UFGI faculty profile – jeff rollins

Name: Jeff Rollins

Born: Ft. Eustice, Virginia

Position at UF: Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, IFAS

Job before this one: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Current research interest, in layman’s terms:  I study fungal biology.  Specifically, I work with the filamentous fungus, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.  This plant pathogenic fungus is able to cause disease on more than 400 different species of plants. I am trying to understand the genetic factors that promote and regulate pathogenicity and multicellular development in this fungus. One current project is characterizing how environmental pH is sensed and converted to gene-, physiological-, and developmental-specific responses by the fungus. A second more recent project examines how light regulates the development of the multicellular fruiting body of this organism.  Approaches to this work run the range from single candidate gene characterizations, to newly developing whole genome analyses.

Prior Research: Since my late undergraduate days I have worked with filamentous, phytopathogenic fungi. During my M.S. I established and analyzed 2-D protein profiles from a toxin-producing pathogen. My Ph.D thesis identified and analyzed chromosome length polymorphism stability in another pathogen. My postdoctoral research focused on determining underlying molecular determinants of oxalic acid production and sclerotial development in S. sclerotiorum. This work involved developing a tractable system for molecular genetic analyses of S. sclerotiorum and set the stage for my current work.

Education: Ph.D (1996) Purdue University, MS (1991) and B.S. (1988) North Carolina State University.

Family: Supported by my wife of 13 years, Monica.  We have three children, Andrew (7), Michaela (5), & Hannah (2).

When I'm not at work, I am: Chasing the kids.

The best thing that I've done lately that no one knows about: Gently coaxed a reluctant Kindergartner to release her death grip from my leg.

Last non-work related book: “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett

Last movie in a theater and your thoughts: “The Village,” Scary monster, poorly developed story line.

Something always in your refrigerator: Apples

People would be surprised to know that: I don’t really like apples.

Contact me at: jarollins@ifas.ufl.edu; 352.392-3631 x235