Testing of monocot Zingiber officinale for
susceptibility to the barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) and modified
infectious RNA transcripts. 2007.
Mentorship in Undergraduate Research
1. Amanda Romaine. Independent Research, University of Arizona: Paussinae
beetle comparative transcriptomics. 2013.
2. Vahid Saeidi. University of Arizona: Commiphora and Fouquieria
phylogenetics. 2012-2013.
3. Shayla Salzman. UC Berkeley, Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research
(SPUR)/Honors Thesis: Chitinase gene expression in Dionaea, cycad
thermogenesis. 2011-2012. Currently graduate student of Naomi Pierce,
Harvard University.
4. Stacy Shen. UC Berkeley, Honors Thesis: Costaceae phylogenetics. 2012.
5. Katharine Yu. UC Berkeley: Costaceae phylogenetics. 2012.
6. Shalika Gupta. UC Berkeley, Honors Thesis: Heliconia biogeography. 2012.
7. Josephine Wong. UC Berkeley, SPUR/Honors Thesis: Carnivorous
Caryophyllales class Ia chitinases. 2010-2011.
8. Ivet Ramirez-Oritz. UC Berkeley, Biology Scholars Program: Characterizing
Carnivorous Caryophyllales glucanases. 2010.
9. Irene Liao. UC Berkeley, Honors Thesis: Testing Allium for susceptibility to
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the barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) and modified infectious RNA
transcripts. 2009-2010.
10. Sarah Starkey. UC Berkeley, SPUR: Carnivorous Caryophyllales
systematics. 2007-2008.
PUBLISHED
Renner T, Romaine AM*, Moore W. Into the ant nest: molecular evolution of
ABSTRACTS AND
chemoreception and host specialization in predatory paussine beetles.
SCIENTIFIC
Evolution Meeting, Raleigh, NC. 2014.
PRESENTATIONS,
Robertson JA, Renner T, Hughes GB, Moore W. The Arthropod Zoo Hall of
Biodiversity: Moving from ‘Gee wiz’ to integrative learning in insect
(PRESENTING
outreach education. ESA Pacific Branch Meeting, Tucson, AZ. April 2014.
AUTHOR BOLD,
Renner
T, Specht CD. Molecular evolution of class I chitinases utilized for
*UNDERGRADUATE)
plant carnivory in the Caryophyllales. European Society for Evolutionary
Developmental Biology Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal. 2012.
Renner T, Specht CD. Plant adaptations for carnivory in the Caryophyllales.
Evolution Meeting, Portland, OR. 2010.
Renner T, Specht CD. The evolution of plant carnivory in the Caryophyllales.
Joint Botany & Mycology Meeting, Snowbird, UT. 2009.
Renner T, Starkey S*, Specht CD. Chitinases and the evolution of plant
carnivory. Botany Meeting, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.
2008.
INVITED TALKS
“Dangerously beautiful: carnivorous plant glands and their digestive
enzymes” Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society, Berkeley, CA. 2010.
“Sticky situations: plant adaptations for carnivory in the Caryophyllales” San
Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA. 2010.
“Carnivores that know their roots” The Bone Room—a natural history store,
Albany, CA. 2010.
“The evolution of carnivorous plants and chitinases in the Caryophyllales”
University of California Botanical Gardens, Berkeley, CA. 2008.
CAMPUS OR
DEPARTMENTAL
TALKS
“Into the ant nest: molecular evolution and diversification of chemoreception
in predatory paussine beetles” Entomology & Insect Science Fall seminar
series, University of Arizona. Oct. 10 , 2013.
“Molecular evolution of class I chitinases utilized for plant carnivory in the
Caryophyllales” Ecology and Evolutionary Biology seminar series,
University of Arizona. 2012.
“Plant carnivory in the Caryophyllales: phylogenetic relationships,
morphological adaptations, and molecular evolution of digestive
enzymes” Plant and Microbial Biology seminar series, University of
California, Berkeley. 2011.
“The evolution of plant carnivory in the Caryophyllales” Plant and
Microbial Biology seminar series, University of California, Berkeley. 2009.
COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT/
OUTREACH
Volunteer, Tucson Botanical Gardens (TBG) “Ethnobotany of the Southwest”
booth for Plant Science Family Night, Ventana Vista Elementary School,
Tucson, AZ. Nov. 1 2013.
Volunteer, carnivorous plant booth for “Homeschool Day”, TBG, Tucson,
AZ. Oct. 16 2013.
Media interview, “AZ Insect Festival Entice Public to Explore Creatures'
Wonders.” Arizona Public Media, air date Sept. 10 2013.
Member of the “Arthropod Zoo: Hall of Biodiversity” committee for the 2013
Arizona Insect Festival. Contributed to the design and implementation of
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seven public education stations highlighting key arthropod adaptions,
University of Arizona. 2013.
(www.arizonainsectfestival.com/ arthropod-zoo.html).
Youth education and outreach volunteer, “Grow, Grow, Grow ” and “The
Carnivorous Plants” K-6 public education outreach programs on plant
life cycles, pollination syndromes, and carnivory, TBG, Tucson, AZ. 2013.
Volunteer, history of molecular biology pertaining to the cell and an
introduction to DNA extraction. Public education outreach in the
laboratory for junior and high school students, University of California,
Berkeley (UCB). 2011.
Volunteer, carnivorous plant gland morphology, DNA, and PCR. Public
education outreach in the laboratory for high school students, UCB. 2011.
Research interest entry for “Botany- Science From Students’ Perspective.”
Profile outreach site maintained by the Botanical Society of America.
2009.
Jewell H. and James T. Bonner Fellow, teaching and mentoring of high
school students of underrepresented groups in science. High school
student outreach program, San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation
Research, Escondido, CA. 2006.
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SERVICE TO
PROFESSION
Review Services
Proteins and Proteomics (2013).
Journal of Molecular Evolution (2012-2013).
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (2012).
Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation (2012).
Panel Services
Center for Insect Science Travel Award, University of Arizona (2013).
Contributions to Publications
Figure illustrations (3A-D) for: Wake DB, Wake MH, Specht CD. Homoplasy:
from detecting pattern to determining process and mechanism of
evolution. Science. 331(6020): 1032-1035.
PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIPS
Botanical Society of America
Society of Systematic Biologists
Society for the Study of Evolution
UNIVERSITYAFFILIATED
FIELDWORK AND
COLLECTING
Peppersauce Cave, Santa Catalina Mountains, AZ. Apr. 2014. Collection of
AZ Sky Island arthropods, University of Arizona (UA).
Huachuca Mountains, Coronado National Forest, AZ. Oct. 2013. Collection
of AZ Sky Island arthropods, UA.
Madera Canyon, Coronado National Forest, AZ. Oct. 2013. Collection of
Brachinis bombardier beetles for research, UA.
Chiricahua Mountains, AZ. Aug. 2013. Collection of AZ Sky Island beetles
for molecular work, UA.
Walker Canyon, Rio Rico, AZ. July 2013. Fieldwork associated with
University of Arizona for research of paussine beetles (Goniotropis spp.)
associated with emory oaks, UA.
Zapotitlán Salinas, Mexico. Nov. 2012. Fieldwork associated research of flea
beetles (Blepharida) and their plant hosts (Bursera) in the tropical dry
forest of the Tehuacán Valley, UA.
University of California Botanical Gardens, Berkeley, CA. 2007-2010.
Carnivorous plant tissue collection for molecular work and specimen
sheets, University of California, Berkeley (UCB).
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California Carnivores, Sebastopol, CA. 2007-2010. Carnivorous plant tissue
collection for molecular work and specimen sheets, University of
California, Berkeley (UCB).
California State University, Fullerton, CA. 2007. Nepenthes collection for
molecular work, UCB.
Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA. 2007. Nepenthes collection
for molecular work, UCB.
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