UGA Athletic Association Professor Plant Biology; Genetics Email: kdawe@uga.edu Lab Website: http://www.dawelab.org/ Lab: Life Sciences, Rm B412 Office: Life Sciences, Rm B414A Office Phone: 706-542-1658 Biography I received my Ph.D. in Michael Freeling’s lab at U.C. Berkeley and post-doctoral training with Zacheus Cande at Berkeley and John Sedat at U.C. San Francisco. My training is in maize genetics and cell biology. As a professor in two departments (Plant Biology and Genetics), I have focused on understanding plant chromosome segregation, meiotic drive, centromere structure and function, and maize genomics. I have maintained an active and funded lab since 1995, and nearly all of those trained here have gone on to productive careers in science. Research Research Areas: Molecular Genetics Genomics & Bioinformatics Cellular & Developmental Biology Research Interests: The Dawe lab studies genome structure and cell division in maize, focusing on the biology of centromeres. Students and postdocs work at all levels of genetics, including traditional genetics, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, epigenetics and bioinformatics. We also work intensively with microscopes to visualize cell division using fixed and live-cell imaging methods. Current projects involve developing synthetic centromeres, on manipulating centromeres as a means create haploids, and on the special properties of maize abnormal chromosome 10 in converting heterochromatic knobs to “neocentromeres” that actively move on the spindle and skew Mendelian inheritance. Prospective students interested in research that involves a combination of field work, lab work, sequence analysis, and cell biology are encouraged to apply. High-resolution microscopy, anti-kinetochore antisera, and maize cytology/genetics will continue to be major assets in our work. Grants: NSF Dawe (PI) 01/15/2018-01/14/2020 Dawe, and leading two Co-PIs, TRANSFORM-PGR: Whole genome assembly of the maize NAM founders NSF “Functional Genomics of Maize Centromeres” Dawe (PI) 08/15/2015-08/14/2020 NSF “Mechanism of neocentromere motility and meiotic drive in maize” Dawe (PI) 09/01/2014-08/31/2017 Selected Publications Selected Publications: Google Scholar Profile Education Education: Ph.D. Genetics, U.C Berkeley 1989 M.S. Botany, Univ. of California, Riverside 1985 B.S. Landscape Horticulture, Colorado State University 1983 Other Information Of note: 2000 Creative Research Medal, University of Georgia 2007 Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2019-2020 Rotating Program Director, National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program
