Featured Publications
Zhan et al., PNAS (2024)
Premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs are present in the Zea genus and unique in biogenesis mechanism and molecular function
Zhan et al., Annual Review of Plant Biology (2023)
Plant small RNAs: their biogenesis, regulatory roles, and functions
Bélanger et al., The Plant Cell (2023)
Plastid dsRNA transgenes trigger phased small RNA-based gene silencing of nuclear-encoded genes
Pokhrel et al., Nat Commun (2021)
Pre-meiotic 21-nucleotide reproductive phasiRNAs emerged in seed plants and diversified in flowering plants
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About Blake Meyers & the Lab
The Meyers Lab pioneered the application of the prior generation of high-throughput, short read technologies (MPSS) for mRNA and small RNA analyses. We led the way to the shift to Illumina’s SBS sequencing, co-developing the widely-used application of small RNA sequencing. We have also developed a number of other applications of this technology, plus the informatics to handle those data.
We are actively applying these methods to a variety of questions about small RNA biology and gene expression, particularly in crop plants, but also several models.
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Research in the Lab
Our current research includes programs that emphasize bioinformatics and plant functional genomics. These programs include:
- Analyses of small RNA, DNA methylation, and the genomes of rice, Arabidopsis and other species using short-read DNA sequencing technologies.
- Development and implementation of novel informatics approaches for the storage, analysis, display, and public release of these data.
- Functional and evolutionary analyses of several gene families of interest, particularly miRNAs, phasiRNAs and the proteins involved in their biogenesis, as well as NB-LRR disease resistance genes.