Dr Tina Summerfield
Tina Summerfield’s research interests involve the application of molecular genetics to examine the diversity and metabolic flexibility of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are a diverse phylum of photosynthetic microbes with potential applications in bioremediation, bioenergy production, biofertilisation and in the identification of novel bioactive compounds.
These resilient organisms are found in almost all environments on Earth and include strains capable of cellular differentiation and symbiotic association. Dr Summerfield’s work combines the use of model strains, for which high throughput genomics approaches are available, alongside screening for novel New Zealand cyanobacterial strains.
Recent publications
Shcolnick, S., Summerfield, T.C., Reytman, L., Sherman L., and Keren N. (2009) The relationship of oxidative stress to iron stress in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Plant Physiology 150: 2045-2056
Toepel, J., McDermott, J., Summerfield, T.C., and Sherman L.A. (2009) Transcriptional analysis of the unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 grown under short day/night cycles. Journal of Phycology 45: 610-620
Summerfield, T.C., Toepel, J. and Sherman L.A. (2008) Low oxygen induction of normally cryptic psbA genes in cyanobacteria. Biochemistry 47: 12939-12941
Summerfield, T.C. and Sherman L.A. (2008) Transcriptional response of the alkalitolerant cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 to pH 10. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 74: 5276-5284
Toepel, J., Welsh, E., Summerfield T.C., Pakrasi, H. and Sherman L.A. (2008) Genome wide analysis of the circadian rhythms in the cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 during continuous-light growth. Journal of Bacteriology 190: 3904-3913
For more information on Tina: http://www.botany.otago.ac.nz/people/staff/summerfield.html