Blake C. Meyers

Biography

The primary emphasis of the Meyers lab is the analysis of small RNAs in plants. With our many collaborators, we have pioneered genomic analysis of small RNAs and their targets, working with "next-gen" sequencing technologies nearly since their invention. Our work with next-gen sequencing stretches back to ~2001, when Blake first utilized "MPSS" for the analysis of gene expression in Arabidopsis. This led to the development in the Meyers lab of the first publicly-accessible browser for next-gen data. The lab continued to develop mRNA and small RNA analyses using different types of next-gen sequencing.

Research Interest

Specific areas of research include the use of these technologies to assess small RNA function and biogenesis in a broad range of plants, including Arabidopsis, maize, soybean, rice, and diverse other species. These data are being used to identify novel transcripts, to study small RNAs, microRNA targets, alternatively-polyadenylated transcripts, non-coding RNAs and gene silencing. We currently study phased secondary siRNAs in plants, including their function, evolution, and biogenesis. We have also created query & analysis tools for small RNA data. We also continue to study disease resistance genes in plants, name the NLR or "NB-LRR" genes that provide the first line of defense in many specific plant-pathogen interactions. These genes are targets of an unusually diverse set of microRNAs, triggering phasiRNAs, and providing an excellent case study for post-transcriptional control and its evolution in plants.