Tyler Hausman

Research Project

I am assisting with the genetic transformation of tomatoes that will allow for the monitoring of virus movement within the plant. The primary constructs we are transforming are the Luciferase reporter genes (several types) that are driven by the sense strand bi-directional promoter of the Tomato Mottle Virus (ToMoV). As a result, the transactivating protein from the antisense virus replication functions will activate this promoter to express the luciferase with the virus is present. This effort requires the transformation of tomato seedling cotyledons using Agrobacterium vectors carrying this inducible transgene. The tissues are then subsequently transfered to media with different hormones to induce shoots, roots and eventially produce regenerated transgenic plants. In parallel with these efforts I have been assisting with the later down-stream efforts of transgene segregation studies (seed fermentations etc.) that are the process of creating transgenic plants.