Ph. D., Utah State University

   

Office:     429C Life Sciences Building

Phone:   1-419-372-0376

Email: rwoodru@bgsu.edu

   

Research:

Evolutionary genetics, Role of mutation in evolution and aging, Transposable DNA elements, and Molecular evolution. Drosophila as model organism.

   

Curriculum Vitae (11/17/2009)

   

 

Research Interests:

 We are involved in two main areas of genetic research with eukaryotic organisms: The role of mutation in evolution and the genetics of transposable DNA elements of Drosophila. In particular, we are interested in the role of premeiotic clusters of mutation in evolution, using experimental and theoretical techniques.

For abstracts of articles, go to: http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/biology/people/faculty/

Selected Publications:

Abstracts for the following articles can be found by going to PubMed on the NCBI website. Type in Woodruff R C to get all the abstracts.

Azad, P., Mingcai Zhang, and R. C. Woodruff. Rapid increase in viability due to new beneficial mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. 2009. Genetica, DOI 10.1007/s10709-009-9418-3.

Woodruff, R.C., and Mingcai Zhang. 2009. Adaptation from leaps in the dark. Journal of Heredity 100: 7-10.

Ogura, K., R.C. Woodruff, M. Itoh and I.A. Boussy. 2007. Long-term patterns of genomic P element content and P-M characteristics of D. melanogaster in eastern Australia. Genes & Genetic Systems 82: 479-487.

Gong, Y., J.N. Thompson, Jr., and R.C. Woodruff. 2006. Effect of deleterious mutations on lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences 61A: 1246-1252.

Azad, P. and R.C. Woodruff. 2006. Mutation and cloning efficiency. Cloning and Stem Cells 8: 237-239.

Woodruff, R.C., and J.N. Thompson. Jr. 2005. The fundamental theorem of neutral evolution: Rates of substitution and mutation should factor in premeiotic clusters. Genetica 125: 333-339.

Gong, Y., J.N. Thompson, Jr., and R.C. Woodruff. 2005. Deleterious genomic mutation rate for viability in Drosophila melanogaster using concomitant sibling controls. Biology Letters 1: 492-495.

Gong, Y., S. Gu and R.C. Woodruff. 2005. The influence of premeiotic clusters of mutation on indirect estimations of mutation rate. Human Heredity 60: 150-155.

Woodruff, R.C., J.N. Thompson, Jr., and S. Gu. 2004. Premeiotic clusters of mutation and the cost of natural selection. Journal of Heredity 95: 277-283.

Woodruff, R.C., J.P. Phillips and A.J. Hilliker. 2004. Increased spontaneous DNA damage in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) deficient Drosophila. Genome 47: 1029-1035.

Teaching Articles:

Woodruff, R. C. and Katherine D. Onasch. The identification of hidden genetic variation
(recessive visible mutations) in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster. 2009.
In press. Drosophila Information Service. Vol 92.

Rex, Caitlin M., Sarah J. Rossiter, Amanda C. Lyons and R. C. Woodruff. Negative
synergistic epistasis in Drosophila melanogaster. 2009. In press. Drosophila Information Service. Vol 92.

Benson, J.L., A.M. Boulton, C.W. Coates, A.C. Lyons, S.J. Rossiter and R. C. Woodruff. Rare male mating advantage in Drosophila melanogaster. 2009. In press. Drosophila Information Service. Vol 92.

Onasch, Katherine D. and R. C. Woodruff. 2008. Experimental observation of inbreeding depression and heterosis in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Information Service. 91: 151-155.

Onasch, Katherine D, Natalie Wiseman, Bethany Robinson, Mingcai Zhang, and R. C. Woodruff. 2008. Experimental observation of overdominance (heterozygous advantage) in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Information Service. 91: 169-178.

Robinson, Bethany, Natalie Wiseman, Mingcai Zhang, Cynthia J. Staber and R. C.Woodruff. 2008. Identification of selfish genetic elements in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. II. Segregation Distorter (SD). Drosophila Information Service. 91: 179-182.

Thompson, James N., Jr. Clayton N. Hallman, Christopher C. Challis, Jane T. Ma, Kyley K. Makanani, Anna L. McGahan, Whitney D. Nall, Patience O. Ozor, Sean P. Rogers, Katherine L. Shoush, Jessica L. Turner, Hunter J. Wernick, Dusty M. Wiles, Rachel S. Yi, Tyler W. Kallsen, Michael J. Hessler, Barbara Sfiejko-Mroczka, and R. C. Woodruff. 2008. A classroom test of predictions about Segregation Distorter (SD) activity in Drosophila. Drosophila Information Service. 91: 183-185.

Onasch, Katherine D. and R. C. Woodruff. 2007. Changes in linkage disequilibrium over time in Drosophila melanogaster for two sex-linked loci. Drosophila Information Service. 90: 177-186.

Robinson, Bethany, Natalie Wiseman and R. C. Woodruff. 2007. Identification of selfish genetic elements in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. I.P DNA elements. Drosophila Information Service. 90: 172-176.

Toth, Cynthia L, Jessica L. Heintzelman and R. C. Woodruff. 2007. Ultraviolet (UV) light induced mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Information Service. 90: 169-171.

Thompson, J. N., jr. Clayton N. Hallerman, Jenna J. Hellack and R. C. Woodruff. 2006. Measuring natural selection using alcohol dehydrogenase alleles. Drosophila Information Service. 89: 148-149.

Zhang, Mingcai and R. C. Woodruff. 2006. Confirmation of the Bateman’s principle: a sexual selection exercise. Drosophila Information Service. 89: 143-148.

Woodruff, R. C. and J. N. Thompson, jr. 2005. Response to selection in the presence and absence of genetic variation in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Information Service. 88: 139-143.

Morgan, E., R. C. Woodruff and J. N. Thompson, jr. 2004. The interchromsomal effect on recombination in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Information Service, 87: 115-117.

Azad, P., R. C. Woodruff and J. N. Thompson, jr. 2004. Deleterious mutations in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Information Service, 86: 165-168.

Woodruff, R. C. and James N. Thompson, jr. 2002. Use of the Drosophila melanogaster zeste screen to identify aneuploidy induced by cold treatment. Drosophila Information Service, 85: 149-151.

Gu, Sheng, Yi Gong, Matthew Smith and R. C. Woodruff. 2002. The dominance value of the Sb allele in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila Information Service, 85: 143-149.

Woodruff, R. C. and J. N. Thompson, jr. 2001. A one-generation, white-peach assay for mariner DNA element activity in Drosophila simulans. Drosophila Information Service, 84: 213-215.

Thompson, J. N., jr., R. C. Woodruff, S. B. Gray, G. S. Hendrix and J. J. Hellack. 2000. Cellulose acetate measurement of Adh allele frequencies is a simple exercise in population genetics. Drosophila Information Service 83: 203-205.

Woodruff, R. C. and J. N. Thompson, jr. 1999. A one-generation assay of induced genetic damage. Drosophila Information Service, 82: 140-141.

Woodruff, R. C. and J. N. Thompson, jr. 1997. A teaching exercise combining Mendelian genetics and gene therapy concepts in Drosophila. Drosophila Information Service 80: 107-108.