Event Date
Elizabeth “Toby” Kellogg, Robert E. King Distinguished Investigator, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Associate of the Arnold Arboretum
Speaker Bio: Kellogg is a leading authority on the grass family—plants that provide more than half of the world’s food—Kellogg integrates taxonomy, phylogenetics, developmental genetics, physiology and comparative genomics to understand how grasses evolved and how their diversity can be harnessed to improve crops. Her research has clarified the evolutionary history and classification of grasses while uncovering the genetic mechanisms that shape plant form, floral and inflorescence development, photosynthesis and environmental adaptation. By comparing wild and cultivated species, including maize, sorghum, wheat and rice, her lab identifies genes underlying traits such as yield, stress tolerance and resource efficiency. Kellogg’s work links fundamental evolutionary biology with practical advances in agriculture aimed at strengthening global food security and environmental sustainability.
Lecture Title: One Third of the World: The Grasses as a Single Genetic System
Lecture Summary: About one third (25% to 40%) of the Earth's land surface is covered by grasses, and half of that third (17% of the total) is dominated by one subgroup, the tribe Andropogoneae. Wild grasses have achieved that success by their ability to colonize widely differing environments, an adaptability encoded in their genes and genomes. Despite this broad adaptation, the gene complement and genome organization of the group are surprisingly stable.
***Zoom Information will be provided to registrants. Registration link is forthcoming.***
Agenda:
- 4:00pm - Doors open
- 4:10pm - Introductory remarks
About the Series:
The Tracy and Ruth Storer Lectureship in the Life Sciences is the most prestigious of the endowed seminars at UC Davis. Established in 1960, the Storer Endowment makes it is possible to invite distinguished biological scientists to campus to present two lectures and meet with faculty members and graduate students in their field of interest. The series is presented by the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences.