Melissa Magerøy
Research Scientist
Biography
I am a molecular biologist and biochemist focused on plants. During my bachelor’s degree, I researched light responses in cucumber and Arabidopsis. I completed my PhD at the University of Florida, studying flavor-related molecules in tomato. I then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia, investigating insect defense mechanisms in spruce. I am now continuing this work at NIBIO by studying the epigenetic mechanisms of defense priming and how priming can be used in integrated pest management. I am also passionate about training young researchers and have been an advisor for many master’s and PhD students. My areas of expertise include plant defense, molecular biology, plant biochemistry, epigenetics and functional genomics.
Abstract
In this chapter, we outline what is known about climatic and stress memory in trees, with examples covering different groups and species of trees (conifers, poplar, oak, ash, and eucalypts). We focus on two broad types of memory: (1) immune memory involved in inducible defenses (defense priming) and (2) climatic memory, whereby trees maintain certain phenological phenotypes in response to environmental conditions experienced during embryogenesis. We outline the epigenetic mechanisms that are thought to be involved in the creation and maintenance of climatic and stress memory in trees. We also give examples of how to study such memories in trees. In these examples, we focus on research protocols that have been proven useful to characterize memories and their mechanistic basis, with an emphasis on molecular techniques that can be used to dissect epigenetic mechanisms.
Abstract
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Authors
Zahra Bitarafan Melissa Magerøy Rafael de Andrade Moral Najmeh Salehan Kristian Schmidt Nielsen Christian AndreasenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
