Magdy S. Alabady

Overview of Our Research

Our long-term goal is to understand the 1) genetic foundation of carnivory in plants, 2) genetic drivers of plant-microbiome interactions, and 3) RNA transport and lifespan processes in single cell algae.  Towards these goals, we have three active projects in the lab as follows:

1. The Savage Genomes: We are sequencing and annotating the carnivorous genomes of Sarracenia purpurea and Sarracenia Psittacenia species. The two species are the parents of the only mapping population of carnivorous plants, which was produced by my partners Russell Malmberg and Will Rogers at the University of Georgia. The goal is to produce golden quality genomes to be used in deciphering the genetic basis of the carnivory trait(s) at both the molecular and evolutionary levels.
2. Host-symbiont crosstalk: The Sarracenia-microbiome, as a natural and yet manipulatable model system of plant biotic interactions, allows us to explore the networks of interactions governing this system at organismal and molecular levels. We combine genetic, genomics, statistical and bioinformatics tools to document and study these interactions in the Sarracenia-microbiome system.
3. The forgotten Genome: We are sequencing and annotating the genome of the giant unicellular alga, Acetabularia acetabulum, which served in the 30’s and 40’s of the twentieth century as the model organism for understanding biology's central dogma. Genetic investigations by Joachim Hämmerling (1901 –1980) established the existence of mRNA, the "morphogenic substance" that allows for subcellular localization and morphogenesis within algae. A. acetabulum's RNA qualities have allowed the plant to be a stable unicellular organism while also completing thorough morphogenesis without a nucleus. RNA transcripts move from the nucleus to the plant's cap, causing RNA transcript polarity within the plant. We are sequencing the Acetabularia genome and studying the mechanisms of RNA transfer and longevity
4. Pathogen Genomics Center of Excellence (PGCoE)