Sharon R. Long Explained

Sharon Long
Birth Name:Sharon Rugel Long
Birth Date:2 March 1951
Thesis Title:Maturation and Germination Programs in Developing Embryos of Phaseolus
Thesis Year:1979
Thesis Url:https://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/14715512
Known For:bacterial-plant symbiosis
Spouse:
    Children:2
    Awards:Member of the National Academy of Sciences
    Notable Students:Giles Oldroyd
    Fields:Plant biology
    Workplaces:Stanford University

    Sharon Rugel Long (born March 2, 1951) is an American plant biologist. She is the Steere-Pfizer Professor of Biological Science in the Department of Biology at Stanford University, and the Principal Investigator of the Long Laboratory at Stanford.[1] [2]

    Long studies the symbiosis between bacteria and plants, in particular the relationship of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to legumes. Her work has applications for energy conservation and sustainable agriculture.She is a 1992 MacArthur Fellows Program recipient, and became a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1993.[3]

    Early life and education

    Sharon Rugel Long was born on 2 March 1951 to Harold Eugene and Florence Jean (Rugel) Long.[4] She attended George Washington High School in Denver, Colorado.[5] Long spent a year at Harvey Mudd College before becoming one of the first women to attend Caltech in September 1970. She completed a double major in biochemistry and French literature in the Independent Studies Program, and obtained her B.S. in 1973.[5]

    Long went on to study biochemistry and genetics at Yale, receiving her Ph.D. in 1979.[2] She began her research on plants and symbiosis while a postdoc at Frederick M Ausubels lab at Harvard University.[6] [7]

    Career and research

    Long joined the Stanford University faculty in 1982 as an assistant professor, rising to associate professor in 1987, and full professor in 1992.[8] From 1994 to 2001, she was also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.[9] [8] She currently holds the Steere-Pfizer chair in Biological Sciences at Stanford.[1]

    From 1993 to 1996, she was part of the National Research Councils Committee on Undergraduate Science Education.[10] She served as Dean of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University from 2001 to 2007.[11] [12] [13]

    In September 2008 she was identified as one of 5 science advisors for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.[14] [15] In 2011, she was appointed to the President's Committee on the National Medal of Science by President Obama.[16]

    Long identified and cloned genes that allow bacteria to find and enter certain plants in which they live symbiotically. She has examined the interactions of Rhizobium bacteria with legumes such as alfalfa, soybeans and peas, in which they enhance nitrogen production. She has genetically modified bacteria to make them more effective at entering host plants and producing nitrogen. Such initiatives may enable farmers to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use and runoff of fertilizer into local water supplies.[8]

    Her current research uses molecular, genetic, and biochemical techniques to study the early stages of symbiosis between Sinorhizobium meliloti and its host plants in the genus Medicago.[17] Rhizobium cells recognize and form nodules on their plant hosts. Her group discovered that a flavone (luteolin) derived from alfalfa seed extracts is necessary for activation of nodulation genes (nod ABC) in Sinorhizobium meliloti.[18] They proved that some nod genes encode enzymes that synthesize Nod Factor. They discovered that plant root hair cells show rapid ionic changes including calcium spiking in response to specific Nod Factors. With colleagues, they have identified plant genes for symbiosis, and correlated these with specific stages in nodule development.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

    Selected publications

    Awards and honors

    Personal life

    Long married her college boyfriend Harold James McGee on July 7, 1979 and divorced in 2004. They had two children.[31]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Long Lab Present Members. Stanford University. 3 April 2018.
    2. Web site: Sharon Rugel Long - Stanford CAP Network. Stanford University. 3 April 2018.
    3. Web site: Sharon R. Long. National Academy of Sciences. 3 April 2018.
    4. Web site: Florence Jean Long. Amarillo Globe-News. July 27, 2016.
    5. News: Pioneer Women. 3 April 2018. E&S. 20–21. Caltech. June 1973.
    6. Jones. J. D.G.. From Physics and Chemistry to Plant Biology. Plant Physiology. 1 February 2002. 128. 2. 332–333. 10.1104/pp.900017. 3 April 2018. 1540203.
    7. Long. Sharon R.. Buikema. William J.. Ausubel. Frederick M.. Cloning of Rhizobium meliloti nodulation genes by direct complementation of Nod− mutants. Nature. 29 July 1982. 298. 5873. 485–488. 10.1038/298485a0. 1982Natur.298..485L. 24556846.
    8. Book: Bailey. Martha J.. American women in science, 1950 to the present: a biographical dictionary. 1998. ABC-Clio. Santa Barbara, California. 978-0-87436-921-2. 240.
    9. Web site: Sharon R. Long, PhD. Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 3 April 2018.
    10. Book: Bio2010: transforming undergraduate education for future research biologists. 2002. National Academies Press. Washington, D.C.. 0-309-08535-7.
    11. News: Shwartz. Mark. Sharon Long appointed dean of School of Humanities and Sciences. 3 April 2018. Stanford News Service. April 6, 2001.
    12. News: Sharon Long announces plan to leave dean's post in 2007. 3 April 2018. Stanford News. April 5, 2006.
    13. Book: Maher. Frances A.. Tetreault. Mary Kay Thomson. Privilege and diversity in the American academy.. 2005. Routledge.. New York. 0-415-94665-4. 102–103. 3 April 2018.
    14. Keim. Brandon. Obama Campaign Reveals Science Advisors. 3 April 2018. Wired. September 17, 2008.
    15. News: Crocker. Ellen. Serendipity and Science: 30 Minutes with Dr. Sharon Long. 3 April 2018. Scientific American. April 12, 2012.
    16. News: Ray. Elaine. Sharon Long appointed to National Medal of Science committee. 3 April 2018. Stanford News. September 19, 2011.
    17. Long. Sharon R.. Control of Symbiotic Gene Expression in Sinorhizobium meliloti. Grantome. 3 April 2018.
    18. Peters. NK. Frost. JW. Long. SR . A plant flavone, luteolin, induces expression of Rhizobium meliloti nodulation genes . Science. 29 August 1986. 233. 4767. 977–80. 3738520. 10.1126/science.3738520. 1986Sci...233..977P.
    19. Long. SR. Rhizobium-legume nodulation: life together in the underground. Cell. 27 January 1989. 56. 2. 203–14. 2643474. 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90893-3. 1055437.
    20. Schwedock. J. Long. SR. ATP sulphurylase activity of the nodP and nodQ gene products of Rhizobium meliloti. Nature. 13 December 1990. 348. 6302. 644–7. 10.1038/348644a0. 2250719. 1990Natur.348..644S. 4318180.
    21. Southwick. A. M.. Wang. L.-X.. Long. S. R.. Lee. Y. C.. Activity of Sinorhizobium meliloti NodAB and NodH Enzymes on Thiochitooligosaccharides. Journal of Bacteriology. 15 July 2002. 184. 14. 4039–4043. 10.1128/JB.184.14.4039-4043.2002. 12081977. 135183.
    22. Long. Sharon R.. Receptive to infection. Nature. 8 July 2015. 523. 7560. 298–299. 10.1038/nature14632. 26153862. free.
    23. Book: Palacios. Rafael. Mora. Jaime. Newton. William E.. New horizons in nitrogen fixation proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation, Cancún, Mexico, December 6-12, 1992. 1993. Kluwer Academic. Dordrecht, the Netherlands. 978-94-017-2416-6. 28. 3 April 2018.
    24. Web site: The Charles Albert Shull Award. American Society of Plant Biologists. 3 April 2018.
    25. Web site: Sharon R. Long Plant Biologist Class of 1992. MacArthur Foundation. January 1, 2005. 3 April 2018.
    26. Web site: APS Member History. 2021-11-30. search.amphilsoc.org.
    27. Web site: 2002 Bios. Yale Alumni Association. 3 April 2018.
    28. Web site: Fellow of ASPB Award. American Society of Plant Biologists. 3 April 2018.
    29. Web site: Sharon R. Long . www.nasonline.org.
    30. Web site: ASPB Pioneer Members .
    31. Web site: A chemist in the kitchen (November 19, 2004).

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