Networks
Owens, Tom
Associate Professor
Positions
- Associate Professor, Plant Biology (BIOPL), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
My overall goals at Cornell continue to be improving the pedogagy of instruction, particularly in large classroom environments. I continue to work on several aspects of the biology curriculum. I chair several committees in the Office of Undergraduate Biology focused on teaching and research in the Biology major. This year I am on a leave of absence from Cornell, producing 3D animations of cellular processes and associated online, Socratic tutorials for use in introductory biology courses.
Research Areas
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Affiliations
Research
research overview
- In research, I am involved in a collaborative projects looking at the effects of polyploidy on photosynthetic capacity in the genus Glycine (with Jeff Doyle). These studies will have critical implications for the long standing efforts (largely unsuccessful) to produce plants with higher photosynthetic capabilities.
area(s) of concentration/expertise
keywords
- Innovative teaching
- biophysics
- computer simulation
- photosynthesis
- plant physiology
submitted impact statement
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- A comparative transcriptomic study of an allotetraploid and its diploid progenitors illustrates the unique advantages and challenges of RNA-Seq in plant species.. American Journal of Botany. 99:383-396. 2012
- Anatomical, biochemical and photosynthetic responses to recent allopolyploidy in Glycine dolichocarpa. American Journal of Botany. 99:55-67. 2012
- Transgressive physiological and transcriptomic responses to light stress in allopolyploid Glycine dolichocarpa (Leguminosae).. Heredity. 2012
- Grass roots chemistry: meta-tyrosine, and herbicidal nonprotein amino acid. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104:16964-16969. 2007
- Ecosystem respiration rates are not constant over diel cycles: direct quantification using dissolved oxygen concentration and isotopic composition in experimental ponds. Limnology and Oceanography. 49:1907-1918. 2005
- Effects of elevated carbon dioxide on gas exchange and photochemical and nonphotochemical quenching at low temperature in tobacco plants varying in Rubisco activity. Photosynthesis Research. 83:63-74. 2005
- Expression of complementary RNA from chloroplast transgenes affects editing efficiency of transgene and endogenous chloroplast transcripts. Nucleic Acids Research. 33:1454-1464. 2005
- Nitrogen/phosphorous leaf stoichiometry and the scaling of plant growth. Ecology Letters. 8:536-642. 2005
- Gas exchange and co-regulation of photochemical and nonphotochemical quenching in bean during chilling at ambient and elevated carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis Research. 79:71-82. 2004
- Manipulation of root hair development and sorgoleone production in sorghum seedlings. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 30:199-213. 2004
- Excited state dynamics in Photosystem II. New insights from the X-ray crystal structure. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 98:8602-8607. 2001
- Using Lycopersicon hirsutum as a source of cold tolerance in processing tomato breeding. Acta Horticulturae. 542:387-392. 2001
- Quantitative trait loci analysis of photoinhibition under chilling stress in tomato. Acta Horticulturae. 521:227-323. 2000
- Kinetic analysis of P700 photooxidation and P700+ reduction kinetics in detergent-isolated Photosystem I preparations. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1413:108-116. 1999
- Reaction center of photosystem II with a chemically-modified pigment composition: exchange of pheophytins with 131-deoxo-131-hydorxy-pheophytin a. FEBS Letters. 450:163-167. 1999
- Detailed balance in Forster-Dexter excitation transfer and its application to photosynthesis. Journal of Physical Chemistry. 102:1641-1646. 1998
- Spectral and photochemical properties of borohydride-treated D1-D2-cytochrome b-559 complex of photosystem II. FEBS Letters. 420:171-174. 1997
- Oxygenic photoautotrophic growth without Photosystem I. Science. 273:364-367. 1996
- Chemical platinization and its effect on excitation transfer dynamics and P700 photooxidation kinetics in isolated Photosystem I. Biophysical Journal. 69:652-659. 1995
- The first 100 picoseconds of photosynthesis. Forefronts. 10:6-9. 1995
- Excited state dynamics in chlorophyll-based antennae: The role of transfer equilibrium. Biophysical Journal. 66:844-860. 1994
- Femtosecond dynamics of population and coherence of the S2 state of bacteriochlorophyll (the Qx absorption band) in vivo and in vitro. Laser Physics. 17:483-488. 1994
- The effects of excess irradiance on photosynthesis in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Plant Physiology. 106:763-770. 1994
- Photochemical and nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching processes in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Plant Physiology. 101:1323-1330. 1993
- Limitations of the pulse-modulated technique for measuring the fluorescence characteristics of algae. Plant Physiology. 100:367-373. 1992
- On subpicosecond excitation energy transfer in light-harvesting complexes (LHC): the B800-850 LHC of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1. J. Luminescence. 53:179-186. 1992
- Quenching of chlorophyll excited states in Photosystem I by quinones: Stern-Volmer analysis of fluorescence and photochemical yield. J. Luminescence. 51:79-90. 1992
- A femtosecond study of electronic state dynamics of fucoxanthin and implications for photosynthetic carotenoid-to-chlorophyll energy transfer mechanisms. Chem. Phys. 154:171-178. 1991
- Calculation of absolute Photosystem I absorption cross-section from P700 photo-oxidation kinetics. Photosynthesis Research. 29:23-35. 1991
- Carotenoids in photosynthesis: structure and photochemistry. Pure and Applied Chemistry. 63:109-114. 1991
- Determination of the S2 lifetime of β-carotene. Chem. Phys. Lett. 178:89-96. 1991
- Femtosecond energy transfer processes in the B800-850 light-harvesting complex of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1058:280-288. 1991
- Seedling growth and effects of short-term chilling stress on photosynthesis in chilling-sensitive and chilling-tolerant cultivars of Zea mays. Journal of Plant Physiology. 137:559-564. 1991
- Simultaneous saturation of variable fluorescence and photoacoustically monitored thermal emission in thylakoid membranes. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 53:565-569. 1991
- Detection of photosynthetic energy storage in a Photosystem I reaction center preparation by photoacoustic spectroscopy. Photosynthesis Research. 24:201-208. 1990
- Femtosecond dynamics of carotenoid to chlorophyll energy transfer in thylakoid membrane preparations from Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Nannochloropsis sp. Chem. Phys. Lett. 166:369-374. 1990
- Femtosecond dynamics of energy transfer in B800-850 light-harvesting complexes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 87:215-219. 1990
- Photosynthesis at high temperature in Solanum Species. A comparison between accessions of contrasting heat tolerance. Plant Physiology. 93:791-797. 1990
- Two-photon excitation spectroscopy of thylakoid membranes from Phaeodactylum tricornutum: Evidence for an in vivo two-photon allowed carotenoid state. Chemical Physics Letters. 170:51-56. 1990
- Excitation transport and trapping on spectrally disordered lattices. Biophysical Journal. 56:1203-1215. 1989
- Measurement of fractional oxygenation of leghemoglobin in detached pea nodules using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Plant Physiology. 91:598-602. 1989
- Physiological and morphological modifications of Plantago major (Plantaginaceae) in response to light conditions. American Journal of Botany. 76:370-382. 1989
- Antenna structure and excitation dynamics in Photosystem I. I. Studies of detergent isolated Photosystem I preparations using time resolved fluorescence analysis. Biophysical Journal. 53:733-745. 1988
- Antenna structure and excitation dynamics in Photosystem I. II. Studies with mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii lacking Photosystem II. Biophysical Journal. 56:95-106. 1988
- Physiological and morphological modifications of Plantago major L. (Plantaginaceae) in response to light conditions. American Journal of Botany. 76:370-382. 1988
- Antenna size dependence of fluorescence decay in the core antenna of Photosystem I. Experimental estimates of charge separation and energy transfer rates. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 84:1532-1536. 1987
- Photosynthetic light harvesting function of violaxanthin in Nannochloropsis spp. (Eustigmatophyceae). Journal of Phycology. 23:79-85. 1987
- Light harvesting function in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. I. Isolation and characterization of pigment protein complexes. Plant Physiology. 80:732-738. 1986
- Light harvesting function in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. II. Distribution of excitation energy. Plant Physiology. 80:739-746. 1986
- Photosystem II heterogeneity in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 43:535-544. 1986
- A technique for estimating phytoplankton division rates by using a DNA binding fluorescent dye. Limnology and Oceanography. 27:776-782. 1982
- Effects of growth irradiance on the ratio of reaction centers in two species of marine phytoplankton. Plant Physiology. 68:969-973. 1981
- Enzymatic degradation of chlorophyll a by marine phytoplankton in vitro. Phytochemistry. 21:979-984. 1981
- Diel periodicity in cellular chlorophyll content of marine diatoms. Marine Biology. 59:71-77. 1980
- Light shade adaptation. Two strategies in marine phytoplankton. Plant Physiology. 66:592-595. 1980
- Respiration and physiological state in marine bacteria. Marine Biology. 55:267-276. 1980
- Chlorophyll turnover in Skeletonema costatum, a marine plankton diatom. Plant Physiology. 64:49-54. 1979
- Effects of light intensity on photosynthesis and dark respiration in six species of marine phytoplankton. Marine Biology. 45:289-295. 1978
- Studies of delta aminolevulinic acid dehydrase from Skeletonema costatum, a marine plankton diatom. Plant Physiology. 62:516-521. 1978
- Measurement of respiratory electron transport system activity in marine zooplankton. Marine Biology. 30:27-36. 1975
- Nutrient transport through Lancaster Sound in relation to the Arctic Ocean's reactive silicate budget and the outflow of Bering Strait waters. Limnology and Oceanography. 20:115-119. 1975
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booksection
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chapter
- Processing of excitation energy by antenna pigments: regulation of light energy utilization in photosynthesis. Environmental Stress and Photosynthesis. 1-24. 1996
- Excitation energy transfer between chlorophylls and carotenoids. A proposed molecular mechanism for non-photochemical quenching. Photoinhibition of Photosynthesis: From Molecular Mechanism to the Field. 95-109. 1994
- In vivo chlorophyll fluorescence as a probe of photosynthetic physiology. Responses to the Gaseous Environment: Molecular, Metabolic and Physiological Aspects. 195-217. 1994
- Energy Transformation and Fluorescence in Photosynthesis. Particle Analysis in Oceanography. 101-140. 1991
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conference paper
- From the Cover: Grass roots chemistry: meta-Tyrosine, an herbicidal nonprotein amino acid. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 16964-16969. 2007
- Interaction of DspE/A, a pathogenicity/avirulence protein of Erwinia amylovora, with pre-ferredoxin from apple and its relationship to photosynthetic efficiency. Proceedings X International Workshop on Fire Blight. 473-477. 2006
- Dynamics and mechanism on singlet energy transfer between carotenoids and chlorophylls: light harvesting and non-photochemical fluorescence quenching. Research in photosynthesis: Proceedings of the IXth International Congress on Photosynthesis, Nagoya, Japan, August 30-September 4, 1992. 179-186. 1993
- Carotenoid to chlorophyll a singlet energy transfer: Direct evidence for involvement of the carotenoid `A' state in an algal light-harvesting system. Current research in photosynthesis: proceedings of the VIIIth International Congress on Photosynthesis, Stockholm, Sweden, August 6-11, 1989. 293-296. 1990
- Femtosecond dynamics of carotenoid to chlorophyll energy transfer in thylakoid membrane preparations from Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Nannochloropsis sp. Current research in photosynthesis: proceedings of the VIIIth International Congress on Photosynthesis, Stockholm, Sweden, August 6-11, 1989. 289-292. 1990
- Characterization of the fluorescence decay of the chl a/b protein. Progress in photosynthesis research: proceedings of the VIIth International Congress on Photosynthesis, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, August 10-15, 1986. 171-174. 1987
- Time resolved fluorescence decay kinetics in Photosystem I. Experimental estimates of charge separation and energy transfer rates. Progress in photosynthesis research: proceedings of the VIIth International Congress on Photosynthesis, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, August 10-15, 1986. 83-86. 1987
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report
Teaching
teaching overview
- Quality teaching remains my highest priority at Cornell, with a focus on mentoring students to be critical thinkers in both large and small classroom environments.
teaching activities
- BIOPL-7440: Graduate Research in Plant Biology - Spring 2013
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Spring 2013
- BIOG-1440: Introductory Biology: Comparative Physiology - Fall 2012
- BIOMG-4831: Concepts and Techniques in Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2012
- BIOPL-4831: Concepts and Techniques in Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2012
- BIOPL-7440: Graduate Research in Plant Biology - Fall 2012
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Fall 2012
- PLBR-4831: Concepts and Techniques in Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2012
- PLPA-4831: Concepts and Techniques in Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2012
- BIOPL-3420: Plant Physiology, Lectures - Spring 2012
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Spring 2012
- BIOG-1440: Introduction to Comparative Physiology - Fall 2011
- BIOMG-4831: Plant Molecular Biology I: Concepts and Techniques of Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2011
- BIOPL-4831: Plant Molecular Biology I: Concepts and Techniques of Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2011
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Fall 2011
- PLBR-4831: Plant Molecular Biology I: Concepts and Techniques of Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2011
- PLPA-4831: Plant Molecular Biology I: Concepts and Techniques of Plant Molecular Biology - Fall 2011
Service
service to the profession
- International Photosynthesis Society Member 2002 - 2010
reviewer or editor for
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Plant Biology/Biophysics, Cornell University 1985
- M.S. in Chemical Oceanography, University of Washington 1976
- B.S. in Chemistry/Chem Oceanography, University of Washington 1974
awards and honors
Other
college
- CALS
research keyword
- Innovative teaching
- biophysics
- computer simulation
- photosynthesis
- plant physiology