Gloria M. Coruzzi (born June 28, 1954) is an American molecular biologist specializing in plant systems biology and evolutionary genomics.
Education and career
As Carroll & Milton Petrie Professor of Biology at New York University’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Coruzzi studies gene regulatory networks controlling nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and root nutrient foraging in the model plantArabidopsis. She also examines phylogenomic approaches across higher plant species to identify genes associated with the evolution of key plant traits such as seeds.[1] This research resides in Pasteur's quadrant as a scientific investigation that is ultimately meant to be beneficial to society.[2]
Coruzzi has established 10 patents in the study of gene networks affecting nitrogen use efficiency. Her laboratory collaborated in the development of the software platform VirtualPlant.[3]
As an investigator on the National Science Foundation (NSF) Plant Genome project, she helped generate the largest genome-scale phylogeny of the seed plants, which allows researchers to explore the genomic underpinnings of plant diversity.[1][4]
Coruzzi took a position as a professor at NYU in 1993. Her lab has constructed the first integrated genomic network used to discover and validate nitrogen regulation of the circadian clock in plants.[10] It predicted the function of gene network states under untested conditions.[11]
She is a member of the Editorial Board for PNAS.[12]
Coruzzi has authored and coauthored over 200 research papers and served as chair of the Department of Biology at NYU from 2003 to 2011. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, NSF 2010 Project, NSF Plant Genome Project, the NSF Database and Information Project, and United States Department of Energy.[13]
Awards and honors
Coruzzi was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2005, a Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biology in 2010, a Fellow of the Agropolis Foundation in 2012.
Coruzzi was awarded Stephen Hales Prize in 2016 for her pioneering work in exploring plant systems biology and the first integrated view of mechanisms controlling the assimilation and use of nitrogen.[14]
Coruzzi was appointed Distinguished Counselor at New York Botanical Garden in 2017 for her professional accomplishments in the field of plant science.[15]
1994–1997, North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee[13]
1996–1999, International Society of Plant Molecular Biology, Board of Directors[13]
1996–2000, International Society of Plant Molecular Biology, Board Member[13]
2008–Present, New York Botanical Garden, Member of the Corporation[13]
2012–2015, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Scientific Advisory Board[13]
2012–2017, International Arabidopsis Informatics Consortium, Scientific Board[13]
2012–2017, The Arabidopsis Information Portal Scientific Advisory Board[13]
2015–2018, Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute Plant Program User Advisory Committee[19]
2019–Present, DOE Joint Genome Institute Scientific Advisory Committee[20]
^Macino, G., et al. (1980) The use of the UGA terminator as a tryptophan codon in yeast mitochondria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76: 3784-85.
^Broglie, R., et al. (1983). Structural analysis of nuclear genes coding for the precursor to the small subunit of wheat ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase. Nature Biotechnology 1: 55-61.
^Tingey, S. V., et al. (1987). Glutamine synthetase genes of pea encode distinct polypeptides are differentially expressed in leaves, roots and nodules. EMBO J. 6: 1-9.
^Tsai, F. Y. and G. M. Coruzzi. (1990). Dark-induced and organ-specific expression of two asparagine synthetase genes in Pisum sativum. EMBO J. 9: 323-32.
^Gutiérrez, R., et al. (2008). Systems approach identifies an organic nitrogen-responsive gene network that is regulated by the master clock control gene CCA1. Proc. Natl Acad Sci USA 105, 4939-44.
^Krouk, G., et al. (2010). Predictive network modeling of the high-resolution dynamic plant transcriptome in response to nitrate. Genome Biology 11(12), R123.
