Jonathan Gent

Heterochromatin in maize

Why heterochromatin?

The genome is more than the set of genes needed to build cells and enable them to function properly. It also contains the DNA of genomic pathogens that have the potential to accumulate out of control and to mutate needed genes. The ability to distinguish between harmful and helpful DNA is a challenge for all known life, part of an internal conflict carried even in DNA itself. Heterochromatin provides a way to isolate pathogenic DNA in a form where it can do little damage.

Why maize?

Maize has separate male and female flowers on the same plants, which make both outcrossing and inbreeding simple. A single cross produces hundreds of sibling seeds on a single ear, and these need no microscope, no planting and growing, no chemical treatment, in order to see phenotypes. These and other features of maize make it a model organism for genetics experiments.  

Research Bio

In 2004, Dr. Gent started his PhD research studying RNAi in C. elegans with Andy Fire. In 2009, he started his postdoctoral research on centromeres in maize with Kelly Dawe. His research soon expanded to RNA-directed DNA methylation and other topics related to heterochromatin. In 2016 he began his role as a semi-independent scientist working partly on Dawe lab projects, and partly on other projects (including heterochromatin in rice reproduction).