Amanda Grusz

Amanda Grusz picture
Professional Title
Associate Professor, Director of Olga Lakela Herbarium

Education

  • B.S., University of North Carolina Wilmington
  • Ph.D., Duke University

Curriculum Vitae

Website: www.amandagrusz.net

Research and Teaching Interests

My research unites molecular phylogenetics, cytogenetics, and genome sequencing with traditional morphological studies to explore the evolutionary processes that give rise to green plant diversity. In particular, I am interested in the evolution of apomixis (asexual reproduction by seed, spore, or egg), hybridization, and genome duplication in eukaryotes, with a specific focus on vascular plants.

Selected Publications

  • Fauskee, B., E.M. Sigel, K.M. Pryer, and A.L. Grusz. 2021. Variation in frequency of plastid RNA editing within Adiantum (Pteridaceae) implies rapid evolution in fern plastomes. American Journal of Botany 108: 820–827. 
  • Grusz, A.L.., M.D. Windham, K.T. Picard‡, K.M. Pryer, E. Schuettpelz, and C. Haufler. 2021. A drought-driven model for the evolution of obligate apomixis in ferns: Evidence from pellaeids (Pteridaceae). American Journal of Botany 108: 263–283.
  • Robison, T., A.L. Grusz, P.G. Wolf, J.P. Mower, B.D. Fauskee, K. Sosa, and E. Schuettpelz. 2018. Mobile elements shape plastome evolution in ferns. Genome Biology and Evolution 10: 2558–2571. 
  • Grusz, A.L., E.M. Sigel, C. Witherup. 2017. Homoeologous chromosome pairing across the eukaryote phylogeny. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 117: 8–94. 
  • Grusz, A. L., C. J. Rothfels, and E. Schuettpelz. 2016. Transcriptome sequencing reveals genome-wide variation in molecular evolutionary rate among ferns. BMC Genomics 17: 692.
  • Grusz, A. L. and K. M. Pryer. 2015. Development of microsatellite markers for the apomictic triploid fern, Myriopteris lindheimeri (Pteridaceae). Applications in Plant Sciences 3: 1500061.
  • Grusz, A. L., M. D. Windham, G. Yatskievych, L. Huiet, G. J. Gastony, and K. M. Pryer. 2014. Patterns of diversification in the xeric-adapted fern genus Myriopteris (Pteridaceae). Systematic Botany 39: 698–794.
  • Wolf, P. G., J. P. Der, A. M. Duffy, J. B. Davidson, A. L. Grusz, and K. M. Pryer. 2011. The evolution of chloroplast genes and genomes in ferns. Plant Molecular Biology 76: 251-261.
  • Grusz, A.L., M. D. Windham, and K. M. Pryer. 2009. Deciphering the origins of apomictic polyploids in the Cheilanthes yavapensis complex (Pteridaceae). American Journal of Botany 96: 1636-1645.

Teaching

  • BIOL 3601 Plant Diversity (Fall)
  • BIOL 3603 Plant Taxonomy (Spring)
  • BIOL 4402/5402 Trees of Life: Assembly and Applications in R (periodically, Spring)

Current Graduate Student Project

  • Austen Hilding, (M.S., Integrated Biosciences)
  • Bryce Hegstrom (M.S., Integrated Biosciences)
  • Maxwell Botz (M.S., Integrated Biosciences)