 | | Charles W. Barnes |
Charles W. Barnes
Department of Plant Pathology
University of Minnesota Cereal Disease Laboratory
1551 Lindig Street
St. Paul, MN 55108
Email: barn0107@umn.edu
Phone: 612-625-7789
Research Focus
I develop real-time PCR assays for quantifying and identifying rust fungi that infect wheat, barley, rye, oat, the complex of rust fungi that cycle to big and little bluestem as their telial host, the complex of crown rust fungi that cycle to buckthorn as their aecial host, the rust fungi of sugarcane, and the two rust fungi that infect soybeans. Several of these assays have been further developed to assay rain for the fungal spores. This work is in collaboration with the National Atmospheric Deposition Program in Illinois. I also work on the P. graminis genome project developing EST libraries of various stages of the rust fungal life cycle.
Professional Experience
| 2006 - present | Post Doctoral Associate
Department of Plant Pathology
University of Minnesota | | 2003 - 2006 | Post Doctoral Associate
USDA-ARS | | 1998 - 2003 | Research Associate
Department of Plant Pathology
University of Minnesota | | 1994 - 1997 | Teaching Assistant
Department of Biology
University of Minnesota | | 1989 - 1994 | Assistant Scientist
Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation |
Awards and Honors
| 2007 | Plant-Microbe Genetics Institute, post-doc travel award | | 2006 | Plant-Microbe Genetics Institute, post-doc travel award | | 2005 | National Science Foundation, Entitled: Competitive and co-evolutionary dynamics of antibiotic interactions within Streptomyces communities in soil, as a co-principle investigator | | 2005 | Plant-Microbe Genetics Institute, post-doc travel award | | 2002 | Department of Plant Pathology, Ward C Stienstra/Richard A. Meronuck Travel Award | | 2001 | Department of Plant Pathology, Fred I. Frosheiser Scholarship | | 2001 | Center for Community Genetics, Ph.D. thesis research | | 2000 | Department of Plant Pathology, internship in Uruguay | | 2000 | National Agriculture Research Institute, internship in Uruguay | | 1999 | Center for Community Genetics, for Ph.D. thesis research | | 1998 | Center for Community Genetics, for Ph.D. thesis research | | 1995-1996 | University of Minnesota Summer Fellowship, master’s thesis research. | | 1995 | Alexander Anderson Grant, master’s thesis research |
Publications
Barnes CW, Szabo LJ. 2008. A rapid method for detecting and quantifying bacterial DNA in rust fungal DNA samples. Phytopathology. 98:115-119. Barnes CW, Szabo LJ. 2007. Detection and identification of four common rust pathogens of cereals and grasses using real-time PCR. Phytopathology. 97:717-727. Krupa S, Bowerson V, Claybrooke R, Barnes CW, Szabo L, Harlin K, Kurle J. 2006. Introduction of Asian soybean rust urediniospores into the Midwestern United States. Plant Disease. 90(9) 1254-1259. Barnes CW , Kinkel LL, Groth JV. 2005. Spatial and temporal dynamics of Puccinia andropogonis on Comandra umbellata and Andropogon gerardii in a native prairie. Canadian Journal of Botany. 83(9) 1159-1173. Barnes CW, Szabo LJ, May G, Groth JV. 2004. Inbreeding levels of two Ustilago maydis populations. Mycologia. 96(6) 1238-1246.
Presentations
“Long distance dispersal of Phakopsora pachyrhizi spores in rain, comparing data from 2005 and 2006.” American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. San Diego, CA. uly 28-August 1, 2007. “Detection, identification and quantification of rust fungal DNA with qPCR.” Washington State University, Pullman WA. July 24, 2007. “Rainwater monitoring of rust spores.” 2007 North American Cereal Rust Workshop, St. Paul, MN. April 2-4, 2007. “Detection of Phakopsora pachyrhizi spores in rain using a real-time PCR assay.” American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. Quebec City, Quebec Canada. July 31-August 3, 2006. “Real time PCR assays for detection of Phakopsora pachyrhizi DNA using National Atmospheric Deposition Program collectors and our portable precipitation collectors.” Annual Regional Rust meeting. Fargo, ND. March 8-9 2006. “Development of real time PCR assay for detecting Puccinia graminis and Phakopsora pachyrhizi rusts in rain.” Joint regional meeting of the American and Canadian Phytopathological Societies. Windsor, Ontario Canada. June 29-July 1, 2005. “Real time PCR results for detecting Puccinia graminis rust in rain. Annual Regional Rust meeting.” Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, February 14-16 2005. Presented lectures to the Genomics of Plant-Associated Microbes class (PLPA 5302) on uses of real-time PCR. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, January 28, 2004, and January 26, 2005, January 25, 2006. Presented seminars on real-time PCR and its uses to an advanced senior Biology class at Owatonna Senior High School, January 15, and May 6, 2004, and April 20, 2005, May 9, 2006. Presented real time PCR results Annual Regional Rust meeting in Fargo, ND, March 2-3 2004. “Genetic Control of Dimorphism in Ustilago maydis.” Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota. February, 2002. “Environmental Constraints on Infection of Big Bluestem by Puccinia andropogonis.” Center for Community Genetics, University of Minnesota. November, 2001. “Clustering of Plant Resistance Genes.” National Agriculture Research Institute, La Estazuela, Uruguay. April, 2000. “Clustering of Plant Resistance Genes.” University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay. May, 2000. “History of Southern Corn Leaf Blight (Cochliobolus heterostrophus).” National Agriculture Research Institute, La Estanzuela, Uruguay. May, 2000. “Genetic Diversity and Inbreeding in Corn Smut (Ustilago maydis).” National Agriculture Research Institute, La Estanzuela, Uruguay. May, 2000. “Spatial Dynamics of Rust Infection of Comandra and Big Bluestem in a Restored Prairie.” National Agriculture Research Institute, La Estanzuela, Uruguay. May, 2000. “Puccinia andropogonis, a model for other heteroecious rust fungi.” Center for Community Genetics, University of Minnesota.March, 1999. “Clustering of Plant Resistance Genes.” Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota. November, 1998. “Germination of Elaphomyces granulatus ascospores after passage through the digestive tract of the red-backed vole, Clethrionomys gapperi, and Small mammal foraging patterns for the hypogeous mycorrhizal fungus Elaphomyces granulatus.” University of Minnesota-Duluth seminar series. May, 1997. “Small mammal foraging patterns for the hypogeous mycorrhizal fungus Elaphomyces granulatus.” Lake Superior Biological Conference. November, 1996
Posters
| December 2007 | Phakopsora pachyrhizi in rain. C. Barnes, L. Szabo, V. Bowersox, C. Lehmann. National Soybean Rust Symposium. | | August 2007 | Wheat stem rust fungal genome sequencing project. L. Szabo, C. Cuomo, J. Schein, S. Zhong, D. Brown, R. Dean, C. Barnes. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | December 2006 | Comparison of 2005 and 2006 Phakopsora pachyrhizi spore rain trap data. C. Barnes, L. Szabo, J. Johnson, V. Bowersox, K. Harlin. National Soybean Rust Symposium. | | August 2006 | Detection of Phakopsora pachyrhizi DNA in rain using qPCR and a portable rain collector. C. Barnes, L. Szabo, J. Johnson, K-P. Nguyen, C. Floyd, and J. Kurle. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | August 2005 | Detection of Puccinia graminis spores in rain using a real-time PCR assay. C. Barnes, L. Szabo, J. Johnson, V. Bowersox, S. Krupa, D. Gay, K. Harlin. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | August 2004 | Detection of four rust pathogens of cereals and grasses using real-time PCR. C. Barnes, L. Szabo, K. Nguyen. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | August 2003 | Development of Real-time PCR assays for the detection of stem and leaf rust pathogens of wheat. C. Barnes, L. Szabo, K. Nguyen. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | August 2002 | Effects of fire on annual infection levels of big bluestem by Puccinia andropogonis. C. Barnes, J. Groth. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | August 2001 | The Importance of Inbreeding on Selection and Gene Flow for Maintaining Genetic Variation in Ustilago maydis. C. Barnes, S. Lundgren, J. Groth. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | August 1999 | Environmental constraints on infection of big bluestem by Puccinia andropogonis. C. Barnes, J. Groth. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | | August 1999 | Use of fallen logs by red-backed voles in a Minnesota old-growth forest. D. Christian, C. Barnes. Mammalogy society meetings in Seattle. | | September 1998 | Foraging patterns of small mammals in relation to occurrence of hypogeous Elaphomyces granulatus. C. Barnes, D. Christian, J. Groth. American Phytopathological Society annual meeting. | |
Committees and Organizations
| 2006 - present | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology, Chair of Profession and Academic staff | | 2001 - 2002 | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology, President of Plant Pathology Student Organization | | 2001 - 2002 | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology, Graduate Student Symposium Committee | | 2000 - 2003 | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology Research Committee | | 2000 - 2003 | University of Minnesota Graduate School Biological Sciences Policy and Review Committee | | 1999 - 2003 | University of Minnesota Graduates Schools' Academic Grievance Committee | | 1999 - 2000 | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology Vice-President Plant Pathology student organization | | 1999 - 2000 | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology PAIR Committee | 1999 - 2000 | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology Computer Resource Committee | | 2000 | University of Minnesota Plant Pathology Lieberman Okinow Endowed Chair Search Committee |
Professional Organizations
| Present | Member of the American Phytopathological Society, and Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society |
Internship
| March - June 2000, La Estanzuela Uruguay | I collected samples of Ustilago maydis for genetic analysis of variation between North and South American populations in Itumbiara and Sete Lagoas, Brazil, 5 locations in Uruguay, and near Tandil Argentina. The analysis was performed at the University of Minnesota using the AFLP technique. The second objective of the internship in Uruguay was to investigate opportunities for other students within Plant Pathology, as well as other departments in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota to study, or do internships in Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. I interviewed research directors at EMBRAPA in Sete Lagoas, Brazil, at Pioneer in Itumbiara, Brazil, and at INIA (National Agricultural Research Institute) in La Estanzuela, Uruguay. I met with numerous researchers at all the locations where I collected Ustilago samples. I discussed internship possibilities with personnel from Partners of Minnesota, the Office of International Agricultural Programs at the University of Minnesota, and the director of International Relations of INIA. |
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