Faculty note: Grubisha publication

Lisa Grubisha, assistant professor of biology with Natural and Applied Sciences, has published a paper titled “Characterization of Microsatellite Markers for Pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea (Ericaceae), from Illumina MiSeq Sequencing” in the November issue of Applications in Plant Sciences. Pinedrops is a nonphotosynthetic plant that acquires carbon from a symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungal species in the genus Rhizopogon. Rhizopogon species are host-specific with conifers, and in the case of pinedrops, the photosynthetic host are various pine species. Pinedrops is a native North America species with eastern and western populations. The eastern populations are considered to be rare to endangered. In Wisconsin, pinedrops is listed as an endangered plant and only known from Door and Ozaukee county populations. The microsatellite markers developed in this study are being used for analysis of genetic diversity and will provide insight into the status of neutral genetic variation and evolutionary potential of these populations, as well as baseline data for conservation managers.