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Dr. Pam Weathers

Phone: (870) 972-2007 Email: pweathers@astate.edu

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Current Status

  • Program Director Molecular biosciences PhD Program
  • Judd Hill Chair Agricultural Biotechnology
  • Professor Metabolic Engineering

Education

  • 1974 Ph.D. Botany and Plant Pathology, Plant Research Lab, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
  • 1969 BS Biology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

Research Focus Areas:

  • Artemisinin biosynthesis and regulation
  • Bioreactor development and scale-up for tissues and plants
  • Bioprocess development for plant products
  • Plant secondary metobolism, with a focus on terpenes
  • Plant metobolic engineering
  • Bioreactor development for plant cultures
  • Plant bioprocesses

PUBLICATIONS:

(Bold, undergraduate authors; und, graduate student authors)

REFEREED PAPERS:

  1. Towler, MJ, Weathers PJ 2007 Evidence of artemisinin production from IPP stemming from both the mevalonate and the nonmevalonate pathways. Plant Cell Reports. DOI 10.1007/s00299-007-0420-x.
  2. Sharaf-Eldin, MA, Elkholy S, Fernandez JA, Junge H, Cheetham RD, Guardiola JL, Weathers PJ 2007 The effect of Bacillus subtilis FZB24 on flower quantity and quality of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). Planta Medica 73: 1010-1011.
  3. Wang, Y., Weathers, P.J. 2007 Sugars proportionately affect artemisinin production. Plant Cell Reports. 26:1073-1081
  4. Towler, M.J., Wyslouzil, B.E., Weathers, P.J. 2007 Using an aerosol deposition model to increase hairy root growth in a mist reactor. Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 96:881-891
  5. Sharaf-Eldin, M.A., Weathers, P.J. 2006 Movement and containment of microbial contamination in a nutrient mist bioreactor. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant, 42:553-557.
  6. Weathers, PJ. Bunk, G,  McCoy, MC 2005 The Effect of Phytohormones on Growth and Artemisinin Production in Artemisia annua Hairy Roots. In Vitro Cellular Developmental Biology Plant, 41:47-53.
  7. Weathers, PJ, DeJesus-Gonzalez, L, Kim, YJ, Souret, FF, MJ Towler 2004 . Plant Cell Reports, 23:414-418.
  8. Krushkal, J, Pistilli, M, Ferrell, KM, Souret, FF, Weathers, PJ 2003 Computational analysis of the evolution of the structure and function of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase, a key regulator of the mevalonate-independent pathway in plants. Gene. 313:127-138.
  9. De Jesus-Gonzalez, L, Weathers, PJ 2003 Tetraploid Artemisia annua hairy roots produce more artemisinin than diploids. Plant Cell Reports 21:809-813.
  10. Kim, YJ, Weathers, PJ, Wyslouzil, BE  2003  Growth dynamics of Artemisia annua hairy roots in three culture systems. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 83:428-443.
  11. Souret, F., Kim, Y., Wyslouzil, B., Wobbe, K., Weathers, P. 2003 Scale-up of Artemisia annua L. hairy root cultures produces complex patterns of terpenoid gene expression. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 83:653-667.
  12. Towler, M., Weathers, P. 2003 Adhesion of plant roots to poly-L-lysine coated polypropylene substrates. J. Biotechnology 101:147-155.
  13. Souret, F., Weathers, P., Wobbe, K.K. 2002 The mevalonate independent pathway is expressed in transformed roots of Artemisia annua and regulated by light and culture age. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant. 38:581-588.
  14. Kim, Y., Weathers, P.J., Wyslouzil, B.E. 2002 The growth of Artemisia annua hairy roots in liquid and gas phase reactors.  Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 80:454-464.
  15. Correll, M.J., Wu, Y., Weathers, P.J. 2001 Controlling Hyperhydration of Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) Grown in a Mist Reactor. Biotechnology & Bioengineering 71:307-314.
  16. Correll, M.J., Weathers, P.J. 2001 Effects of Light CO2, and Humidity on Carnation Growth, Hyperhydration, and Cuticular Wax Development in a Mist Reactor. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant, 37:405-413.
  17. Correll, M.J., Weathers, P.J. 2001 One-step Acclimatization of Plantlets Using a Mist Reactor. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 73:253-258.
  18. Weathers, P.J., Kim, Y.J. 2001 Transformed roots of Artemisia annua exhibit an unusual pattern of border cell release. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant, 37:440-445.
  19. Kim, Y., Wyslouzil, B.E., Weathers, P.J. 2001 A comparative study of mist and bubble column reactors in the in vitro production of artemisinin. Plant Cell Reports 20:451-455
  20. Souret, F., Weathers, P. 2000 Crocus sativus L. (saffron): Cultivation, in vitro culture, secondary metabolite production and phytopharmacognosy. J. Herbs, Spices, and Medicin. Plants, 6(4):99-116.
  21. Butterfield, L.J.W., Weathers, P.J., Flores, H.E.  Improvement of Rooting in Seedlings of Taxus spp. by Phosphate Reduction and Nutrient Mist Culture. HortSci, accepted.
  22. Souret, F, Weathers, P.J. 2000 The growth of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in aeroponics and hydroponics. J. Herbs, Spices, and Medicin. Plants 7(3)26-36.
  23. Buer, C.S., Weathers, P.J., Swartzlander, G. 2000 Changes in Hectian strands in cold hardened cells as measured by optical microsurgery. Plant Physiol. 122:1365-1377.
  24. Wyslouzil, B.E., Waterbury, R.G., Weathers, P.J.  2000 The growth of single roots of Artemisia annua in nutrient mist reactors. Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 72:143-150.
  25. Weathers, P.J., Wyslouzil, B.E., Wobbe, K.K., Kim, Y.J., Yigit, E. 1999. The biological response of hairy roots to O2 levels in bioreactors. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology Plant 35:286-289.
  26. Buer, C.S., Gahagan, K.T., Swartzlander, G.A., Weathers, P.J.  1998. Insertion of Microscopic Objects Inside Plant Cell Walls Using Laser Microsurgery. Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 60:348-355.
  27. Wobbe, K., Zhang, X. and Weathers, P.J. 1998. Correlations between peroxidase activity, calcium, and artemisinin levels in hairy roots of Artemisia annua. In: Radical biology: advances and perspectives on the function of plant roots. (ed. H.E. Flores, J.P. Lynch, D. Eissenstat,  Am. Soc. Plant Physiologists, Rockville, MD) pp. 432-434.
  28. Buer, C.S., Gahagan, K.T., Swartzlander, G.A. Weathers, P.J. 1998. Differences in optical trapping prompt investigations of Agrobacterium surface characteristics. J Ind. Microbiol.,  21:233-236.
  29. Smith, T.C., Weathers, P.J., Cheetham, R.D.  1997. Effects of Gibberellic Acid on Hairy Root Cultures of Artemisia annua: Growth and Artemisinin Production.  In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant 33:75-79.
  30. Wyslouzil, B.E., Whipple, M., Chatterjee, C., Walcerz, D.B., Weathers, P.J., Hart, D.P. 1997. Mist Deposition onto Hairy Root Cultures: Aerosol Modeling and Experiments. Biotechnol. Prog.  13:185-194.
  31. Chatterjee, C., Correll, M., Weathers, P.J., Wyslouzil, B.E., Walcerz, D.B. A 1997. Simplified Acoustic Window Mist Bioreactor. Biotechnol. Techniques 11:155-158.
  32. Weathers, P.J., Hemmenvanh, D.D., Walcerz, D.B., Cheetham, R.D., Smith, T.C. 1997 Interactive Effects of Nitrogen, Phosphate, Sucrose, and Inoculum Age on Growth and Sesquiterpene Production in Artemisia annua hairy root cultures. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant, 33:306-312.
  33. Buer, CS, Correll, MJ, Smith, TC, Towler, MJ, Weathers, PJ, Nadler, M, Seaman, J, Walcerz, D.  1996. Development of a Nontoxic Acoustic Window Nutrient-Mist Bioreactor and Relevant Growth Data.  In Vitro Plant 32:299-304.
  34. Weathers, P., Smith, T., Hemmavanh, D., Follansbee, E., Ryan, J., Cheetham, R. 1996. Production of the Antimalarial, Artemisinin, by Transformed Roots of Artemisia annua. Acta Hort. 426:157-163.
  35. Cheetham, R. Follansbee, E., Weathers, P. 1996. Transformation of Euphorbia lathyris by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Acta Hort. 426:511-518.
  36. Cornell, J.S., Weathers, P.J., Pokras, M. 1995. Poisonous Plant Identification: A Comparison of Databases Designed for Veterinary Use. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 37:482-485.
  37. Teoh, K., Weathers, P., Walcerz, D., Cheetham, R., 1995.  Cryopreservation of Transformed Roots of Artemisia annua  L.  Cryobiology. 33:106-117.
  38. Wagner, L.J., Weathers, P.J., DiIorio, A.A., Cheetham, R.D.  1994.  Enhancement of lettuce productivity by ratooning.  Scientia Horticulturae.  57:177-185.
  39. Weathers, P.J., Cheetham, R.D.,Follansbee, E., Teoh. T. 1994. Artemisinin production by transformed roots of Artemisia annua  Biotechnol. Lett. 16:1281-1286
  40. DiIorio, A.A., Weathers, P.J., Cheetham, R.D. 1993. Non-lethal secondary product release from transformed root cultures of Beta vulgaris.  Applied Microbiol. Biotechnol. 39:174-180.
  41. DiIorio, A.A., Cheetham, R.D., Weathers, P.J.  1992.  Carbon dioxide improves the growth of hairy roots cultured on solid medium and in nutrient mists.  Applied Microbiol. Biotechnol., 37:463-467.
  42. DiIorio, A.A., Cheetham, R.D., Weathers, P.J.  1992.  Growth of transformed roots in a nutrient mist bioreactor: reactor performance and evaluation.  Applied Microbiol. Biotechnol., 37:457-462.
  43. Cheetham, R.D., Mikloiche, C., Glubiak, M., and Weathers, P.  1992. Micropropagation of a recalcitrant male asparagus (MD 22‑8) clone.  Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture  31:15-19.
  44. Weathers, P.J., Fadzillah, N.A.M., and Cheetham, R.D.  1992.  Light inhibits the formation of capsaicin from Capsicum callus.  Planta Medica, 58:278-279.
  45. Friberg, JA, Weathers, PJ, Gibson, DG 1992. Culture of amebocytes in a nutrient mist bioreactor. In Vitro Cell and Developmental Biology 28A:215-217.
  46. Weathers, P.J., and Blanchard, J.  1990.  Multiple fruiting of the edible mushroom Coprinus cinereus from explants of the stipe.  Appl. Microbiol. & Biotechnol. 33:652‑656.
  47. Crusberg, T.C., Weathers, P.J., and Baker, E.1989.  Fungal biotrap for retrieval of heavy metals from industrial wastewaters.  Third Intnl. Conf. on New Frontiers for Hazard. Waste Management.  EPA/600/9‑89/072.  pp. 196‑203.
  48. Weathers, P.J., Cheetham, R.D., and Giles, K.L.  1988.  Dramatic increases in shoot number and length for Musa, Cordyline, and Nephrolepis using nutrient mists.  Acta Hortic. 230:39‑43.
  49. Weathers, P.J. and Giles, K.L.  1988.  Regeneration of plants using nutrient mists.  In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant. 24:727‑732.
  50. Weathers, P.J.  1988.  Biochemistry in an industrial context: methods of protein purification and downstream processing.  J. Chem. Ed. 65:854‑856.
  51. DiIorio, A.A., Weathers, P.J., and Campbell, D.A.  1987.  Comparative enzyme and ethanol production in an isogenic yeast ploidy series.  Curr. Genet. 12:9‑14.
  52. Weathers, P.J. and Niedzielski, J.  1986.  N20 production by cyanobacteria.  Arch. Microbiol. 146:204.
  53. Weathers, P.J.  1984.  N20 evolution by green algae.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 48:1251‑1253.
  54. Weathers, P.J., Danielli, J.F., Bradley, P.M., Hebb, D.M., Miller, J.E., and Pesano, R.L.  1984.  Possible evidence for novel metabolism of nitrogen gas by a green alga.  Physiol. Plant. 61:441‑448.
  55. Miller, J.E., Weathers, P.J., McConville, F.X., and Goldberg, M.  1982.  Saccharification and ethanol fermentation of apple pomace.  Biotech. and Bioeng. Symp. 12:183‑191.
  56. Allen, M.M., Hutchison, F., and Weathers,, P.J.  1980.  Cyanophycin granule polypeptide formation and degradation in the Cyanobacterium Aphanocapsa 6308.  J. Bact. 141:687.
  57. Allen, M.M. and Weathers, P.J.  1980.  The structure and composition of cyanophycin granules in the Cyanobacterium Aphanocapsa 6308.  J. Bact. 141:959.
  58. Weathers, P.J and Allen, M.M.  1978.  Variations in short term products of inorganic carbon fixation in exponential and stationary phase cultures of Aphanocapsa 6308.  Arch. Microbiol. 116:231.
  59. Weathers, P.J., Chee, H.L., and Allen, M.M.  1978.  Arginine catabolism in Aphanocapsa 6308.  Arch. Microbiol. 118:1.
  60. Weathers, P.J., Jost, M., and Lamport. D.T.A.  1977.  The gas vacuole membrane of Microcystis aeruginosa: A partial amino acid sequence.  Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 178:226.
  61. Simon, R.A., and Weathers, P.J.  1976.  Determination of the structure of the novel polypeptide containing aspartic acid and arginine which is found in Cyanobacteria. Biochem. Biophys. Acta 420:165.
  62. Jost, M., Jones, D.D., and Weathers, P.J.  1971.  Counting of gas vacuoles by electron microscopy in lysates and purified fractions of Microcystis aeruginosa.  Protoplasma 73:329.

REVIEWS (refereed):

  1. Weathers, P.J., Wobbe, K.K., Wyslouzil, B.E. 2007 INVITED REVIEW – In vitro production of artemisinin: biosynthesis, regulation, and bioprocess development. In: Molecular Plant Cell-Based Bioprocessing (ed. Zhang, W, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. In press.
  2. Weathers, P.J., Wyslouzil, B. E. 2007 Invited. Alternate bioreactors: Mist. In: Encyclopedia of Cell Technology. (Ed. R.E. Spier, John Wiley & Sons, NY, NY) 2nd edition. In press.
  3. Towler, M, Kim, YJ, Correll, M, Wyslouzil, B, Weathers, PJ.  2006. INVITED REVIEW Design, development, and applications of mist bioreactors for micropropagation and hairy root culture. In: Plant Tissue Culture Engineering. Eds. Gupta, SD, Ibaraki, Y. Springer, The Netherlands. Pp. 119-134.
  4. Weathers, P.J., Elkholy, S, Wobbe, K.K. 2006 INVITED REVIEW – Artemisinin: the biosynthetic pathway and its regulation in Artemisia annua, a terpenoid-rich species. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology-Plant 42:309-317. Selected for special recognition.
  5. Kim, Y.J., Wyslouzil, B., Weathers, J. 2002 Secondary metabolism of hairy roots in bioreactors. Invited review for In Vitro Cell and Developmental Biology, Plant, 38:1-10.
  6. Weathers, P., Whipple, M., Wyslouzil, B. 1997. Laboratory-Scale Studies of Nutrient Mist Reactors for Culturing Hairy Roots, In: Hairy Roots (ed. P.M. Doran, Gordon and Breach/Harwood Academic, UK). Pp. 191-200. Invited.
  7. Weathers, P.J.  Downstream Processing (product recovery), In: Plant Secondary Metabolites via Bioreactor Culture (ed. F. Mavituna, Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands), accepted for publication. Invited.
  8. Weathers, P.J., Zobel, R.D.   1992.  Aeroponics for the culture of organisms, tissues, and cells.  Biotechnology Advances 10:93-115
  9. Weathers, P.J.  1991.  Fuels from industrial biomass processing wastes, In Biomass Handbook (ed. C. Hall and Kitani) Gordon & Breach.  pp.175-191. Invited.

PATENTS

  1. Weathers, P.J. and Giles, K.  1989.  Mist cultivation of cells.  U.S. Patent #4,857,464 and other International Patents (European, Israeli, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand).
  2. Weathers, P.J., Cheetham, R.D., and DiIorio, A.  1995.  Process of extracting enhanced amounts of plant secondary metabolites with limited loss of plant viability. U.S. Patent #5,413,928.
  3. Wobbe, KK, Weathers, PJ Production of an edible artemisinin. IP filed 1/10/06.
    Weathers, PJ, Towler, MJ A scaleable mist reactor. IP filed Feb. 2007.

REGISTERED PLANT GENES IN GENBANK

  1. Souret, F.F., Wobbe, K.K., Weathers, P.J. 1999 Artemisia annua squalene synthase mRNA, partial cDNA sequence. BankIt289912 AF181557.
  2. Souret, F.F., Wobbe, K.K., Shore, K.A., Weathers, P.J. 1999 Artemisia annua D-1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase (dxs1) mRNA, comlete cDNA sequence. BankIt290639 AF182286.
  3. Souret, F.F., Wobbe, K.K., Shore, K.A., Weathers, P.J. 1999 Artemisia annua 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (dxr1)mRNA, partial cDNA sequence. BankIt290641 AF18182287.

NON-REFEREED:

  1. Weathers, P., Johnson, D. 1999. Diversity in Science & Engineering. ASPP News 26:21.
  2. Crusberg, T.C., G. Gudmundsson, Moore, S.C., Weathers, P.J., Biederman, R.R.  1994.  Structural analysis of a fungal biotrap for removal of heavy metals from wastewaters. In Hazardous Waste Management Handbook: Technology, Perception and Reality. (ed. N. Cheremisinoff and Y.C. Wu, Prentice Hall, NJ) pp 213-224.
  3. Weathers, P.J., Laine, L., Farley, G., Harris, G.1992.  Conditions for cleaning and sterilizing a small tangential flow filtration system using a water soluble cold sterilant.  Am. Biotechnol. Lab.  10:37-38.
  4. Crusberg, T.C., Weathers, P.J., Baker, E.F.  1991.  Biotraps for heavy metal removal and recovery from industrial wastewaters.  In Innovative Hazardous Waste Technology Series (ed. H.M. Freeman, Technomic Pub. Co., Lancaster, PA) Vol.3  pp.91-96.
  5. Weathers, P.J., DiIorio, A., Cheetham, R., and O'Leary, M.  1990  Recovery of secondary metabolites with minimal loss of cell viability. In Progress in Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology (ed. H.J.J.Nijkamp, L.H.W. van der Plas, J. van Aartrijk, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands)  pp.582‑586.
  6. Crusberg, T.C., Weathers, P.J., and Cheetham, R.D.  1989.  Biotraps for heavy metal recovery from electroplating wastewater.  In Proc. Intnl. Conf. on Physiochem. & Biol. Detox. of Hazard. Wastes.  (ed Y.C. Wu, Technomic Publ. Co., Lancaster, PA) Vol.1  pp.285-306.
  7. Crusberg, T.C., Weathers, P.J., and Cheetham, R.D.  1989.  Electroplating wastewaters: biotraps for removal and recycle of heavy metals.  In Advances in Ion Chromatography (ed. P. Jandik & R.M. Cassidy, Century International, Franklin, MA) Vol. I pp. 247‑260.
  8. Weathers, P. J., DiIorio, A., and Cheetham, R.D.  1989.  A Bioreactor for Differentiated Tissues.  Proc. BIOTECH USA Conf. (Conf. Managemt. Corp., Norwalk, CN) pp.247 - 256.
  9. Weathers, P.J., Cheetham, R.D., Blanchard, J., Niedzielski, J., and Crusberg, T.C.  1987.  Biotraps for heavy metal removal and recovery from electroplating wastewaters.  SIM News 37:9‑11.

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