Pacific Southwest Research Station

Education

B.S., Forest Science, 1976, University of New Hampshire
M.S., Forest Genetics, 1978, University of New Hampshire
Ph.D, Forest Genetics, 1984, Oregon State University

Research Interests/Duties

David Neale of the University of California, Davis, is an adjunct Forest Service scientist at the Pacific Southwest Research Station. His primary research interest is in the discovery and understanding of function of genes in forest trees, especially those controlling complex traits, through genetic mapping and genomic science technologies. In the very near future, nearly all the genes in pine will have been cloned and their DNA sequences determined. The cloned genes will serve as tools for functional analysis which will lead to undertstanding of complex patterns of coordinated expression of genes leading to phenotype. Initially, we have focused on traits of practical value such as wood quality, growth,and disease resistance but we expect to expand our studies to identifying genes determining patterns of adaptation and response to environmental stresses.

Visit http://dendrome.ucdavis.edu/NealeLab/ for details of his research, including collaborative work with the Forest Service.

Selected Publications

• Brown, G.R., D.L. Bassoni, G.P. Gill, J.R. Fontana, N.C. Wheeler, R.A. Megraw, M.F. Davis, M.M. Sewell, G.A. Tuskan and D.B. Neale..(2003) Identification of quantitative trait loci influencing wood property traits in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). III. QTL verification and candidate gene mapping. Genetics (in press)
• Gill, G.P., G.R. Brown, and D.B. Neale. (2003) A sequence mutation in the cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase gene associated with altered lignification in loblolly pine. Plant Biotech. J. (in press)
• Brown, G.R., E.E. Kadel III, D.A. Bassoni, K.L. Kiehne, B. Temesgen, J.P. van Buijtenen, M.M. Sewell, K.A. Marshall and D.B. Neale. (2001) Anchored reference loci in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) for integrating pine genomics. Genetics 159:799-809.