Dr. Christof Rampitsch

Research Scientist

Research Scientist in Proteomics and Biological Mass Spectrometry.

Route 100, Unit 100-101, Morden, Manitoba

Current research and/or projects

My programme uses proteomics, peptidomics, bioinformatics and biological mass spectrometry to investigate plant-pathogen interactions. Research is mainly focused on Puccinia triticina (wheat leaf rust), with emphasis on effector proteins and peptides, and on Fusarium graminearum, with emphasis on mycotoxin biosynthesis regulation.

Our lab collaborates extensively with other researchers who use proteomics but lack the expertize, equipment and software to address complex biological questions. These projects currently involve complex analyses using stable-isotope-labelled tags, label-free quantification, and analyzing post-translational modifications (phosphorylation and redox modifications).

Research and/or project statements

Projects:

Stomata signalling pathways for increasing yield potential in wheat
Mitigating Emerging Threats to Wheat in Canada
Integrated genomics, plant pathology and breeding research for improvement of Fusarium Head Blight resistance in Canadian cereals
Developing “prairie cold tolerance” for early-season germination and establishment in prairie crops

Professional activities / interests

Host-pathogen interactions

Proteomics

Peptidomics

Biological Mass Spectrometry

Education and awards

Ph.D. Plant Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada.

M.Sc., Biotechnology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

B.Sc. (Hons) Biochemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

International experience and/or work

Hardware Training: LTQ mass spectrometer (Thermo Training Centre, Palm Beach FL)
Hardware Training: nano HPLC (Dionex Training Centre, Chicago IL)
Software Training: Mascot (MatrixScience Course, Savannah GA)
Sabbatical Leave, University of Zürich/ETH Functional Genomics Centre Zürich CH.
Hardware Training: Q Exactive mass spectrometer (Thermo, on-site)
Software training, MaxQuant, Berlin (Summer School)

Key publications

Rampitsch, C., Beimcik, E., Günel, A., Bakkeren, G., Linning, R., Joly, D.L., McCallum, B.D., and Fan, T. (2014). "Custom database searching to reveal differences in the haustorial proteomes of three races of wheat leaf rust, Puccinia triticina.", Canadian Society of Mass Spectrometry, Montreal, QC, Canada, April 13-16, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Bykova, N.V., Hu, J.-N., Rampitsch, C., Fan, T., and Radovanovic, N. (2014). "Quantitative comparative proteomic profiling of tissue-specific and membrane-associated seed proteomes in pre-harvest sprouting resistant and susceptible hybrid wheat genotypes.", 2nd Canadian Wheat Symposium, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, June 8-11, 2014. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Rampitsch, C., Beimcik, E., Bakkeren, G., Linning, R., Joly, D.L., and McCallum, B.D. (2014). "Quantitative proteomics with custom database searching to reveal differences in the haustorial proteomes of three races of wheat leaf rust, Puccinia triticina.", 12th European Conference on Fungal Genetics, Sevilla, Spain, March 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Bakkeren, G., Fellers, J.P., Panwar, V., Joly, D.L., Szabo, L.J., Kolmer, J.A., Hulbert, S., Wang, M., Yin, C., Chen, X., Rampitsch, C., McCallum, B.D., Wang, X., Goldberg, J., Young, S., Hamelin, R.C., Saville, B.J., and Cuomo, C.A. (2014). "Comparative genomics of rust fungi drives research and innovations for crop protection.", 16th conference of the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Rhodes, Greece, July 6-10, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Bakkeren, G., Fellers, J.P., Panwar, V., Joly, D.L., Szabo, L.J., Kolmer, J.A., Hulbert, S., Wang, M., Yin, C., Chen, X., Rampitsch, C., McCallum, B.D., Wang, X., Goldberg, J., Young, S., Hamelin, R.C., Saville, B.J., and Cuomo, C.A. (2014). "Comparative genomics of rust fungi drives research and innovations.", XXII Plant & Animal Genome Conference, Town & Country Convention Center, San Diego, CA, USA, January 10-15, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Rampitsch, C. et al. (2014). "Quantitative proteomics with custom database searching to reveal differences in the haustorial proteomes of three races of wheat leaf rust, Puccinia triticina.", 12th European Conference on Fungal Genetics, Sevilla, Spain. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Bykova, N.V., Rampitsch, C., and others (2014). "Proteomic approaches to revealing mechanisms of physiological transition from seed dormancy to high germination potential in wheat.", Plant Biology 2014, Portland, Oregon, USA, July 12-16, 2014. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Rampitsch, C., Bakkeren, G., and McCallum, B.D. (2014). "Custom database searching to reveal differences in the haustoria proteomes of three races of wheat leaf rust, Puccinia triticina.", 1st Meeting of the International Plant Proteomics Organization, Hamburg, Germany, August 31- September 4, 2014. (Presentation)
2014 - View publication details
Ponts, N., Djuric-Ciganovic, S., and Rampitsch, C. (2014). "Analysis of Post-translational Modifications of Histones in Fusarium graminearum.", Canadian Workshop on Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Lake Louise, Canada. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Nazemof, N., Couroux, P., Rampitsch, C., Xing, T., Robert, L.S. (2014). Proteomic profiling reveals insights into Triticeae stigma development and function. Journal of Experimental Botany, [online] 65(20), 6069-6080. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eru350
2014 - View publication details
Bajracharya, P., Rampitsch, C., Daayf, F., and McCartney, C. (2013). "Purification and characterization of Phaeosphaeria nodorum toxins and mapping of toxin insensitivity.", CPS Annual Meeting, Edmonton, AB, Canada. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Rampitsch, C., Gordon, J.I., and others (2013). "Identification of a novel MADS-box phosphorylation motif by phospho-peptide mapping using CID and ETD.", 26th CSMS conference, Lake Louise AB, Canada. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Park, S., Rampitsch, C., Humphreys, D.G., and Ayele, B.T. (2013). "Wheat seed proteins regulated by imbibition independent of dormancy status.", Plant Signaling & Behavior, 8(12: e26601).
2013 - View publication details
Bykova, N.V., Hoehn, B., Rampitsch, C., Hu, J.-N., and Fan, T. (2013). "Redox-mediated regulation of wheat seed dormancy revealed through modification specific proteomics.", 11th International Conference on Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species in Plant, Warsaw, Poland. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Bajracharya, P., McCartney, C., Rampitsch, C., Friesen, T.L., and Daayf, F. (2013). "Purification and characterization of Stagonospora nodorum toxins and mapping of toxin insensitivity.", Plant & Animal Genome XXI Conference, Town & Country Convention Center, San Diego, CA, USA, January 12-16, 2013. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Günel, A., Rampitsch, C., Beimcik, E., Fan, T., and Akkaya, M. (2013). "Purification of Stripe Rust Haustoria with monoclonal antibodies.", VIPCA Plant pathogen Interactions, Vienna, Austria. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Rampitsch, C., Subramaniam, R., Joshi, M., and Fan, T. (2013). "Using redox-proteomics to identify targets of NADPH oxidase-generated reactive oxygen species in Fusarium graminearum.", 12th European Fusarium Seminar, Bordeaux, France, Oral presentation. (Abstract)
2013 - View publication details
Rampitsch, C., Beimcik, E., Bakkeren, G., and Fan, T. (2013). "Comparative proteomics in Puccinia triticina using race-specific database searches.", 26th CSMS conference, Lake Louise AB, Canada. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Simõesa, M., Santos, C., Rampitsch, C., and Lima, N. (2013). "Proteomic analysis of Aspergillus niger type strain (MUM 03.01) after accelerated freeze-drying preservation.", 13th International Conference on Culture Collections, Beijing, China. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details
Bajracharya, P., Rampitsch, C., Daayf, F., and McCartney, C.A. (2013). "Purification and characterization of Phaeosphaeria nodorum toxins and mapping of toxin insensitivity.", Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS) & Pacific Division of the American Phytopathological Society Joint 2010 Meeting, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, June 20-23, 2010. (Poster)
2013 - View publication details