Student-Led Team Publishes Paper on Native Plant Evolution

This was originally published on Science on Display, the Bellevue University Center for Natural Science, blog. 

Native plants don’t get nearly enough research attention and the representation of genome information for native plants is substantially lower than the database information available for crop plants or popular ornamental plants.

New student-led research at Bellevue University is trying to change some of that paradigm, and students from our research classes, visiting student programs and student worker positions have been sequencing a variety of plants from our native plant garden on campus to gain more insight into the genetic wonders these plants might contain.

The newest publication in the International Journal of Plant Biology presents the work of Bellevue University students Maddy Vasquez, Emma Stock and Kaziah Terrell, and our greenhouse manager Julian Ramirez and Professor Dr. John Kyndt. 

The work was focused on sequencing the chloroplast genome of the native plant Cleomella serrulata (also known as Rocky Mountain bee plant or stinking clover). The chloroplast was sequenced in-house and the genome was analyzed to determine the evolutionary origin of this plant and compare its genetic differences with other plant families. This is a first step to determine how native plants have evolved and adapted to certain environments over many years.

Cleomella can adapt to harsh environmental conditions and is of ecological importance in maintaining biodiversity within an arid ecosystem. Historically, Native American tribes utilized various parts of the plant for medicinal purposes, from treating skin ailments to alleviating respiratory issues. 

Obtaining plant genomic data is still a challenging endeavor. Both Emma and Kaziah spend many hours of their student research work trying to optimize the DNA extraction and sequencing methods for Cleomella and other plants. Maddy took the lead on writing the article for publication as part of her Biological Investigations class. Under the guidance of Dr. John Kyndt and Julian Ramirez, the team uncovered some interesting features of the evolution of this native plant within its family. This now opens the doors for future evolutionary studies of these plant families. 

Cleomella serrulata was also one of the plants highlighted last year in our Art + Science presentation at the Benson Theatre for its unique color pigmentation. 

The sequencing of native plants, soil and mushrooms is an ongoing project, and there are more student opportunities to join in this research. For more information, contact Dr. John Kyndt.