Overview

Mike Scanlon received his Ph. D in Genetics in 1993 from Iowa State University, and was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at University of California-Berkeley from 1993-1997. Mike joined the faculty of the Plant Biology Department at the University of Georgia in September 1997, and moved his lab to the Department of Plant Biology at Cornell University in January 2006.

Research Focus

Research in the Scanlon lab focuses on mechanisms of plant development and the evolution of plant morphology. The development of all above ground (shoot) organs in plants is dependent upon the activity of shoot meristems, small populations of pluripotent stem cells that are established in the embryo and maintained throughout the plant life cycle. Utilizing comparative developmental genetics and functional genomics, we are especially interested in understanding the evolution of developmental mechanisms whereby meristems make leaves and embryos make meristems. Our lab exploits leaf and embryo mutants of maize, Arabidopsis and tomato as the foundation for comparative studies of these fundamental processes in plant development.

Outreach and Extension Focus

Outreach has been performed as part of NSF grants awarded to Scanlon. Scanlon has trained nine undergraduate students to perform lab work in molecular genetics in the last four years. PI Scanlon developed a course targeted to non-science major students entitled "Hollywood Biology" which examined the treatment of scientific subjects in film, and included lectures and discussions of the topics, their scientific validity, and ethical considerations. Two undergraduate students from this course later worked in the Scanlon laboratory. Scanlon taught a course "Gene Technology" for six years at UGA to graduate and undergraduate students. Two Biology undergraduates became interested in obtaining research experience in molecular biology and worked in Scanlon`s lab after taking this course. Scanlon became co-advisor to a Geography Ph. D student enrolled in Gene Technology, and trained him to perform SSR analyses of an endangered plant species. All the molecular genetics in two papers published by this student (now an Assistant Professor at Florida Atlantic U.) was performed in Scanlon`s laboratory at UGA. PI Scanlon, as part of NSF outreach activities, presented seminars at the AP Biology classroom of Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, GA; approximately 60% of the students enrolled at Cedar Shoals High School represent minority groups that are under-represented in science. One high school senior was recruited and worked part-time in the Scanlon laboratory. Also, in summer 2006, PI Scanlon's laboratory hosted Dr. Gokhan Hacisalihoglu for two weeks, where he was trained in qRT-PCR and laser-microdissection microarray technologies. Dr. Hacisalihoglu is a professor at Florida A &M, which is a historically black university in Tallahassee, FLA. Also during summer 2006 and 2007, Scanlon hosted and trained High School student Eric Kelsey, who was recruited from Kennebunkport, ME High School by Cornell's PGRP outreach program. Kelsey worked on a project to analyze evolution of duplicated genes in the genus Zea, and is now a Cornell Undergraduate working in the Scanlon laboratory. Devon VanNoble, a Cornell undergraduate, ahs worked as a laboratory assitant since 8/07; previously, Amanda Belawski worked as a research undergraduate from 6/06 - 6/07, whereupon Ms. Belawski graduated. During summer 2007, undergraduate student Doug Eudy (Truman State U) spent 10 weeks in the Scanlon lab studying reverse genetics.

Instruction Focus

During my tenure as a plant biology professor, I have regularly taught an upper undergraduate-level course in molecular cloning entitled "Gene Technology", and a graduate-level course entitled "Plant Developmental Biology". In addition I also developed graduate seminar courses entitled "Evolution of Plant Morphology" and "Phytohormones and Signal Transduction", as well as a freshmen non majors course called "Biology Goes to the Movies" in which we evaluate the science, ethics and credibility of biological topics that are presented in films such as Jurrasic Park, Inherit the Wind, Boys from Brazil, and The Andromeda Strain. Each of these classes presents unique challenges, and attracts quite different students in terms of experience, maturity and career goals.

Additional Links

• Cornell Plant Biology,
• Gene expression and visualization application
• Maize shoot apical meristem
• Scanlon Lab
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Selected Publications

• Zhang X, Madi S, Borsuk L, Nettleton D, Elshire RJ, Buckner B, Janick-Buckner D, Beck J, Timmermans M, Schnable PS, Scanlon MJ 2007. Laser microdissection of narrow sheath mutant maize uncovers novel gene expression in the shoot apical meristem. PLoS Genet 3(6):e101.
• Henderson, D. C., Zhang, X., Brooks, L. and Scanlon, M. J. 2006. RAGGED SEEDLING2 is Required for Normal Expression of KANADI2 and REVOLUTA homologues in the Maize Shoot Apex. Genesis: J of Genetics and Development 44: 372-382.
• Fu, S., Rogowsky, P., Lutz, N., Scanlon, M.J. 2006. The maize heat shock factor-binding protein paralogs EMP2 and HSBP2 interact non-redundantly with specific heat shock factors.Planta 22: 42-52.
• Henderson, D.C., Muehlbauer, G.J., Scanlon, M.J. 2005. Radial leaves of the maize mutantragged seedling2 retain dorsiventral anatomy. Developmental Biology 282: 455-466.
• Nardmann, J. and Ji, J., Werr, W. and Scanlon, M. J. 2004. The maize duplicate genes narrow sheath1 and narrow sheath2 encode a conserved homeobox gene function in a lateral domain of shoot apical meristems. Development 13: 2827.
• Fu, S. and Scanlon, M. J. 2004. Clonal Mosaic Analysis of EMPTY PERICARP2 Reveals Nonredundant Functions of the Duplicated HEAT SHOCK FACTOR BINDING PROTEINs During Maize Shoot Development. Genetics 167:1381.
• Scanlon, M. J. 2003. The Polar Auxin Transport Inhibitor NPA Disrupts Leaf Initiation, KNOX Protein Regulation, and Formation of Leaf Margins in Maize. Plant Phys. 133: 597.
• Fu, S., Meeley, R. and Scanlon, M. J. 2002. empty pericarp2 encodes a negative regulator of the heat shock response and is required for early stages of maize embryogenesis. Plant Cell 14:3119.
• Scanlon, M. J., Henderson, D. C. and Bernstein, B. 2002. SEMAPHORE1 functions during the regulation of ancestrally-duplicated knox genes and polar auxin transport in maize. Development 129: 2663.
• Scanlon, M. J. 2000. NARROW SHEATH1 functions from discrete meristematic foci during recruitment of leaf founder cells in maize. Development 127: 4573-4585.

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