David Lowry

About Me

I am a new postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin working on the genetics of adaptation and drought tolerance with the Texas Switchgrass Collaborative (Panicum). The aims of this project are to understand the evolutionary genetic and genomic mechanisms responsible for abiotic stress tolerance in this group of grasses and to leverage this knowledge to eventually create higher yielding bioenergy crops that will require minimal water inputs. This is an important goal, as there is often a trade-off between alternative energy sources, such as biofuels, with ever diminishing water resources.

The focus of my PhD dissertation research at Duke University was directed toward understanding the genetics of adaptation and speciation across the natural landscape. To this end, I chose to study how divergent adaptation of the yellow monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus), to the coast versus inland habitat, contributes to reproductive isolation. I used a combination of QTL mapping and candidate gene strategies to determine the genetic mechanisms that underlie the divergence of morphological and life-history traits between coast and inland Mimulus guttatus. Further, I carried out reciprocal transplant experiments and population genetic analysis to demonstrate that coast and inland Mimulus are locally adapted and reproductively isolated. I also conducted a more recent reciprocal transplant experiment with near isogenic lines to test hypotheses of local adaptation and introgression between ecogeographic races. In addition, I conducted genetic analysis of flowering time under different light conditions, anthocyanin production in vegetative tissues, and ion accumulation. Finally, I was involved with multiple aspects of the Mimulus guttatus genome project.

Publications

Lowry, D. B. Ecotypes and the controversy over stages in the formation of new species. (2012) Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Accepted

Lowry, D. B., C. T. Purmal, E. Meyer, T. E. Juenger. (2012) Microsatellite markers for the native Texas perennial grass, Panicum hallii (Poaceae). In press

Lowry, D. B., C. S. Sheng, Z. Zhu, T. E. Juenger, B. Lahner, D. E. Salt, J. H. Willis. (2012) Mapping of ionomic traits in Mimulus guttatus reveals Mo and Cd QTLs that colocalize with MOT1 homologues. PLoS One. Accepted

Lowry D. B., C.S. Sheng, J. R. Lasky, J.H. Willis. (2012) Five anthocyanin polymorphisms are associated with a R2R3-MYB cluster in Mimulus guttatus. American Journal of Botany. In press

Lowry, D. B., R. Hopkins. (2012) “Speciation and Natural Selection.” Invited book chapter in The Princeton Guide to Evolution, edited by Jonathan Losos. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. In press

Lowry, D.B., J. H. Willis. (2010) A widespread chromosomal inversion polymorphism contributes to a major life-history transition, local adaptation, and reproductive isolation. PLoS Biology 8: e1000500

Hall M. C., D. B. Lowry, J. H. Willis. (2010). Hall M. C., D. B. Lowry, J. H. Willis. (2010) Is local adaptation in Mimulus guttatus caused by trade-offs at individual loci? Molecular Ecology. 19: 2739-2753

Lowry, D. B. (2010) Landscape evolutionary genomics. Biology Letters. 6: 502-504

Wu, C. A., D. B. Lowry, L. I. Nutter, J. H. Willis. (2010) Natural variation for drought response in the Mimulus guttatus species complex. Oecologia 162: 23-33

Lowry, D. B., M. C. Hall, D. E. Salt, J. H. Willis. (2009). Genetic and physiological basis of adaptive salt tolerance divergence between coastal and inland Mimulus guttatus. New Phytologist 183: 776-788

Lowry, D. B., J. L. Modliszewski, K. M. Wright, C. A. Wu, J. H. Willis. (2008). The strength and genetic basis of reproductive isolating barriers in flowering plants. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 363: 3009-3021

Lowry, D. B., R. C. Rockwood, J. H. Willis. (2008). Ecological reproductive isolation of coast and inland races of Mimulus guttatus. Evolution 62: 2196-2214

Wu, C. A., D. B. Lowry, A. M. Cooley, K. M. Wright, Y. W. Lee, and J. H. Willis. (2008). Mimulus is an emerging model system for the integration of ecological and genomic studies. Heredity 100: 220-230.