Horticultural Sciences

Dr. Robert J. Ferl

Distinguished Professor and Director

Mailing Address:
Fifield Hall
2550 Hull Road
PO Box 110690
Gainesville, Florida 32611

Office: 2109 Fifield Hall
Phone: (352) 273-4822
E-mail: robferl@ufl.edu

Lab website: UF Space Plants

Areas of Research
- Space biology
  - Transcriptomics
  - Epigenomics
  - Proteomics
- Plant Imaging
- Examination of 14-3-3 proteins
- Examination of chromatin structure

Educational Background
- Ph.D., M.A., Genetics and Biochemistry, Indiana University (1980)
- B.A., Hiram College (1976)

Work Experience
- Professor, Horticultural Sciences Department (1990-present)
- Director Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research (2006-present)
- Director Center for Exploration Life Sciences KSC (2001-present)
- Director of UF ICBR DNA Sequencing Laboratory (1988-2005)
- Assistant Director, UF Biotechnology Program (1994-2006)
- Director of UF ICBR BEECS Genetics Laboratory (1992-1995)
- Chairman, Institutional Biosafety Committee (1998-1995)
- Administrative Council, Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research at UF (1990-1991)
- Biological Sciences Teaching Program, University of Florida (1985-1987)
- Acting Chairman, Department of Botany, University of Florida (1986-1987)
- Associate Professor, Department of Vegetable Crops (1987-1990)
- Associate Professor, Department of Botany, University of Florida (1986-1987)
- Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, University of Florida (1980-1986)

Honors and Awards
- The AIAA Jeffries Award, 2016
- NASA Exception Scientific Achievement Medal, 2016
- Co-recipient of NASA Award for Most Compelling Science on the ISS, awarded jointly with Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul, 2015
- Member- National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council NASA Decadal Study, 2010
- Chair- Science Council –Division of Space Life Sciences for USRA 2010-2013
- UFRF Professorship 1999, 2005
- CREES Recognition Award 1997
- US Secretary of Agriculture Honor Award for Excellence 1997
- Award of Excellence for Graduate Research, IFAS, University of Florida, 1994
- Board of Examiners for GRE Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 1989 – 1996
- Harper Collins Biology Texts
- Faculty Research Achievement Award 1987, 1989, 1992
- Distinguished Teaching Award, 1984 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida
- Teacher of the Year, Lambda Gamma Phi Honorary Society, University of Florida, 1984
- Visiting Research Scientist: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Division of Plant Industry, Canberra, Australia 3/81 to 8/81

Program Personnel
- Brandon Califar, Graduate Student
- Jordan Callaham, Lab Manager

Selected Publications

Authors	Year	Title / Description	Publication
Paul A-L, Sng NJ, Zupanska AK, Krishnamurthy A, Schultz ER, Ferl RJ	2017	Genetic dissection of the Arabidopsis spaceflight transcriptome: Are some responses dispensable for the physiological adaptation of plants to spaceflight?	PLoS One 12: e0180186.
Zupanska AK, Schultz ER, Yao J, Sng NJ, Zhou M, Callaham JB, Ferl RJ, Paul A-L	2017	ARG1 Functions in the Physiological Adaptation of Undifferentiated Plant Cells to Spaceflight.	Astrobiology 17: 1077-1111.
Paul A-L, Zhou M, Callaham JB, Reyes M, Stasiak M, Riva A, Zupanska AK, Dixon MA, Ferl RJ	2017	Patterns of Arabidopsis gene expression in the face of hypobaric stress.	AoB Plants 9: plx030.
LeFrois CE, Zhou M, Amador DM, Sng N, Paul A-L, Ferl RJ	2016	Enabling the Spaceflight Methylome: DNA Isolated from Plant Tissues Preserved in RNAlater™ Is Suitable for Bisulfite PCR Assay of Genome Methylation.	Gravitational and Space Research 4: 28-37.
Ferl RJ and Paul A-L.	2016	The effect of spaceflight on the gravity-sensing auxin gradient of roots: GFP reporter gene microscopy on orbit.	Nature Microgravity 2, 15023.
Schultz E. R., Paul A.-L., and Ferl R. J.	2016	Root Growth Patterns and Morphometric Change Based on the Growth Media.	Microgravity Sci Technol: 1-11.
Ferl RJ, Koh J, Denison F, Paul A-L	2015	Spaceflight Induces Specific Alterations in the Proteomes of Arabidopsis.	Astrobiology 15: 32-56.
Paul A-L and Ferl RJ	2015	Spaceflight exploration in plant gravitational biology.	Methods in Molecular Biology 1309:285-305.
Paul A-L, Zupanska AK, Schultz ER, Ferl RJ	2013	Organ-specific remodeling of the Arabidopsis transcriptome in response to spaceflight.	BMC Plant Biology. 13:112.
Zupanska AK, Ferl RJ, Denison FC, Paul A‐L	2013	Spaceflight engages heat shock protein and other molecular chaperone genes in Arabidopsis tissue culture cells.	Am. Journal of Botany 100:235-248.
Paul A-L, Wheeler R, Levine H, Ferl RJ	2013	Fundamental plant biology enabled by the space shuttle.	Am. Journal of Botany 100:226-234.
Paul A‐L, Amalfitano CE, Ferl RJ	2012	Plant growth strategies are remodeled by spaceflight.	BMC Plant Biology. 12:232 doi:10.1186/1471-2229-12-232.
Paul A-L, Denison FC, Schultz ER, Zupanska AK, Ferl RJ	2012	14-3-3 phosphoprotein interaction networks - does isoform diversity present functional interaction specification?	Front Plant Sci 3: 190.
Schultz E, Zupanska A, Manning-Roach S, Camacho J, Levine H, Paul A-L and Ferl RJ	2012	Testing the Bio-compatibility of Aluminum PDFU BRIC Hardware.	Gravitational and Space Biology 26(2): 48-63.
Mayfield JD, Paul A-L, Ferl RJ	2012	The 14-3-3 proteins of Arabidopsis regulate root growth and chloroplast development as components of the photosensory system.	J. Exp.Botany.
Paul A-L, Zupanska A, Ostrow DT, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Li J-L, Shanker S, Farmerie WG, Amalfitano CE, Ferl RJ	2012	Spaceflight transcriptomes: unique responses to a novel environment.	Astrobiology 12: 40-56.
Paul A-L and Ferl RJ	2011	Using green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter genes in RNAlater™ fixed tissue.	Gravitational and Space Biology 25(1): 40-43.
Paul A-L, Manak MS, Mayfield JD, Reyes MF, Gurley WB, and Ferl RJ	2011	Parabolic flight induces changes in gene expression patterns in Arabidopsis thaliana.	Astrobiology 2011 Oct;11(8):743-58.
Ferl RJ, Zupanska A, Spinale A, Reed D, Manning-Roach S, Guerra G, Cox D, Paul A-L	2011	Performance of KSC Fixation Tubes with RNALater for orbital experiments: a case study in ISS operations for molecular biology.	Advances in Space Research 48: 199-206.
Visscher AM, A-L Paul, M Kirst, CL. Guy, AC. Schuerger, and RJ. Ferl	2010	Responses of wildtype arabidopsis and ion transporter mutants to high levels of magnesium sulfate; consequences for (extra)terrestrial plant growth.	PLoS One 5(8): e12348.
Ferl RJ, Paul A-L	2010	Lunar Plant Biology – A Review the Apollo Era.	Astrobiology 10: 261-74.