Ryan S. Austin, PhD

Research Scientist, Adjunct Professor

Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor in Genome Biology and Bioinformatics

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

London Research & Development Centre

Research and/or project statements

1. Genetic and epigenetic transcriptional regulation of abiotic stress genes in plants.

2. Mapping of genetic traits in crops with next-generation sequencing.

Education and awards

Ph.D in Genome Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Toronto, 2009

BSc. in Honours Biology, University of Guelph, 1997

Key publications

Saatian, B., Austin, R.S., Tian, G., Chen, C., Nguyen, V., Kohalmi, S.E., Geelen, D., Cui, Y. (2018). Analysis of a novel mutant allele of GSL8 reveals its key roles in cytokinesis and symplastic trafficking in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biology, [online] 18(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-018-1515-y
2018 - View publication details
Duwadi, K., Austin, R.S., Mainali, H.R., Bett, K., Marsolais, F., Dhaubhadel, S. (2018). Slow darkening of pinto bean seed coat is associated with significant metabolite and transcript differences related to proanthocyanidin biosynthesis. BMC Genomics, [online] 19(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-018-4550-z
2018 - View publication details
Chen, C., Li, C., Wang, Y., Renaud, J., Tian, G., Kambhampati, S., Saatian, B., Nguyen, V., Hannoufa, A., Marsolais, F., Yuan, Z.C., Yu, K., Austin, R.S., Liu, J., Kohalmi, S.E., Wu, K., Huang, S., Cui, Y. (2017). Cytosolic acetyl-CoA promotes histone acetylation predominantly at H3K27 in Arabidopsis. Nature Plants, [online] 3(10), 814-824. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41477-017-0023-7
2017 - View publication details
Xiao, J., Jin, R., Yu, X., Shen, M., Wagner, J.D., Pai, A., Song, C., Zhuang, M., Klasfeld, S., He, C., Santos, A.M., Helliwell, C., Pruneda-Paz, J.L., Kay, S.A., Lin, X., Cui, S., Garcia, M.F., Clarenz, O., Goodrich, J., Zhang, X., Austin, R.S., Bonasio, R., Wagner, D. (2017). Cis and trans determinants of epigenetic silencing by Polycomb repressive complex 2 in Arabidopsis. Nature Genetics, [online] 49(10), 1546-1552. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.3937
2017 - View publication details
Keegan Leckie, Shawn Hoogstra, Ellen Hamilton, Ryan S. Austin. Transcriptional regulation of cell-type specific gene expression in the Arabidopsis root. Inventing The Future: Symposium on Synthetic Biology 2.0 Western University London 2017/07/28 - 2017/07/28
2017 - View publication details
Dastmalchi, M., Chapman, P., Yu, J., Austin, R.S., Dhaubhadel, S. (2017). Transcriptomic evidence for the control of soybean root isoflavonoid content by regulation of overlapping phenylpropanoid pathways. BMC Genomics, [online] 18(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-016-3463-y
2017 - View publication details
Hossain, M.S., Shrestha, A., Zhong, S., Miri, M., Austin, R.S., Sato, S., Ross, L., Huebert, T., Tromas, A., Torres-Jerez, I., Tang, Y., Udvardi, M., Murray, J.D., Szczyglowski, K. (2016). Lotus japonicus NF-YA1 plays an essential role during nodule differentiation and targets members of the SHI/STY gene family. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, [online] 29(12), 950-964. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-10-16-0206-R
2016 - View publication details
Kambhampati S, Pandurangan S, Renaud JB, Austin RS, Sumarah MW, Marsolais F (2016) Combined transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches provide new insights into C/N partitioning in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. Poster presentation. CSPB/CSHS 2017. Vancouver, July 4-7
2016 - View publication details
Austin, R.S., Hiu, S., Waese, J., Ierullo, M., Pasha, A., Wang, T.T., Fan, J., Foong, C., Breit, R., Desveaux, D., Moses, A., Provart, N.J. (2016). New BAR tools for mining expression data and exploring Cis-elements in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Journal, [online] 88(3), 490-504. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.13261
2016 - View publication details
Dhaubhadel, S., Austin, R. S., Marsolais, F., Chen, L., Bett, K., Islam, N. S., and Mainali, H. R. (2016) Seed coat transcriptome analysis of two pinto bean cultivars that differ in post-harvest seed coat darkening identifies candidate slow darkening genes. 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
2016 - View publication details
Dhaubhadel, S., Austin, R.S., Marsolais, F., Chen, L., Bett, K., Islam, N.S. and Mainali, H.R.M. (2016) Seed coat transcriptome analysis of two pinto bean cultivars that differ in post-harvest seed coat darkening identifies candidate slow darkening genes. 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, MB, Oct 25-28.
2016 - View publication details
Dhaubhadel, S., Austin, R.S., Marsolais, F., Chen, L., Bett, K., Islam, N.S. and Mainali, H.R.M. (2016) Seed coat transcriptome analysis of two pinto bean cultivars that differ in post-harvest seed coat darkening identifies candidate slow darkening genes. 10th Canadian Pulse Research Workshop, Winnipeg, MB, Oct 25-28.
2016 - View publication details
Gao, R., Austin, R.S., Amyot, L., Hannoufa, A. (2016). Comparative transcriptome investigation of global gene expression changes caused by miR156 overexpression in Medicago sativa. BMC Genomics, [online] 17(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12864-016-3014-6
2016 - View publication details
Kambhampati S, Pandurangan S , Renaud J, Austin R, Sumarah M, Marsolais F (2016) Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis of asparagine treated Arabidopsis roots provide new insights into N metabolism. Oral presentation. Plant Biotech 2016. Kingston, June 19-21
2016 - View publication details
Elhiti, M., Wang, H., Austin, R.S., Chen, B., Brown, D., Wang, A. (2016). Generation of chemically induced mutations using in vitro propagated shoot tip tissues for genetic improvement of fruit trees. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, [online] 124(2), 447-452. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11240-015-0894-0
2016 - View publication details
Bett, K.E., Stonehouse, R.G., Miklas, P.N., Dhaubhadel, S., Austin, R.S., and Marsolais, F. (2015). "Is the slow-darkening gene another allele at P?", Bean Improvement Cooperatives 2015, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, November 1-4, 2015. (Abstract)
2015 - View publication details
Zou, X., Shi, C., Austin, R.S., Merico, D., Munholland, S., Marsolais, F., Navabi, A., Crosby, W.L., Pauls, K.P., Yu, K., and Cui, Y. (2014). "Genome-wide SNP and InDel discovery and transcriptional profiling of CBB resistance in common bean.", 6th International Food Legumes Research Conference (IFLRC VI) and 7th International Conference on Legume Genetics and Genomics (ICLGG VII), Saskatoon, SK, Canada, July 14-17, 2014, Presentation. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Dhaubhadel, S., Austin, R.S., Marsolais, F., Mainali, H.R., P-Behnami, S., Pajak, A., and Chen, L. (2014). "Seed coat RNAseq analysis of two Pinto bean cultivars that differ in post-harvest seed coat darkening.", Joint conference of the 6th International Food Legumes Research Conference (IFLRC VI) and 7th International Conference on Legume Genetics and Genomics (ICLGG VII), Saskatoon, SK, Canada, July 6-11, 2014.
2014 - View publication details
Kambhampati, S., Pandurangan, S., Pajak, A., Austin, R.S., and Marsolais, F. (2014). "Transcriptional responses to exogenous asparagine in Arabidopsis roots.", Eastern Regional Meeting of the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists, Guelph, ON, Canada, November 28-29, 2014. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details
Bergin, F., Leckie, K., Croft, M., and Austin, R.S. (2014). "Cell-type specific chromatin dynamics in the Arabidopsis Root.", 25th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 28-August 1, 2014, #296. (Poster)
2014 - View publication details