Publications Available upon Request

Peer-reviewed Research Publications

Ahrens, C. and C. Auer. Glyphosate treatments alter bentgrass (Agrostis) growth, survivorship, and plant community composition.  (in preparation)

Ahrens, C, Ecker, G, and C. Auer.  2011. The intersection of ecological risk assessment and plant communities: an analysis of Agrostis and Panicum species in northeastern U.S.  Plant Ecology         DOI 10.1007/s11258-011-9936-9

Ahrens, C, Chung, J, Meyer, T, and C Auer. 2011. Bentgrass distribution surveys and habitat suitability maps support ecological risk assessment in cultural landscapes.  Weed Science 59:145-154

Auer, C. 2011. Small RNAs for crop improvement: Applications and considerations for ecological risk assessments.  Chapter In: Non-coding RNAs in Plants. Editors: V.A. Erdmann and J. Barciszewski. Springer Publishing (in press)

Reichman, JR, Smith, BM, Londo, JP, Bollman, MA, Auer, CA, and LS Watrud.  2011. Diallelic microsatellites for diversity and population analyses of the allotetraploid creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera). Crop Science 51:1-12

Auer, C. and R. Frederick. 2009. Crop Improvement using small RNAs: applications and predictive ecological risk assessment. Trends in Biotechnology 27:644-651

Auer, C. 2008. Ecological risk assessment and regulation for genetically-modified ornamental plants. Critical Reviews in Plant Science 27:255-271.

Auer, C.A. 2003. Tracking genes from seed to supermarket: Techniques and trends.  Trends in Plant Science 8:591-597

Dwivedi S., Vanková, R., Motyka, V., Herrara, C., Zizkova, E. and C. Auer. 2010. Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana mutant ror-1 (roscovitine-resistant) and its utilization in understanding the role of cytokinin N-glucosylation pathway in plants. Plant Growth Regulation DOI 10.1007/s10725-010-9467-8

Auer, C. 2008. Emerging scientific methods for crop improvement and their implication for ecological risk assessment. 52 pages. Report prepared for US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Ecological Assessment. 

Jones, C., J.E. Madden, C.A. Auer. 2005. Modes of regeneration in Pelargonium x hortorum (Geraniaceae) and three closely related species.  In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology - Plants, 41:37-46

Zhao, Q., R. Fisher and C. Auer. 2002. Developmental phases and STM expression during Arabidopsis shoot organogenesis.  Plant Growth Regulation 37:223-231

Knapp, J.E., Kausch, A.P., Auer, C., Brand, M.H. 2001. Transformation of Rhododendron through microprojectile bombardment. Plant Cell Reports 20:749-754

Auer, C.A. 2002. Discoveries and dilemmas concerning cytokinin metabolism. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 21:24-31

van der Graff, E., Auer C., Hooykaa PJJ. 2001. Altered development of Arabidopsis thaliana carrying the Agrobacterium tumefaciens ipt gene is partially due to ethylene effects. Plant Growth Regulation 34:305-315

Auer, C.A., Motyka, V., Brezinova, A., Kaminek, M. 1999. Endogenous cytokinin accumulation and cytokinin oxidase activity during shoot organogenesis of Petunia hybrida Vilm.  Physiologia Plantarum 105:141-147            

Mercure, E.W., Jones, C.S., Auer, C.A. and M.H. Brand. 1998. Anatomy of shoots and tumors of in vitro habituated Rhododendron ‘Montego’ cultures with tissue proliferation.  American Journal of Botany 85:616-628

Harbage, J.F, Stimart, D.P and C. Auer. 1998. pH affects 1H-indole-3-butyric acid uptake but not metabolism during the initiation phase of adventitious root induction in apple microcuttings. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 123:6-10

Auer, C.A. 1997. Cytokinin conjugation: recent advances and patterns in plant evolution. Plant Growth Regulation 23:17-32  

Auer, C.A. 1996. Cytokinin inhibition of Arabidopsis root growth: an examination of genotype, cytokinin activity, and N6-benzyladenine metabolism. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 15:201-206  

Auer, C.A., Cohen, J.D. 1993. Identification of a benzyl adenine disaccharide conjugate produced during shoot organogenesis in petunia leaf explants. Plant Physiology 102:541-545         

Auer, C.A., Cohen, J.D., Laloue, M., Cooke, T.J. 1992. Comparison of benzyl adenine metabolism in two Petunia hybrida lines differing in shoot organogenesis. Plant Physiology 98:1035-1041

Auer, C.A., Laloue, M., Cohen, J.D., Cooke, T.J. 1992. Uptake and metabolism of benzyl adenine during shoot organogenesis in petunia leaf explants. Plant Growth Regulation 11:105-114 

Auer, C.A. and D.B. McConnell. 1984. Simulated transit vibration and silver thiosulfate applications affect ethylene production and leaf abscission of begonia and schefflera. HortScience 19:517-519

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Other Publications and Reports

Auer, C.A. 2009. A century of crop improvement: From Vavilov to biotechnology. BioScience 59:436-438   (Invited book review)

Auer, C. 2008. Emerging scientific methods for crop improvement and their implication for ecological risk assessment. 52 pages. Report prepared for US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Ecological Assessment.  This report was prepared under contract with EPA.

Biotechnology-derived perennial turf and forage grasses: Criteria for evaluation. May, 2004.  Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, ISBN 1-887383-25-5. Available from http://www.cast-science.org.  This report was written by a group of research and industry scientists after a workshop held in Baltimore, Maryland (2003). 

Extending the net fitness model to considerations of crop gene flow. January, 2004.  Special Issue of the Information Systems for Biotechnology News Report. Available from http://www.isb.vt.edu   This report had 15 co-authors and was the result of a workshop held in Colorado Springs, Colorado (2003).

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Examples of Invited Lectures (2003 - present)

“Crop Improvement with small RNAs: Six Questions for Ecological Risk Assessment Models.”  Canadian Food Inspection Authority, Invited Risk Assessment Workshop, Feb. 2011, Ottawa, Canada (February, 2011)

“Will the grass be greener? Research on Ecological Risk from GM Grasses for Turf and Biofuels.”  US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Ecological Assessment, Virginia (December, 2008)

“East meets west. Molecular tools to characterize Agrostis hybrids and populations in the Eastern and Western U.S.” US Environmental Protection Agency, Western Regional Division, Corvallis, Oregon. (August, 2008

“Will the grass be greener? Research on Ecological Risk from GM Grasses for Turf and Biofuels.”  US Department of Agriculture, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, Maryland (December, 2008)

“Regulation and Risks of Genetically-modified Crops”  Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, Massachusetts (March, 2008)

“Transparency in the Land of Oz”  Annual Technical Symposium, Monsanto Company, Mystic, Connecticut (2007)

“GM plants and the environment: Will the grass be greener?”  Chatham College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2006)

“GM plants and the environment”  Department of Plant Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (2006)

“GM crops in the Land of Oz: Regulation, risk analysis and social context in Australia.”  Interdisciplinary Bioethics Project, Institute for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University (2006)

“Regulation and Risk Assessment for GM Crops: Trends and Hot Topics in the United States”  Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, Australia  (October, 2005)

“Regulation and Risk Assessment for GM Crops in the United States”  University of Melbourne, Undergraduate Study Group, Melbourne, Australia (October, 2005)

“GM crops in the land of OZ: Regulation, risk analysis and social context in Australia”  Yale University, GM Crop Study Group, Institute of Social and Policy Studies  (May, 2006)

“Genetically modified plants: Weeding risks from benefits in the American landscape.”  Yale Public Forum on Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT (2005)

“Beauty from Biotech: Risk assessment and regulation of GM plants for the American landscape.”  Interdisciplinary Bioethics Projects, Institute for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT (2004)

“Environmental risk assessment and public information from USDA: A case study of Vector tobacco.” Chinese Delegation sponsored by US Trade and Development Agency, Washington D.C. (2003)

“Enhancing ecological risk assessments: Familiarity and substantial equivalence - theory and practice.” USDA-APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Services workshop, Greenbelt, Maryland (2003)

Recent Abstracts for Conferences and Workshops (2005 - present)

Ahrens, C. and C. Auer. February, 2011. Genetic relationships of feral creeping bentgrass populations to cultivated turfgrass on golf course.  Botanical Society of America (poster)

Auer, C. Crop Improvement with small RNAs: Six Questions for Ecological Risk Assessment Models.  Canadian Food Inspection Authority, Invited Risk Assessment Workshop, Ottawa, Canada (oral presentation)

Auer, C., Ecker, G, Ahrens, C., Chung, J, and T. Meyer. November, 2010. Switchgrass biogeography and pollen release in the Northeastern U.S. 11th International Symposium on Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms, Buenos Aires, Argentina (poster)

Ahrens, C., G. Ecker, and C. Auer. 2010. Research on plant community assemblage for Agrostis supports ecological risk assessment for genetically engineered Agrostis stolonifera. Botanical Society of America (poster)

Reichman, J.R., Smith, B.M., Londo, J.P., Bollman, M.A., Auer, C.A. and L.S. Watrud. 2010. Diallelic microsatellites for diversity and population analyses of the allotetraploid creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera).  Botanical Society of America (oral presentation)

Ecker, G., Ahrens, C., and C. Auer. 2010. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) biogeographic distribution study for ecological risk assessment. Botanical Society of America (poster)

Chung, J., Ahrens, C.A., Meyer, T. and C.A. Auer. 2010. Predicting bentgrass habitat in a cultural landscape using logistic regression, ecological factors, and GIS. Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources (oral presentation)

Ahrens, C.A., Chung, J., Meyer, T. and C.A. Auer. 2009. Is the habitat suitable? Using geospatial information, modeling, and field surveys to predict plant distribution. International Invasive Plant Symposium: Trading problems, trading solutions., University of Connecticut (oral presentation)

Ahrens, C.A., Chung, J., Meyer, T. and C.A. Auer. 2009. Characterizing bentgrass distribution with spatial and biological data to support ecological risk assessment in Connecticut. Ecological Society of America (oral presentation)

Ahrens, C.A., Chung, J., Meyer, T. and C.A. Auer. 2009. Characterizing bentgrass distribution with spatial and biological data to support ecological risk assessment in Connecticut.  College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Univ. of Connecticut, Graduate Student Forum (poster)

Ecker, G. and C. Auer. 2009. Assessment of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) gene flow and biogeography. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Graduate Student Forum (poster)

Ahrens, C.A., Chung, J., Meyer, T. and C.A. Auer. 2009. Modeling bentgrass distribution to assess ecological risk. Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources (poster)

Ahrens, A. and C. Auer. 2008. Integration of bentgrass ecology and GIS for environmental risk assessment. Graduate Fellowship Award, University of Connecticut Center for Environmental Science and Engineering (poster)

Auer, C. 2008. When hybrids go wrong: Assessing potential environmental risk from the release of herbicide-resistant creeping bentgrass. Botanical Society of America (poster)

Ahrens, C.W. and C. Auer. 2008. Drought and salinity tolerance of common Agrostis species. American Society of Plant Biology, NE Regional Meeting (poster)

Gene Flow Symposium, December, 2007, North Central Weed Science Society, St. Louis, MO (conference participant)

Auer, C. 2007.  What is Ecological Risk? A Classroom Case Study using Herbicide-resistant Creeping Bentgrass.  American Society of Plant Biologists (poster)

Ahrens, C. and C. Auer. 2006. Ecological Risk Assessment of Herbicide-resistant Creeping Bentgrass. Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group symposium (poster)

Dwivedi, S. and C. Auer. 2006. Exploration of the cytokinin N-glucosylation pathway using the ror1 mutant.  National Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biology (poster)

Warren, D. and C. Auer. 2005. Could a gene for herbicide tolerance alter distribution and management of bentgrass populations? New England Invasive Plant Summit, Massachusetts (poster)

Auer, C. 2005. Biogeography of bentgrasses in Connecticut. Gene Flow Symposium, Kansas City, MO (poster)

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Recent Grants and Contracts

“Perennial grasses for bioenergy: Pollen aerobiology, biocontainment, and plant genetics.” USDA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant Program (2011-2014), Co-PI: Thomas Meyer.

“Characterization of environmental hazards and exposure from herbicide-resistant bentgrass.” USDA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant Program (2007-2012), Co-PI: Thomas Meyer

“Predicting Ecological Risk from Perennial Grasses Engineered for Biofuels and Turf.” USDA Hatch Grant (2006 – 2011)

Contract for scientific consulting for private law firm involved in litigation. Provided information on transgene escape, crop segregation, and crop testing (2009).

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