R.J. Neil Emery
Professor
- B.Sc., (Queen’s University),
- Ph.D. (University of Calgary)
Office: LHS C 257
Phone: 705-748-1011 ext. 7312
Email: nemery@trentu.ca
Research interests
- Plant physiology and biochemistry
- Plant hormones
- Seed development and crop yields
- Plant communications with Bacteria, Fungi, Protists & Animals
- The role of phyto-hormones in all Kingdoms of Life
- Metabolomics
The research of my lab centers around growth regulating molecules that are known to act as hormones in plants. Some of the work focuses on how those hormones change growth and development in plants and the practical impacts that can result – like increasing seed yields of crops. In addition, over the last several years, we have teamed up with other Trent labs and discovered that those same molecules exist in many other forms of life including: algae (Euglena), fungi (Ustilago), bacteria (methylotrophs), protists (Dictyostelium, Giardia), insects (many), mammals (dogs) and even human cell lines. It is a mystery why these non-plant systems contain plant hormones and our current work seeks to understand their role in communications among organisms.
Selected publications
T Hluska, L Hlusková, RJ Emery (2021). The Hulks and the Deadpools of the Cytokinin Universe: A Dual Strategy for Cytokinin Production, Translocation, and Signal Transduction. Biomolecules 11 (2), 209
HN Nguyen, S Kambhampati, A Kisiala, M Seegobin, RJN Emery (2021). The soybean (Glycine max L.) cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase multigene family; Identification of natural variations for altered cytokinin content and seed yield. Plant Direct 5 (2), e00308
TQ Nguyen, V Sesin, A Kisiala, RJN Emery (2021). Phytohormonal Roles in Plant Responses to Heavy Metal Stress: Implications for Using Macrophytes in Phytoremediation of Aquatic Ecosystems. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 40 (1), 7-22
MM Aoki, RJ Emery, C Anjard, CR Brunetti, RJ Huber (2021). Cytokinins in Dictyostelia–A unique model for studying the functions of signaling agents from species to kingdoms. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 8, 511
HN Nguyen, L Perry, A Kisiala, H Olechowski, RJN Emery (2020). Cytokinin activity during early kernel development corresponds positively with yield potential and later stage ABA accumulation in field-grown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Planta 252 (5), 1-16
P Andreas, A Kisiala, RJ Emery, D Clerck-Floate, JF Tooker, PW Price, Donald G Miller III, Ming-Shun Chen, Edward F Connor (2020). Cytokinins are abundant and widespread among insect species. Plants 9 (2), 208
A Kisiala, S Kambhampati, NL Stock, M Aoki, RJN Emery (2019). Quantification of cytokinins using high-resolution accurate-mass orbitrap mass spectrometry and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). Analytical chemistry 91 (23), 15049-15056
GL Jorge, A Kisiala, E Morrison, M Aoki, APO Nogueira, RJN Emery (2019). Endosymbiotic Methylobacterium oryzae mitigates the impact of limited water availability in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) by increasing plant cytokinin levels. Environmental and Experimental Botany 162, 525-540
MM Aoki, M Seegobin, A Kisiala, A Noble, C Brunetti, RJN Emery (2019). Phytohormone metabolism in human cells: Cytokinins are taken up and interconverted in HeLa cell culture. FASEB BioAdvances 1 (5), 320-331
M Seegobin, A Kisiala, A Noble, D Kaplan, C Brunetti, RJN Emery (2018). Canis familiaris tissues are characterized by different profiles of cytokinins typical of the tRNA degradation pathway. The FASEB Journal 32 (12), 6575-6581
EN Morrison, RJN Emery, BJ Saville (2017). Fungal derived cytokinins are necessary for normal Ustilago maydis infection of maize. Plant Pathology 66 (5), 726-742