Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Sven Buerki, Boise State University
Presentation Date
7-16-2026
Abstract
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a shrub species native to the sagebrush steppe of western North America. Increasing drought and heat events, along with rising wildfire frequency, place significant stress on sagebrush populations and threaten their long‑term sustainability. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an individual plant to modify its physiology during its lifetime in response to environmental stress, may help certain sagebrush genotypes to better tolerate these changing conditions. Phenotypic plasticity does not involve genetic change, although stress triggered physiological modifications may be inherited through epigenetic processes. Plasticity is not universal across sagebrush genotypes. The research in this lab hypothesizes that some genotypes exhibit adaptive phenotypic plasticity aided by transcriptomic plasticity; quick, stress responsive changes in gene expression facilitated by epigenetic mechanisms.
To test this hypothesis, this project examines four individual lines collected across the species range, each representing a unique genotype. Using genetically identical individuals within each line allows us to determine how specific genomes respond to combined drought and heat stress. Sagebrush plants are exposed to controlled heat and drought stress increments, and real time water‑loss patterns are quantified using load‑cell instrumentation. The experiment terminates when individuals enter starvation, defined by stomatal closure and minimum weight change. This peak distress point varies among genotypes and represents the limit of each genotype’s climatic tolerance.
Physiological data collected throughout the experiment guide transcriptomic sampling at peak stress points to identify drought and heat responsive pathways. My contributions to this experiment included sterile media preparation for in vitro propagation, transplanting and hardening plants into ex vitro conditions, maintaining controlled growth conditions, assisting with load cell installation, and daily data collection associated with nightly transpiration. This project contributes to our goal of identifying sagebrush genotypes capable of adaptive plasticity under climate induced stress and understanding the molecular mechanisms that facilitate these responses.
Phenotypic Plasticity and Transpiration Patterns in Sagebrush Under Controlled Environmental Stress Conditions
Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a shrub species native to the sagebrush steppe of western North America. Increasing drought and heat events, along with rising wildfire frequency, place significant stress on sagebrush populations and threaten their long‑term sustainability. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an individual plant to modify its physiology during its lifetime in response to environmental stress, may help certain sagebrush genotypes to better tolerate these changing conditions. Phenotypic plasticity does not involve genetic change, although stress triggered physiological modifications may be inherited through epigenetic processes. Plasticity is not universal across sagebrush genotypes. The research in this lab hypothesizes that some genotypes exhibit adaptive phenotypic plasticity aided by transcriptomic plasticity; quick, stress responsive changes in gene expression facilitated by epigenetic mechanisms.
To test this hypothesis, this project examines four individual lines collected across the species range, each representing a unique genotype. Using genetically identical individuals within each line allows us to determine how specific genomes respond to combined drought and heat stress. Sagebrush plants are exposed to controlled heat and drought stress increments, and real time water‑loss patterns are quantified using load‑cell instrumentation. The experiment terminates when individuals enter starvation, defined by stomatal closure and minimum weight change. This peak distress point varies among genotypes and represents the limit of each genotype’s climatic tolerance.
Physiological data collected throughout the experiment guide transcriptomic sampling at peak stress points to identify drought and heat responsive pathways. My contributions to this experiment included sterile media preparation for in vitro propagation, transplanting and hardening plants into ex vitro conditions, maintaining controlled growth conditions, assisting with load cell installation, and daily data collection associated with nightly transpiration. This project contributes to our goal of identifying sagebrush genotypes capable of adaptive plasticity under climate induced stress and understanding the molecular mechanisms that facilitate these responses.