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Sarah Smith is an assistant professor working in Andrew Allen’s lab studying diatoms. Dr. Smith's research is motivated by the desire to understand the evolution and ecology of marine phytoplankton.
Diatoms have emerged as an excellent group of model organisms for molecular oceanographic research. Her current research uses a combination of comparative and functional genomics approaches to explore both the evolution and molecular mechanisms of physiological regulation in diatoms. More specifically, she is investigating the architecture of gene regulatory networks in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Ultimately insights from these studies will not only inform our understanding of the evolution of these important organisms and aid in the interpretation of functional genomics data in the lab and field, but will eventually guide efforts to engineer algae as a feedstock for the cultivation of renewable bioproducts such as sustainable biofuels.
Dr. Smith obtained her MS in Marine Science at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (2008) and PhD at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2014). She was a postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a visiting scientist at the JCVI.
Research Priorities
Evolution of Marine Phytoplankton
- Adaptive metabolic diversification within phytoplankton (especially diatom) lineages
- Secondary endosymbiosis, selective gene family loss, maintenance, expansion and acquisition
Diatom Metabolism and Physiology
- Gene catalogs, compartmentation, and function of central metabolic genes
- Integration of photo-physiology, metabolic flux, and growth in diatoms in response to fluctuating environmental conditions like light and nutrient (Si, N, Fe) availability
- Systems biology and metabolic flux modeling to inform genetic engineering for improved traits of biotechnological interest (i.e. lipids for fuels)
Regulation of Eukaryotic Gene Expression
- Role of transcription factors in regulating transcription, elucidating transcription factor binding sites
- Gene order as a regulator of co-expression
Publications
Research Priorities
Evolution of Marine Phytoplankton
- Adaptive metabolic diversification within phytoplankton (especially diatom) lineages
- Secondary endosymbiosis, selective gene family loss, maintenance, expansion and acquisition
Diatom Metabolism and Physiology
- Gene catalogs, compartmentation, and function of central metabolic genes
- Integration of photo-physiology, metabolic flux, and growth in diatoms in response to fluctuating environmental conditions like light and nutrient (Si, N, Fe) availability
- Systems biology and metabolic flux modeling to inform genetic engineering for improved traits of biotechnological interest (i.e. lipids for fuels)
Regulation of Eukaryotic Gene Expression
- Role of transcription factors in regulating transcription, elucidating transcription factor binding sites
- Gene order as a regulator of co-expression