Area(s) of Specialization:
- Ecological Genomics, Plant Ecology, Climate Change
Ecological Genomics in the Johnson Lab focuses on the genetic, molecular and ecological mechanisms involved in adapatation of the prairie grass big bluestem Andropogon gerardii to diverse and changing climates of the Great Plains.
Our work focuses on the genetic changes that allow these plants to grow in heavily polluted areas and whether these changes involve differences in DNA itself and how the DNA is controlled. We study genetics and physiology of Andropogon virginicus, a weedy, perennial grass known as broomsedge, growing in mine sites of the Tar Creek Superfund Site in the Tri-State Mining Area of Kan., Okla., and Mo
Research:
- Andropogon virginicus- Rapid Evolution in an Anthropogenically Altered Environment
- Linking microbiome function and microbial processes to plant genetic diversity in a foundation forage grass across the Great Plains grassland climate gradient: a multi-omics approach.
We study how certain plants, after generations of growth in a former lead-contaminated mine site, may change over time to better tolerate higher lead levels and even absorb high levels of lead in their roots and leaves.
Our work focuses on the genetic changes that allow these plants to grow in heavily polluted areas and whether these changes involve differences in DNA itself and how the DNA is controlled. We study genetics and physiology of Andropogon virginicus, a weedy, perennial grass known as broomsedge, growing in mine sites of the Tar Creek Superfund Site in the Tri-State Mining Area of Kan., Okla., and Mo.
Research:
- Biology – Studies genes involved in protecting against heavy metal poisoning and associated cancers
Research Specialty:
- Plant Ecological Genomics and Global Change
Subject areas:
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
