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) 515-7959 ramsey_lewis@ncsu.edu

EDUCATION

TEACHING

RESEARCH

Current research activities are directed towards genetics and breeding in the genus Nicotiana. More specifically, research is being conducted to take advantage of biological features of these species in order to:

•     develop and study improved and novel plant breeding methodologies
•     understand the molecular basis of disease resistance in crop plants
•     develop and deploy genetics-based technologies for eliminating or reducing harmful constituents contained in cured tobacco leaves (in cooperation with Dr. Ralph Dewey).

Methods used in our research are very diverse and include plant transformation, DNA marker based techniques, mutagenesis, and conventional field-based approaches.

PERSONNEL:

Sheri P. Kernodle, Laboratory Technician
Tomas Moreno, Field and Greenhouse Technician
Mike Maher, Field and Greenhouse Technician
Jessica Nifong, Research Assistant
Ted Woodlief, Research Technician
Dr. Hyunsook Moon, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Vijay Vontimitta, Ph.D. Student
Katherine Drake, M.S. Student
Patrick McCachren, M.S. Student

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

Moon, H.S., J.M. Nifong, J.S. Nicholson, A. Heineman, K. Lion, R. van der Hoeven, A.J. Hayes, and R.S. Lewis (2009) Microsatellite-based analysis of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) genetic resources. Crop Sci. 49:2149-2159.

Lewis, R.S., and S.P. Kernodle (2009) A method for accelerated trait conversion in plant breeding. Theor. Appl. Genet. 118:1499-1508.

Moon, H.S., J.S. Nicholson, A. Heineman, K. Lion, R. van der Hoeven, A.J. Hayes, and R.S. Lewis (2009) Changes in genetic diversity of U.S. flue-cured tobacco germplasm over seven decades of cultivar development. Crop Sci. 49:498-508.

Moon, H.S, J.S. Nicholson, and R.S. Lewis (2008) Use of transferable Nicotiana tabacum L. microsatellite markers for investigating genetic diversity in the genus Nicotiana. Genome 51:547-559.

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. J. Plant. Biotech. 6:346-354

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. 92:425-430.

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.