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Dimiru Tadesse

Research Molecular Biologist

Contact information


Dr. Dimiru Tadesse

dimiru.tadesse@usda.gov


Foreign Disease/Weed Science Research
1301 Ditto Avenue, Fort Detrick, MD 21702
Phone: (301) 619-7386
Fax: (301) 619-2880

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Dr. Tadesse is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Tancos’ lab at the USDA-ARS Foreign Disease/Weed Science Research Unit (FDWSRU). Dimiru graduated from Oklahoma State University. His research focused on sorghum functional genomics to accentuate the mechanistic insights of sorghum flowering. Following graduate school, Dimiru worked at the Brookhaven National laboratory as a research associate. His goal was to identify main regulatory pathways for different biotic and abiotic stresses including micronutrients stress using a sequence to function approach. The results elucidated an important transcriptional regulatory pathway that can co-regulate iron homeostasis and cell wall biogenesis. Dimiru is currently working on developing a gene drive approach to biologically control tansy weed (Tanacetum vulgare), one of the invasive weeds in North America and other parts of the world. 

 

Research Emphasis

Development of a genetic transformation protocol for common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) necessary to introduce gene-editing CRISPR constructs. Research will use CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology to target candidate female fertility genes in tansy. Tansy will serve as a model invasive weed to assess gene drive technology as a future genetic biocontrol weed management tool.

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Publications

 

Education

Ph.D. Plant Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University
M.Sc. Genetics, Wollo University (ETH)
B.Sc. Plant Biology, Bahir Dar University (ETH)

 

Research Experience

  • Postdoctoral researcher, USDA-ARS, Foreign Disease/Weed Science Unit, Frederick, MD, 2024-present.
  • Postdoctoral researcher, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 2021-2024
  • Research Assistant at Institute for Agricultural Biosciences, Ardmore, OK, 2016-2021

 

Honors and Awards

  • Sitlington graduate student award, Oklahoma State University  (2016-2019)
  • Research competition winner at the 17th annual Biological Sciences Symposium - 2020