Professor of Plant Biology Ph.D. (1995) University of Texas Grant Support - National Science Foundation (Systematic Biology and Biodiversity Inventories) “Doctoral Dissertation Research: The genomic basis of dioecy in Asparagus (Asparagaceae)” (PI with student Alex Harkess) National Science Foundation (IOS Plant Genome Research Program). “ABR-PG: Developing Flowering Dogwood as a Focal Genomic Resource for Woody Ornamentals” (PI), CJ Tsai and Magdy Alabady (UGA), Jenny Xiang (North Carolina State University) and Phil Wadl (University of Tennessee), Co-PIs. National Science Foundation (DEB Dimensions of Biodiversity) “Dimensions: Collaborative Proposal: Molecular, ecological and evolutionary dynamics of carbon fixation and diversification in Agavoideae (Asparagaceae) and Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae)” (PI) Erin Dolan (UGA), Katia Silvera UC Riverside and Vic Albert (University of Buffalo), Co-PIs. National Science Foundation (IOS), 2014-2017, “RUI: Collaborative: unPAK: undergraduates Phenotyping Arabidopsis Knockouts: A distributed genomic approach to examine evolutionarily important traits” (Co-PI), Matthew Rutter (PI), Courtney Murren and Allan Strand (College of Charleston), Hilary Callahan (Barnard College), Michael Wolyniak (Hampden-Sydney College), and Erin Dolan and Jennifer Jo Thompson (UGA) National Science Foundation (Plant Genome Research Program), 2009-2015, “The Amborella Genome Project” (Co-PI with Claude dePamphilis [PI] and Hong Ma (Penn State), Doug Soltis, Pam Soltis, and Brad Barbazuk (Florida), Sue Wessler (UC Riverside) and Vic Albert (Buffalo)) Selected Publications Selected Publications: Augustin, M.M., D. Ruzicka, A.K. Shukla, J.M. Augustin, M.R. McKain, CM. Starks, M. O’Neil-Johnson, P.P. Edger, J.C. Pires, J.H. Leebens-Mack, and T.M. Kutchan, 2015. Accelerating biochemical pathway elucidation in non-model systems : Formation of the antineoplastic cyclopamine in Veratrum californicum. The Plant Journal. In Press DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12871 Harkess, A., F. Mercati, H-Y. Shan, F. Sunseri, A. Falavigna and J. Leebens-Mack. 2015. Sex-biased gene expression in dioecious garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) New Phytologist. Early Access DOI: 10.1111/nph.13389 Mercati, F., P. Riccardi, A. Harkess, T. Sala, M. R. Abenavoli, J. H. Leebens-Mack, A. Falavigna, F. Sunseri. 2015. SNP-based parentage analysis and population structure in garden asparagus, a worldwide genetic stock classification. Molecular Breeding, 35:59. doi: 10.1007/s11032-015-0217-5 Cannon, S. M. R. McKain, A. Harkess, M. Deyholos, M. Chase, C. N. Stewart, Y. Peng, B. Joyce, P. Soltis, D. Soltis, M. N. Nelson, N. Miles, T. Kutchan, X. Tan, C. Chen, E. Carpenter, Y. Zhang, G. Ka-Shu Wong, J. J. Doyle and J. H. Leebens-Mack. 2015. Independent genome duplication events and the evolution of nodulation in the legumes. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 32 (1): 193-210 doi:10.1093/molbev/msu296 Wickett, N.J., S. Mirarab, N. Nguyen, T. Warnow, E. Carpenter, N. Matasci, S. Ayyampalayam, M. Barker, G. J. Burleigh, M. A. Gitzendanner, B. Ruhfel, E. Wafula, J.P. Der, S. W. Graham, S. Mathews, M. Melkonian, D. E. Soltis, P. S. Soltis, C. Rothfels, L. Pokorny, J. Shaw, L. DeGironimo, D. Stevenson, B. Surek, J.C. Villarreal, B. Roure, H. Philippe, C. W. dePamphilis, T. Chen, M. Deyholos, J. Wang, Y. Zhang, Z. Tian, Z. Yan, X. Wu, X. Sun, G. K-S. Wong, and J. Leebens-Mack. 2014. A phylotranscriptomic analysis of the origin and early diversification of land plants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. 111 (45):E4859–E4868. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1323926111 Rentsch, J.D., and J. Leebens-Mack. 2014. Yucca aloifolia (Agavoidea, Asparabaceae) opts out of an obligate pollination mutualism? Evidence for diurnal, non-moth pollination of a Yucca species. American Journal of Botany. 101(12): 2062-2067. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1400351 Eserman L.A., G. P. Tiley, R. L. Jarret, J. H. Leebens-Mack, R. E. Miller. 2014. Phylogenetics and diversification of morning glories based on whole plastome sequences. American Journal of Botany 101(1):92-103. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1300207 Barrett, C.F., C. D. Specht, J. Leebens-Mack, D. W. Stevenson, W. B. Zomlefer, and J. I. Davis. 2014. Resolving ancient radiations: can complete plastid gene sets elucidate deep relationships among the tropical gingers (Zingiberales Griseb.)? Annals of Botany 113(1):119-33. doi: 10.1093/aob/mct264 The Amborella Genome Project (J. J. Acosta, V. A. Albert, N. S. Altman, J. S. S. Ammiraju, S. Arikit, M. J. Axtell, S. Ayyampalayam, W. B. Barbazuk, R. A. Bruenn, J. M. Burnette, L. Carretero-Paulet, S. Chamala, A. S. Chanderbali, T-H. Chang, F. Chen, J-Q. Chen, V. Chiang, A. de Kochko, C. W. dePamphilis, J. P. Der, R. Determann, J. C. Estill, N. P. Farrell, B. Fogliani, C. Guo, J. Harholt, A. Harkess, L. R. Herrera-Estrella, E. Ibarra-Laclette, Y. Jiao, C. Job, D. Job, S. Kim, M. Kirst, H. Kong, T. Lan, J. H. Leebens-Mack, G. Li, L. Li, J. Liu, K. Liu, E. Lyons, H. Ma, W. Mei, B. C. Meyers, J. D. Palmer, E. De Paoli, J. Park, S. P. Pissis, V. Poncet, X. Qi, L. Rajjou, P. Ralph, S. Rounsley, D. Sankoff, V. Sarramegna, S. C. Schuster, R. Sederoff, S. Shahid, D. E. Soltis, P. S. Soltis, Y-H. Sun, J. Talag, H. Tang, L. Tomsho, P. Ulvskov, M. Villegente, E. Wafula, B. Walts, S. Wanke, S. R. Wessler, R. A. Wing, J-Y. Xue, T-F. Yeh, X. Yu, J. Zhai, X. Zhang, C. Zheng). 2013. The Amborella Genome and the Evolution of Flowering Plants. Science 342(6165):1241089. doi: 10.1126/science.1241089 Chamala S, A.S. Chanderbali, J.P. Der, T. Lan, B. Walts, V.A. Albert, C.W. dePamphilis, J. Leebens-Mack, S. Rounsley, S.C. Schuster, R.A. Wing, N. Xiao, R. Moore, P.S. Soltis, D.E. Soltis, W.B. Barbazuk. 2013. Assembly and Validation of the Genome of the Nonmodel Basal Angiosperm Amborella. Science 342(6165):1516-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1241130 Vitte, C., M. Estep, J. Leebens-Mack and J. L. Bennetzen. 2013. Young, intact and nested retrotransposons in the onion and asparagus genomes. Annals of Botany 112(5):881-9 10.1093/aob/mct155 Davis,J.I., J.R. McNeal, C.F. Barrett, M.W. Chase, J.I . Cohen, M.R. Duvall, T.J. Givnish, S.W. Graham, G. Petersen, J.C. Pires, O. Seberg, D.W. Stevenson, and J. Leebens-Mack. 2012. Contrasting Patterns of Support among Plastid Genes and Genomes for Major Clades of the Monocotyledons. In Early Events in Monocot Evolution, P. Wilkin and S.J. Mayo, eds. Cambridge University Press. pp. 315-349 Rentsch JD, Leebens-Mack J. 2012. Homoploid hybrid origin of Yucca gloriosa: intersectional hybrid speciation in Yucca (Agavoideae, Asparagaceae). Ecol Evol. 2(9):2213-22. doi: 10.1002/ece3.328. D’Hont, A., F. Denoeud, J-M. Aury, F-C. Baurens, F. Carreel, O. Garsmeur, B. Noel, S. Bocs, G. Droc, M. Rouard, C. Da Silva, K. Jabbari,, C. Cardi, J. Poulain, M. Souquet, K. Labadie, C. Jourda, J. Lengelle, M. Rodier-Goud, A. Alberti, M. Bernard, M. Correa, S. Ayyampalayam, M. R. Mckain, J. Leebens-Mack, D. Burgess, M. Freeling, D. Mbéguié, A. Mbéguié, R. Habas, R. Rivallan, T. Wicker, O. Panaud, J. Barbosa, E. Hribova, P. Heslop-Harrison, M. Chabannes, P. Francois, C. Poiron, A. Kilian, D. Burthia, C. Jenny, F. Bakry, S. Brown, V. Guignon, G. Kema, M. Dita, C. Waalwijk, S. Joseph, A. Dievart, O. Jaillon,, J. Leclercq, X. Argout, E. Lyons, A. Almeida, M. Jeridi, J. Dolezel, N. Roux, A-M Risterucci, J. Weissenbach,, M. Ruiz, J-C. Glaszmann, F. Quétier, N. Yahiaoui, P. Wincker. 2012. The banana (Musa acuminata) genome and the evolution of monocotyledonous plants. Nature 488(7410):213-7. doi:10.1038/nature11241 McKain, M.R., N. Wickett, Y. Zhang, S. Ayyampalayam, W. R. McCombie, M. W. Chase, J. C.Pires, C. W. dePamphilis and J. Leebens-Mack 2012. Phylogenomic analysis of transcriptome data elucidates co-occurrence of a paleopolyploid event and the origin of bimodal karyotypes in Agavoideae (Asparagaceae). American Journal of Botany 99:397-406, doi:10.3732/ajb.1100537 Jiao, Y., J. Leebens-Mack, S, Ayyampalayam, J. E. Bowers, M. R McKain, J. McNeal, M. Rolf, D. R Ruzicka, E. Wafula, N. J Wickett, X. Wu, Y. Zhang, J. Wang, Y. Zhang, E. Carpenter, M. K Deyholos, T. M Kutchan, A. S. Chanderbali, P. S. Soltis, D. W. Stevenson, R. McCombie, J. C. Pires, G. Ka-Shu Wong, D. E. Soltis and C. W. dePamphilis. 2012. A genome triplication associated with early diversification of the core eudicots. Genome Biology 13(1):R3. doi:10.1186/gb-2012-13-1-r3 Althoff D.M., K.A. Segraves, C.I. Smith, J. Leebens-Mack, O. Pellmyr. 2012. Geographic isolation trumps coevolution as a driver of yucca and yucca moth diversification. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 62(3):898-906. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.11.024 Zuccolo, A. J.E. Bowers, J. C. Estill, Z. Xiong, M. Luo,, A. Sebastian, J. L. Goicoechea, K.Collura, Y. Yu, Y. Jiao, J. Duarte, H. Tang, S. Ayyampalayam, S. Rounsley, D. Kudrna, A. H. Paterson,, J. C. Pires, D. E. Soltis, S. Chamala, B. Barbazuk, P.S. Soltis, V. A. Albert, H. Ma, D. Mandoli, J. Banks, J. E. Carlson, J. Tomkins, C. W. dePamphilis, R. A. Wing. J. Leebens-Mack. 2011. A Physical Map for the Amborella Genome Sheds Light on the Evolution of Angiosperm Genome Structure. Genome Biology 12(5):R48. doi:10.1186/gb-2011-12-5-r48 Jiao, Y., N. J. Wickett, S. Ayyampalayam, A.S. Chanderbali, L. Landherr, P. E. Ralph, L. P. Tomsho, Y. Hu, H. Liang, P. S. Soltis, D. E. Soltis, S. W. Clifton, S. E. Schlarbaum, S. C. Schuster, H. Ma, J. Leebens-Mack, C.W. dePamphilis. 2011. Ancestral polyploidy in seed plants and angiosperms. Nature 473(7345):97-100. doi:10.1038/nature09916 Givnish, T.J., M.A. Sevillano, J.R. McNeal, M. R. McKain, P.R. Steele, C.W. dePamphilis, S. W. Graham, J. C. Pires, D. W. Stevenson, W. B. Zomlefer, B. G. Briggs, M. R. Duvall, M. J. Moore, D. E. Soltis, P. S. Soltis, K. Thiele, and J. H. Leebens-Mack. 2010. Assembling the tree of the monocotyledons: Plastome sequence phylogeny and evolution of Poales. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens 97(4):584-616. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3417/2010023
