Dr. Kelly Balmant, Research Assistant Professor
Forest Genomics, Physiology and Molecular Biology
2033 Mowry Road – Room 308
Gainesville, FL 32610
Kelly Balmant joined SFRC in 2020 as a Research Assistant Professor in Forest Genomics, Physiology and Molecular Biology. She previously worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at the SFRC doing research on genomics and molecular biology of wood development. Her current research focuses on using genomics and molecular biology to better understand physiological processes in trees, such as wood development in response to abiotic stresses. She is also involved on the NitFix project, which aims to co-opt the mechanism of nitrogen fixation into bioenergy crops such as poplar.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology – University of Florida 2012-2016
Dissertation Title: Redox Proteomics of plant innate immunity in stomatal guard cells.
Advisor: Dr. Sixue Chen
M.S., Genetics and Plant Breeding – Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil) 2009 – 2011
Thesis Title: Identification of a host factor, RPS5A, involved in protein interaction of Geminivirus Movement Protein.
Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Fontes
B.S., Biology – Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil) 2004-2008 Minor in Genetics and Molecular Biology.
MANUSCRIPTS
RIBEIRO, CL; CONDE, D; BALMANT, KM; DERVINIS, C; JOHNSON, MG; MCGRATH, AP; SZEWCZYK, P; UNDA, F; FINEGAN, CA; SCHMIDT, HW; MILES, B; DROST, DR; NOVAES, E; GONZALEZ-BENECKE, CA; PETER, GF; BURLEIGH, JG; MARTIN, TA; MANSFIELD, SD; CHANG, G; WICKETT, NJ; KIRST, M. The uncharacterized gene EVE contributes to vessel element dimensions in Populus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Mar 3;117(9):5059-5066.
BALMANT, K; NOBLE, JD; DERVINIS, C; CONDE, D; RESENDE, M; BARBAZUK, WB; DE LOS CAMPOS, G; VARQUES, A; KIRST, M. (2020) Xylem systems genetics analysis reveals a key regulator of lignin biosynthesis in Populus deltoides. Genome Research – Under review
NOBLE, JD, BALMANT, KM, DERVINIS, C; DE LOS CAMPOS, G; RESENDE, M; KIRST, M; BARBAZUK, WB. (2020) The Genetic Regulation of Alternative Splicing in Populus deltoides. Frontiers Plant Science – Under Review.
BALMANT, K; LAWRENCE, SR; DUONG, BV; ZHU, F; ZHU, N; NICKLAY, J; CHEN, S (2020) Redox proteomics of stomatal immunity reveals role of a lipid transfer protein in plant defense. Submitted to Plant Physiology.
YIN, Z; BALMANT, K; GENG, S; ZHU, N; ZHANG, T; DUFRESNE, C; DAI, S; CHEN, S (2017) Bicarbonate Induced Redox Proteome Changes in Arabidopsis Suspension Cells. Front. Plant Sci., 8, 58:73. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00058.
HUANG, L; KHUSNUTDINOVA, A; NOCEK, B; BROWN, G; XU, X; CUI, H; PETIT, P; FLICK, R; ZALLOT, R; BALMANT, K; ZIEMAK, MJ; SHANKLIN, J; CRÉCY-LAGARD, V; GREGORY III, JF; JOACHIMIAK, A; SAVCHENKO, A; YAKUNIN, AF; HANSON, A (2016) A family of metal-dependent phosphatases implicated in metabolite damage-control. Nature Chemical Biology doi:10.1038/nchembio.2108.
MOSTAFA, I; ZHU, N; YOO, MJ; BALMANT, K; MISRA, BB; DUFRESNE, C; ABOU- HASHEM, M; CHEN, S; EL-DOMIATY, M (2016) New nodes and edges in the glucosinolate molecular network revealed by proteomics and metabolomics of Arabidopsis myb28/29 and cyp79B2/B3. Journal of Proteomics 138, 1:19.
BALMANT, K; ZHANG, T; CHEN, S (2016) Protein phosphorylation and redox modification in stomatal guard cells. Front Physiol. 5, 7:26. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00026.
BALMANT, K; PARKER, J; YOO, M; ZHU, N; DUFRESNE, C; CHEN, S (2015) Redox proteomics of tomato in response to Pseudomonas syringae infection. Nature Horticulture Research 2, 15043; doi:10.1038/hortres.2015.43.
PARKER J, BALMANT K, ZHU F, ZHU N, CHEN S (2015) cysTMTRAQ – An Integrative Method for Unbiased Thiol-based Redox Proteomics. Mol Cell Proteomics, 14(1):237-42.
Book Chapters
ZHU M, JEONG BW, GENG S, YU Y, BALMANT K, CHEN S, ASSMANN SM (2015) Preparation of
Epidermal of Peels and Guard Cell Protoplast for Cellular, Electrophysiological, and –Omics assays of Guard Cell Function. In: Plant Signal Transduction. Springer New York, Pages 89-121. ISBN: 978- 1- 4939-3115-6, 2015.
Patents
KIRST, M., RESENDE JR., MFR., NEVES, LG., DERVINIS, C., BALMANT, KM. Method for Genome
Complexity reduction and Polymorphism Detection, 2001.
RESENDE JR, MF; BALMANT, KM; LEACH, K; KIRST, M; DERVINIS, C. Genome editing by pollen-mediated transformation, 2018. Provisional Patent.