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Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
 
Christina T. Walters

Supervisory Plant Physiologist


EDUCATION

  • Ph.D.  August 1986. Botany Department, Cornell University,
    Plant Biology (major), Biochemistry and Agricultural Engineering (minors)
  • B.S.  May 1981. Cornell University (with Honors), Major: Plant Sciences

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • 2007-08 Acting Research Leader and Center Director, Plant Germplasm Preservation Research Unit, USDA-ARS
  • 1999-2005  Research Leader, Plant Germplasm Preservation Research Unit, USDA-ARS National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, Fort Collins, Colorado.
  • 1998, 04,09 Visiting Professor, Physiologie Végétale Appliquée, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris
  • 1988-99, 06 Plant Physiologist, Plant Germplasm Preservation Research Unit, USDA-ARS National Seed Storage Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colorado
  • 1986-88 Postdoctoral Research Associate, USDA-ARS NSSL, Fort Collins Colorado.
  • 1983-86 NSF Graduate Fellow, Botany Dept., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • 1982-83 Graduate Research Assistant, Botany Dept., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • 1981-82 Research Assistant, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, NY.
  • 1979-80 Research Assistant, Dept of Agricultural Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION AND INTEREST

  • Conservation of plant genetic diversity 
  • Embryo development and seed germination
  • Physiology of dry biological systems 
  • Biophysics of water and lipids
  • Low temperature and water stress 
  • Seed longevity and deterioration

RECENT/ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

  • North America Regional Representative for the International Society for Seed Science
  • Elected, Member at Large for Division O (Agriculture and Renewable Resources), AAAS
  • Elected, Division Chair CSSA Division C8
  • Science Advisory Committee and ARS Liaison, Center for Plant Conservation
  • Editorial Board, CryoLetters, Seed Science Research, Cell Preservation Technology
  • NCGRP representative and member of visioning committee, International Society of Biological and Environmental Repositories
  • Member, Plant Germplasm Operations Committee
  • Member, Cryobiology Society

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Center for Plant Conservation “Star” Award for commitment to conservation of the flora of the United States  (2007)
  • Host and collaborator on a Spanish government supported fellowship (10 months each) for Daniel Ballesteros and Sara Mira, Univeristat de Valncia to study preservation of fern spores and storage of seeds of Spanish native flora (2006, 2007)
  • Host and collaborator on Kosciuszko Foundation grant to study cryopreservation methods for Quercus germplasm with Pawel Chmielarz, Poznan, Poland (10 months in 2005-2006)
  • Host and collaborator on LABEX program for study in the US with Luciano Nass, EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil
  • Awarded ARS-funded postdoctoral fellowship for development of DMA techniques

20 RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS  (C Vertucci) (of 112 peer reviewed)


1. Vertucci CW and JM Farrant. 1995. Acquisition and loss of desiccation tolerance. In M. Negbi and J. Kigel (eds). pp237-271. Seed Development and Germination. Marcel Dekker, Inc. (Invited chapter)

2. Buitink  J, C Walters, FA Hoekstra and J Crane.  1998. Storage behavior of Typha latifolia pollen at low water contents: Interpretation on the basis of water activity and glass concepts. Physiol Plant 103:145-153.

3. Walters C.  1998. Understanding the mechanisms and kinetics of seed aging. Seed Science Research  8:223-244. (Invited review)

4. Farrant JM and C Walters. 1998.  Ultrastructural and biophysical changes in developing embryos of Aesculus hippocastanum L. in relation to the acquisition of tolerance to drying. Physiologia Plantarum 104:513-524.

5. Wesley-Smith J, C Walters, NW Pammenter and P Berjak. 2001. Interactions of water content, rapid (non-equilibrium) cooling to -196°C and survival of embryonic axes of Aesculus hippocastanum seeds. Cryobiology 42:196-206.

6. Walters, C. 2004. Temperature-dependency of molecular mobility in preserved seeds.  Biophysical Journal 86: 1253-1258.

7. Walters, C, LJ Wheeler and PC Stanwood. 2004. Longevity of cryogenically-stored seeds. Cryobiology 48: 229-244.

8. Richards, CM, AA Reilley,  D.H. Touchell, MF Antolin and C Walters. 2004. Microsatellite primers for Texas wildrice (Zizania texana) and a preliminary test of the impact of cryogenic storage on allele frequency at these loci. Conservation Genetics 5: 853-859.

9. Towill, LE, PL Forsline, C Walters, J Waddell, and J Laufmann. 2004. Cryopreservation of Malus germplasm using a winter vegetative bud method: results from 1915 accessions.  CryoLetters 25: 323-334

10. Walters, C, LJ Wheeler and JM Grotenhuis. 2005. Longevity of seeds stored in a genebank: species characteristics.  Seed Science Research 15:1-20.

11. Walters C, P Landré, P, LM Hill , F Corbineau , C Bailly.  2005.  Organization of lipid reserves in cotyledons of primed and aged sunflower seeds.  Planta 222:397-407.

12.  Walters, C, LM Hill, LJ Wheeler. 2005. Dying while dry: Kinetics and mechanisms of deterioration in desiccated organisms.  Integrative and Comparative Biology 45: 751-758.

13. Richards, CM, MF Antolin,  AA Reilley, J Poole and C Walters. 2006. Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered Texas wildrice: sampling for ex-situ conservation.  Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 54:837-848.

14. Crane, J, D Kovach, C Gardner, and C Walters. 2006. Triacylglycerol phase and ‘intermediate’ seed storage physiology: a study of Cuphea carthagenensis.  Planta 223:1081-1089.

15. Walters, C, AA Reilley, PA Reeves J Baszczak, and CM Richards. 2006. The Utility of Aged Seeds in DNA Banks.  Seed Science Research 16:169-178.

16. Ballesteros D. and C. Walters. Calorimetric properties of water and triacylglycerols in fern spores relating to storage at cryogenic temperatures. Cryobiology 55:1-9.

17. Walters C, Wesley-Smith J, Crane J, Hill LM, Chmielarz P, Pammenter NW and Berjak P.  2007. Cryopreservation of Recalcitrant (i.e. Desiccation-Sensitive) Seeds.  In BM Reed (ed) Cryopreservation: a practical guide  (invited book chapter) Springer. (in press)

18. Volk, GM, J Crane, AM Caspersen, D Kovack,  C Gardner, and C Walters. 2007. Hydration of Cuphea seeds containing crystallized triacylglycerols.  Functional Plant Biology 34, 360-367.

19. Walters C. 2007. Materials used for Seed Storage Containers. Seed Science Research 17: 233-242.

20. Walters C, Volk GM, Richards CM.  2008.  Genebanks in the post-genomic age: Emerging roles and anticipated uses.  Biodiversity 9:68-71.

Recent submissions

Niedzielski,M, Walters C*, Luczak W,  Hill L,  Wheeler LJ and Puchalski J. 2008. Assessment of variation in seed longevity within rye, wheat and the intergeneric hybrid triticale.  Seed Science Research (submitted Sept 2008)

     
Last Modified: 12/09/2008