IGERT Faculty Expertise List
Alison Adams
purification of plamids from bactera; restriction
enzyme digests; DNA gels; growing and working
with Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Gery Allan
Molecular phylogenetics, population genetics,
molecular ecology. Primary techniques include:
DNA sequencing, Microsatellites, AFLPs.
Paul Beier
Approaches to modeling landscape connectivity
Carol Chambers
wildlife habitat relationships
wildlife techniques (capture/handling/radio
telemetry) information theoretic approach
disturbance ecology forest ecology
Kitty Gehring
We study the ecology of fungi using morphological
and molecular techniques. These techniques include
DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, RFLP
analysis, DNA sequencing prep, root length scanning,
methods associated with ectomycorrhizal and
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (mycorrhizal inoculum
potential, mycorrhizal colonization, ectomycorrhizal
morphotype analysis, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal
spore and hyphal extraction), culturing of endophytic
and decomposer fungi.
Rich Hofstetter
Insect and mite identification and classification,
insect life-history, predator-prey and STELLA
modeling, mutualism theory and application, forest
health concepts/diseases and monitoring techniques,
field trapping techniques and sampling for insects,
plant-insect interactions and plant defense theory.
Bruce Hungate
Ecosystem ecology, climate change, global
environmental change, human dimensions of climate
change mitigation, microbial ecology,
biogeochemistry, experimental design and analysis,
hypothesis testing, stable isotope techniques, soil
trace gas flux analysis, N cycling process
measurements, microbial biomass, pool dilution,
isotope tracing, carbon storage, plant productivity,
decomposition.
Jani Ingram
Analytical Chemistry – emphasis on environmental
systems. Trace metal analysis by atomic
spectroscopy (ICP, ICP/MS, AA), molecular
spectroscopy (FTIR), separations (GC, GC/MS),
surface spectroscopy.
Nancy Collins Johnson
Soil ecology with a specialty in mycorrhizas. Design
of field and greenhouse experiments. Analysis of
arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of roots, spore
communities and hyphal densities of arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi.
George Koch
Plant gas exchange and water relations;
photosynthesis, transpiration, water potential,
psychrometry, Dendrochronology ,Stable isotopes in
ecology
Tom Kolb
measurement of plant water stress, water use,
photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration, soil water
content, light intensity, carbon isotope
discrimination, water sources, individual plant and
ecosystem-level production, root growth, soil
respiration, plant reproduction, herbivory, tree rings,
plant age, fire damage, micrometeorological
characteristics (wind speed, direction, humidity,
etc...), common garden experimental design and
evaluation
Catherine Propper
Impact of environmental contaminants on vertebrate
development, reproduction and behavior.
Techniques: Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays,
Immunohistochemistry, Western Blot, real time
quantitative PCR, bioassays for behavior and
developmental impacts, general other endocrinerelated techniques.
Egbert Schwartz
Characterizing microbial communities, Quantifying
gene abundance in environmental samples, Culturing
organisms from soil, The use of stable isotopes in
environmental microbiology.
Techniques:
TRFLP
Realtime quantitative PCR
Clone library analysis
DNA/RNA extraction from soil
Stable Isotope Probing
Culturing microorganisms from soil
Tad Theimer
Vertebrate ecology and behavior with limited
expertise in genetic structuring of populations using
MtDNA and microsatellites
Kristen Waring
Tree ring analysis (cross-dating and growth) with
WinDendro; basic tree measurements (height,
diameter, crowns, etc)
Maribeth Watwood
DNA extraction from soil, water. Gene amplification,
terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism
analysis. Culture techniques for environmental
microorganisms.
Tom Whitham
common garden design, discussions of potential
sharing of our existing gardens to explore issues
students are interested in, discussions of potential
inplanting of other species into our current gardens,
community and ecosystem genetics conceptual issues
relevant to student projects.