COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES
	Ramsey Lewis Assistant Professor Crop Science	CROP SCIENCE PERSONNEL
	4310 Williams Hall Box 7620 Raleigh, NC 27695-7620
	Phone: (919) 513-4802 FAX: 919-515-3332 ramsey_lewis@ncsu.edu

EDUCATION

RESEARCH

Ramsey Lewis currently holds a 100% research appointment in the area of tobacco breeding and genetics. Current research activities are directed towards development of improved tobacco hybrids possessing characteristics desired by the tobacco industry and tobacco growers worldwide. Emphasis is also placed on gaining an increased understanding of the genetics underlying important traits in Nicotiana tabacum. More specifically, research is being conducted in the areas of:

• improved breeding methodology
• breeding for disease resistance
• introgression of disease resistance genes from wild relatives of N. tabacum
• application of doubled haploid technologies in cultivar development
• plant transformation
• utilization of exotic germplasm
• quantitative genetics of important traits in tobacco
• genetics/physiology of correlated characters in tobacco
• application of molecular markers to tobacco improvement
• exploitation of exotic/alien germplasm for the purpose of genetic mapping

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Lewis, R.S., A.M. Jack, J.W. Morris, V.J.M. Robert, L.B. Gavilano, B. Siminszky, L.P. Bush, A.J. Hayes, and R.E. Dewey. 2008. RNAi-induced suppression of nicotine demethylase activity reduces levels of a key carcinogen in cured tobacco leaves. Plant. Biotech. J. (In Press).

Elliott, P.E., R.S. Lewis, H.D. Shew, W.A. Gutierrez, and J.S. Nicholson. 2008. Evaluation of tobacco germplasm for seedling resistance to stem rot and target spot caused by Thanatephorus cucumeris. Plant Dis. (In Press).

Lewis, R.S. 2007. Evaluation of Nicotiana tabacum genotypes possessing Nicotiana africana-derived genetic tolerance to Potato Virus Y. Crop Sci. 47:1975-1984.

Lewis, R.S., L.R. Linger, M.F. Wolff, and E.A. Wernsman. 2007. The negative influence of N-mediated TMV resistance on yield in tobacco: Linkage drag vs. pleiotropy. Theor. Appl. Genet. 115:169-178.

Lewis, R.S., and J.S. Nicholson. 2007. Aspects of the evolution of Nicotiana tabacum L. and the status of the United States Nicotiana Germplasm Collection. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. 54:727-740.

Lewis, R.S., S.R. Milla, and S.P. Kernodle. 2007. Analysis of an introgressed Nicotiana tomentosa genomic region affecting leaf number and correlated traits in Nicotiana tabacum. Theor. Appl. Genet. 114:841-854.

Lewis, R.S. 2006. Identification of germplasm of possible value for confronting an unfavorable inverse genetic correlation in tobacco. Crop Sci. 46:1764-1771.

Lewis, R.S., S.R. Milla, and J.S. Levin. 2005. Molecular and genetic characterization of N. glutinosa L. chromosome segments in tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-resistant tobacco accessions. Crop Sci. 45:2355-2362.

Milla, S.M., J.S. Levin, R.S. Lewis, and R.C. Rufty. 2005. RAPD and SCAR markers associated with an introgressed gene conditioning resistance to Peronospora tabacina D.B. Adam. in tobacco. Crop Sci. 45:2346-2354.

Lewis, R.S. 2005. Transfer of resistance to potato virus Y (PVY) from Nicotiana africana to Nicotiana tabacum: possible influence of tissue culture on the rate of introgression. Theor. Appl. Genet. 110:678-687.

Lewis, R.S., and M.M. Goodman. 2003. Incorporation of tropical maize germplasm into inbred lines derived from tropical x temperate crosses: agronomic and molecular assessment. Theor. Appl. Genet. 107:798-805.

Lewis, R.S., and E.A. Wernsman. 2001. Efforts to initiate construction of a disease resistance package on a designer chromosome in tobacco. Crop Sci. 41:1420-1427.