Dr. Gary Coleman

Associate Professor

Email: gcoleman@umd.edu
Office: 2128 Plant Sciences Building
Phone: 301.405.4371
Fax: 301.314.9308
Web Site: Poplar Nitrogen Cycling

Education and Experience:

  • Ph.D. 1989 Horticulture-Forestry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
  • M.S. 1986 Forest Genetics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
  • B.S. 1978 Forest Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (1990 to 1995)
  • University of Maryland, College Park, 1995-current

 

Research Interests:

My research is focused on understanding the biology of tree growth and development. Projects are focused on understanding the nature of adaptive responses of deciduous trees associated with seasonal transitions in growth. Research is focused on two primary areas in my lab. The first area includes fundamental research directed at identifying the regulatory mechanisms of vegetative bud dormancy. The second area is focused on unraveling the regulatory mechanisms that control nitrogen remobilization, storage and use-efficiency. My lab uses Poplar (Populus) as a model system and integrates molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, metabolism, and physiological approaches.

Examples of Funded Projects:

  1. Project title: Environmental Regulation of Poplar Bark Storage Protein Gene Expression. National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, USDA.
  2. Project title: An Integrated Approach to Determining the Role of Storage Proteins in Perennial Woody Plant Seasonal Nitrogen Cycling. Supporting agency: National Science Foundation.
  3. Project title: Mechanisms Regulating Nitrogen Storage in Woody Perennials. Supporting agency: National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, USDA.
  4. Project title: Functional Genomics of Vegetative Bud Dormancy in Poplar. Supporting Agency: National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, USDA.
  5. Role of a FLC-like MADS Box Gene in Poplar Vegetative Bud Development and Dormancy. Supporting Agency: National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, USDA.
  6. Genomic Analysis of Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Poplar, A Biofuel Feedstock Crop. Supporting Agency: Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station Competitive Grants Program


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Courses:

  • PLSC 271, Plant Propagation
  • PLSC 473, Woody Plant Physiology
  • PLSC 783, Molecular Aspects of Plant Environment Interactions

 

Current Graduate Students:

  • Emily Lunzer (PhD), Project: Functional Genomics of Nitrogen Storage in Poplar
  • Josh Nadler (MS), Project: Development of Polyploid Nursery Crops using Invitro Techniques (Collaboration with the USDA National Arboretum).

 

Previous Graduate Students

  • Bent Black (PhD, 1999) Dissertation title: Seasonal and Short-term Nitrogen Cycling in Populus
  • Kuang-Yu Chen (PhD, 2008) Dissertation title: Type II MADS-Box Genes Associated with Poplar Apical Bud Development and Dormancy
  • Xiaoou Li (MS 1998), Thesis title: Biochemical Changes and Gene Expression During Leaf Senescence and Bark Storage Protein Accumulation in Poplar.
  • Li Sun (MS 2001), Thesis title: Gene Expression During Terminal Bud Formation in Poplar.
  • Holly Gnewikow, (MS 2001), Thesis title: Isolation and Characterization of a Basic Leucine Zipper form Poplar Involved in Terminal Bud Formation.
  • Banu Saritas-Yildirim (MS 2006), Thesis title: RUB1 Conjugase and Vegetative Bud Development in poplar.
  • Mingang Wu, (MS 2006), Thesis title: Characterization of PtFD1, a bZIP transcription factor using transgenic Populus.

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Selected Publications/Presentations:

  • Coleman G.D., Chen T.H.H., Ernst S.G. and L. Fuchigami. 1991. Photoperiod Control of Poplar Bark Storage Protein Accumulation. Plant Physiology 96:686-692.
  • Coleman G.D., Chen T.H.H. and L. Fuchigami. 1992. Complementary DNA Cloning of Poplar Bark Storage Protein and Control of its Expression by Photoperiod. Plant Physiology 98:687-693.
  • Coleman G.D., Englert J., Chen T.H.H. and L. Fuchigami. 1993. Physiological and Environmental Control of Poplar Bark Storage Protein Degradation. Plant Physiology 102:53-59.
  • Davis J.M., Egelkrout E.E., Coleman G.D., Chen T.H.H., Haissig B.E., Riemenschneider D.E. and M.P. Gordon. 1993. A Family of Wound-induced Genes in Populus Shares Common Features With Genes Encoding Vegetative Storage Proteins. Plant Molecular Biology 23:135-143.
  • Coleman G.D., Banados M.P. and T.H.H. Chen. 1994. Poplar Bark Storage Protein and a Related Wound-induced gene are Differentially Induced by Nitrogen. Plant Physiology 106:211-215.
  • Zhu B. and G.D. Coleman. 2001. Phytochrome-mediated Photoperiod Perception, Shoot Growth, Glutamine, Calcium and Protein Phosphorylation Influence the Activity of the Poplar Bark Storage Protein Gene Promoter. Plant Physiology. 126:342-351.
  • Zhu B. and G.D. Coleman. 2001. The Poplar Bark Storage Protein Gene (bspA) Promoter is Responsive to Photoperiod and Nitrogen in Transgenic Poplar and Active in Floral Tissues, Immature Seeds and Germinating Seeds of Transgenic Tobacco. Plant Molecular Biology. 46 (4):383-394.
  • Chen, K-Y. and Coleman G.D. 2006. Type II MADS-box Genes Associated with Poplar Apical Bud Development and Dormancy. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologist, Abstract P03015. pp118.
  • Coleman, G. D. and Chen, K-Y. 2008. Regulation of FLC-like Genes and Bud Dormancy in Poplar. Plant and Animal Genome Conference XVI, San Diego, CA. W80. (http://www.intl-pag.org/16/abstracts/PAG16_W10_80.html).
  • Chen, K-Y. and Coleman, G.D. 2008. Type II MADS-Box Genes Associated with Poplar Apical Bud Development and Dormancy. Plant and Animal Genome Conference XVI, San Diego, CA. P501 (http://www.intl-pag.org/16/abstracts/PAG16_P05j_501.html).

 

 Committee Reports:

  • Morrison1, D.L., Coleman, G.D., Dale, B.E., Finizza, A.J., Hall, R., Johnson, D., Nichols, R., Sperling, D. and Strauss, S.H. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels2,3. National Academy of Science, National Research Council, National Academy Press. Washington D.C. 48p. 1Committee chairman, 2Report commissioned by the Department of Energy, 3Report was reviewed by a group other than the authors consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
  • Stein1, D.L., Anthony, T., Brierley, C., Carberry, J.B., Coleman, G., Espino, R., Hidy, G.M., Hill, J.L., Keith, D., Krambeck, F., Krebs, M.A., Kung, H.H.C., Pilson, M.Q., Siirola, J., Williams, R., Zeikus, J.G. 2003. Novel Approaches to Carbon Management: Separation, Capture, Sequestration, and Conversion to Useful Products-Workshop Report2,3. National Academy of Science, National Research Council, National Academy Press. Washington D.C. 45p. 1Committee chairman, 2Report commissioned by the Department of Energy, 3Report was reviewed by a group other than the authors consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

Honors/Awards/Committee Memberships

  • College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Junior Faculty Excellence Award
  • Marsho Award for best graduate student paper. 1999 Research Meeting, Washington Area Section, American Society of Plant Physiologists. Black B.L., Fuchigami L.H. and G.D. Coleman. 1999. Antisense expression of poplar BSP cDNA alters long-day growth, dry weight partitioning and nitrogen content.
  • National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, appointment as a member of the Committee on Novel Approaches to the Management of Greenhouse Gases.  Committee appointment 2002-2004.
  • National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, appointment as a member of the Committee to Review the R&D Strategy for Biomass-Derived Ethanol and Biodiesel Transportation Fuels. Committee appointment 1998-1999.
  • United States Department of Agriculture, CSREES, NRI, Plant Growth and Development, Panel Member, 2008.
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