Marla L. Binzel

Associate Professor

Chair, Intercollegiate Faculty of Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences

Office: 519 Horticultural Forest Science Building Lab: 151 Borlaug Center Phone: (979) 845-8938 Fax: (979) 845-0627 E-mail: m-binzel@tamu.edu

Ph.D. Plant Physiology (1987) Purdue University

B.S. Plant Science (1981) University of New Hampshire

Plant Physiology & Molecular Biology

My overall research objective is to apply techniques in molecular genetics and plant and cell physiology to crop improvement, especially to horticultural crops. A major area of emphasis involves the examination of mechanisms of osmotic adjustment and ion transport, which contribute to salt and drought tolerance in plants. One project involves looking at how salinity and drought alter the regulation and expression of genes encoding the vacuolar H+-ATPase and H+-PPase. The H+ gradient across the tonoplast membrane that is generated by these enzymes is the driving source for secondary transport of many inorganic and organic molecules. Sodium in particular is transported into the vacuole via a Na+/H+ antiporter, and the ability of a plant to maintain a sufficient proton gradient across the tonoplast is an integral component of salinity tolerance in plants.
Another area of research addresses applied and basic aspects of fruit ripening. We are interested in whether current models regarding the genetic regulation of fruit ripening being developed in systems such as tomato also apply to crops such as melons. We are investigating whether a melon homolog of the tomato rin gene exhibits similar control over ripening in melon, and whether this activity is similar in climacteric and non-climacteric genotypes. We are also interested in the potential of this gene for use in developing melons with extended storage capacities.

HORT 201 (Honors): General Horticulture. (3-0) Credit 3. Structure, growth and development of horticultural plants from a practical and scientific approach; environmental effects, basic principles of propagation, greenhouse and outdoor production, nutrition, pruning and chemical control of growth, pest control and branches of horticulture.

HORT 202 (Honors): General Horticulture Laboratory. (0-3). Credit 1. Methods and practices related to production of horticultural crops; practical exercises in greenhouse and field.

HORT 681 Seminar

MEPS 411/GENE 411: Biotechnology for Crop Improvement. (3-0) Credit 3. Use of biotechnology to improve agricultural, horticultural and forest crops; techniques and methods used and case studies where biotechnology has been used to alter traits such as pathogen resistance, protein or oil content, ripening, fertility and wood properties.

MEPS 681 Seminar

Kim, S., Binzel, M.L., Park, S., Yoo, K-S., and Pike, L. (2004) Inactivation of DFR (Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase) gene transcription results in blockage of anthocyanin production in yellow onions (Allium cepa). Mol. Breeding (In Press)

Binzel, M. and Ratajczak, R. Function of membrane transport systems under salinity: tonoplast. (2002) in Salinity: Environment - Plants - Molecules. A Lauchli and U Luttge (eds), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Pp 423-450.

Fischer-Schliebs, E., E. Ball, E. Berndt, E. Besemfelder-Butz, M.L. Binzel, M. Drobny, D. Mühlenhoff, M.L. Müller, K. Rakowski and R. Ratajczak. 1997. Differential immunological cross-reaction with antisera against the V-ATPase of Kalanchoë daigrmontaina reveal structural differences of V-ATPase subunits of different plant species. Biol Chem 378:1131-1139

Binzel, M.L., Sankhla, N., Joshi, S and Sankhla, D. 1996. Induction of direct somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Plant Cell Reports 15:536-540.