DUVALL LAB
Research
Phylogenomics & Transcriptomics
We evaluate fundamental aspects of plant evolution using complete plastid chromosome (plastome) sequences and complete transcriptome sequences. We use the large plant family, Poaceae (grasses), as our study system. Grasses exhibit much of the evolutionary complexity found among land plants and so the work that we do with grasses has broad implications for plant evolution.
The herbarium at NIU is an internationally recognized systematic collection. The International Association for Plant Taxonomy has assigned it the code "DEK" by which it is known and acknowledged worldwide in Index herbariorum (see www.nybg.org/bsci/ih/ih.html).
Holdings presently total about 19,000 specimens of vascular plants plus an additional 2000 bryophytes.
To make the collection generally accessible, digitization of both high resolution imagery and the specimen label information is underway. Digitized information is available at the Northern Great Plains Herbarium Portal (http://ngpherbaria.org/portal/).
The living collection is maintained in the greenhouse complex in the department of biology (http://niu.edu/biology/campus-experiences/facilities/greenhouse.shtml). There are currently a number of threatened or endangered species in the collection and propagation attempts are underway. One notable example, Cycas circinalis, is an Indian endemic restricted to the Western Ghats. Pollen that was generously donated from a conspecific plant at the Chicago Botanic Garden was used to pollinate and fertilize ovules on the NIU specimen. Although development is slow, we hope to have a crop of viable seeds late in 2018.