Education:

Ph.D. - Biology - Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, 1989.

B.Sc. (Honors) - Plant Biology - University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, 1981.

Courses taught at GVSU:

BIO 120 Introductory Biology II

BIO 406 Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory

BIO 423 Introduction to Plant Biotechnology

Research interests:

I am interested in the artificially induced process of somatic embryogenesis, whereby somatic cells from plants can be induced to develop along a pathway that resembles natural "zygotic" embryogenesis. Somatic embryogenesis offers several advantages as a model system for the study of plant development in general, especially that the environment of somatic embryos, unlike that of zygotic embryos developing in ovulo, is entirely controllable. I am investigating controlling factors in development that fall into two broad categories: inductive cues (such as hormones and nutrients) and; positional cues, particularly plasma membrane and cell wall factors. I am also interested in the causes of and potential solutions to the problem of seed deterioration during long-term storage, which is a major impediment to ex situ preservation of biodiversity in wild and cultivated plants.

Recent publications:

Blackman SA, Miedema M, Yeung EC, Staves MP. 2001. The effect of the tetrapeptide RGDS on somatic embryogenesis in Daucus carota L. cv Scarlet Nantes. Physiologia Plantarum 112(4), 567-571.

Blackman SA, Brown KL, Manalo JR, Roos EE. 1996. Embryo culture as a means to rescue deteriorated seeds: factors affecting germination of aged maize (Zea mays). Crop Sci. 36(6):1693-1698.

Roos EE, Towill LE, Walters CT, Blackman SA, Stanwood PC. 1996. Preservation techniques for extending the longevity of plant tissues. In Sampling the Green World; Innovative Concepts of Collection, Preservation, and Storage of Plant Diversity. Stuessy TF and Sohmer SH, eds. Columbia University Press, NY.

Blackman SA, Obendorf RL, Leopold AC. 1995. Desiccation tolerance in developing soybean seeds: the role of stress proteins. Physiologia Plantarum 93, 630-638.

Blackman SA, Obendorf RL, Leopold AC. 1993. The role of LEA proteins in desiccation tolerance of soybean In Come, D. and Corbineau, F. (Eds.) Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Seeds: Basic and Applied Aspects of Seed Biology, Angers, France, 20-24 July 1992. Paris, ASFIS. pp. 121-126.

Recent Posters and Presentations:

Acquisition of Desiccation Tolerance During Seed Development in Phalaenopsis Vanitha Bhoopalan, Sheila Blackman Poster presented (by S. Blackman) at the Joint Annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Phycological Society of America. July 18-22, 2009 Honolulu, Hawaii.

Acquisition of Desiccation Tolerance During Seed Development in Phalaenopsis. Samantha Seaberg*, Shanda Pearson, and Sheila Blackman, Oral presentation presented (by S. Blackman) at the Michigan Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters annual meeting, Mar, 2009.

Adams J, Staves M, Blackman S (2008) The integrin binding protein RGD induces programmed cell death in Daucus carota cells. Joint Annual Meeting of the Americal Society of Plant Biologists and the Sociedad Mexicana De Bioquimica Rama: Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular de Plantas June27 - July1, Merida, Mexico.

Schwallier R, Blackman S (2007) The effects of seed maturity on seed quality in Epidendrum tempense.  American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting July 7-11 Chicago, IL (poster presentation by R Schwallier)

Williams E*, Bradley R*, Staves M, Blackman S (2007) The auxin, 2-4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, modulates the inhibitory effects of the integrin-binding peptide, RGD, in suspension cultures of Daucus carota. American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting July 7-11 Chicago, IL (poster presentation by E Williams)

Williams E*, Kempston T*, Bradley R*, Staves M, Blackman S (2007) The integrin-binding peptide, RGD, causes cell death in suspension culture cells of Daucus carota Michigan Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters Annual Meeting March 9-10, Big Rapids MI (oral presentation by E Williams)

Schwallier R, Blackman S (2007) The effects of seed maturity on seed quality in Epidendrum tempense Michigan Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters Annual Meeting March 9-10, Big Rapids MI

Kempston T*, Dafoe N*, Yeung E, Staves M, Blackman S (2006) The integrin-binding peptide, RGD, causes cell death in intact suspension culture cells, but not protoplasts, of Daucus carota.  American Society of Plant Biologists annual meeting Aug 5-9 Boston, MA

Foster N*, Dafoe N*, Blackman S  (2003) Probing the RGD Effect on Carrot Somatic Embryogenesis: Effects of Single Amino Acids.  Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters Annual Meeting

Blackman S, Staves M (2002) Role of LEA proteins in enhancing somatic embryo quality in Douglas fir. Biotecnologia Habana, Havana, Cuba, Nov 24-29, 2002.

Staves M, Dafoe N*, Blackman S (2002) The effect of the dis-integrin fragment, RGD, on cell wall regeneration in protoplasts of the green alga, Borgesenia forbesii.  American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting. Denver, CO, August 3-7, 2002

Dafoe N*, Staves M, Blackman S (2002) The effect of the dis-integrin fragment, Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid on protoplasts of Borgesenia forbesii. Michigan Academy of Sciences, March 8, 2002

Scientific and Professional Societies:

• American Society of Plant Physiologists
  
• Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters