DIANE M BECKLES
http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/plantsciences_faculty/beckles/
PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION
1993
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Biotechnology (First Class Honours); BSc.
1999
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Plant Biochemistry; Ph.D.
1998-1999
Postdoctoral Fellow, John Innes Centre for Plant Sci. Res., UK, Plant Biochemistry.
1999-2002
Visiting Research Scientist, DuPont Agricultural Biotechnology, Plant Genomics &
Biochemistry; Delaware
APPOINTMENTS
01/2003
2011-
Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis
Associate Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis
AWARDS AND HONORS
2009
Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture.
1998
University of Cambridge Philosophical Society Studentship.
1998
John Innes Centre Poster Presentation Prize.
1997 and 8
Tom ap Rees Memorial Student Prize.
1997
Zeneca Agrochemicals Graduate Student Award.
1995
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Scholarship.
1989
Barbados Government Exhibition (Scholarship), Barbados.
TEACHING
2004-current: Professor for “Genetics and Biotechnology Lab ” (BIT161A, UC Davis) and “Plant Genetics”
(PLS 152, UC Davis); “Seminar in Postharvest Biology: (PBI 293; UC Davis) Annual lecture
“Biotechnology and Postharvest Biology” (PLB198, UC Davis). Guest Lectures (1): “Molecular Cellular
Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Postharvest Biology” (PLS 173). (2) “Plant Biotechnology” (BIT 160)’
2010-current. (3) “Biotechnology” in Horticulture Agronomy Graduate Group core course (HRT 298A).
Two week Guest lecture ‘Horticultural Plant Breeding’ at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot,
China.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Molecular and environmental factors that influence the postharvest quality of cereals and fruit.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS (2012-current)
Mtunguja, M.K., Thitisaksakul, M., Muzanila, YC, Wansuksri, R, Piyachomkwan, K, Laswai, HS, Chen,G,
Shoemaker, CF, Sinha, N., Beckles, DM. (2016). Assessing variation in physicochemical,
structural, and functional properties of root starches from novel Tanzanian cassava (Manihot
esculenta Crantz.) landraces. Starke/Starch 68: 1-14
Thitisaksakul, M, Tananuwong, K, Shoemaker, CF, Chun, A, Tanadul, O, Labavitch, JM, Beckles, DM.
(2015). Effects of Timing and Severity of Salinity Stress on Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Yield, Grain
Composition, and Starch Functionality. Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry 63: 2296–2304.
Beckles, DM, Thitisaksakul, M. (2014) Use of biotechnology to engineer cereal starch. Encyclopedia
Biotechnology Food Agriculture.
Beckles, DM & Thitisaksakul, M. (2014) How environmental stress affects starch composition and
in cereal endosperm. Starke/Starch 66: 58-71
Tao, F, Zhang, L, McCarthy, M, Beckles, DM, Saltveit, ME. (2014). Magnetic resonance imaging provides
spatial resolution of Chilling Injury in Micro-Tom tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit.
Postharvest Biology & Technology 97: 62-67
Luengwilai, K, Beckles, DM, Pluemjit, O, Siripanich, J. (2014). Postharvest Storage of Makapuno Coconut
(Cocos nucifera L.). Scientiae Horticulturae 175: 105-110
Tanadul, O, vanderGheynt, J, Beckles, DM, Powell, ALT, Labavitch, JL. (2014). The impact of elevated
CO2 concentration on the quality of algal starch as a biofuel feedstock. Biotechnology &
Bioengineering 111 (7): 1323-1331.
Roessner, U. & Beckles, DM. (2012). Metabolomics for salinity research. Methods in Molecular Biology”
913 (3) pp 203-215.
Thitisaksakul, M., Jimenez RC, Arias, M-A, Beckles, DM. (2012). Effects of environmental factors on
starch synthesis and composition. Journal of Cereal Science. 56 (1): 67-80. 26
Hazard, B, Zhang, X, Colasuonno, P. Uauy, C., Beckles, DM, Dubcovsky, J. (2012). Induced mutations in
the Starch Branching Enzyme II (SbeII) gene increase amylose content in pasta wheat. Crop
Science, 52: 1754-1766. Science. 56 (1): 67-80. 26
Beckles, DM, Tananuwong K, Shoemaker, CF. (2012). Starch characteristics of transgenic wheat overexpressing the High Molecular Weight- Dx5 subunit are substantially equivalent to those in nonmodified wheat J. Food Science 77 (4): 437-442.
Luengwilai K, Saltveit, ME, Beckles DM (2012). Metabolite content of harvested Micro-Tom tomato
(Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit is altered by chilling and protective heat-shock treatments as shown
by GC-MS metabolic profiling. Postharvest Biol. Technol. 63 (1): 116-122.
Beckles, DM, Hong, N, Stamova, L, Luengwilai, K. (2012). Biochemical factors contributing to tomato
(Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit sugar content. Fruits 67 (1): 1-13.
Beckles, DM. (2012). Factors affecting the postharvest soluble solids and sugar content of tomato (Solanum
lycopersicum L.) fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology 63 (1) 129-140.
Luengwilai, K. Beckles, DM, Saltveit ME. (2012). Chilling-injury of harvested tomato (Solanum
lycopersicum L.) cv. Micro-Tom fruit is reduced by temperature pre- treatments. Postharvest Biology
Technology 63 (1): 123-128.
SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES
-Editorial Board (i) Plant Mol Biol. & Biotechnol. (ii) Plant Genetics & Transgenics (2009-present).
-Grant Panels & Reviews: (i) USA NSF-Japan JST Joint Panel on Metabolomics (2010), UC Davis, CA.
(ii) USDA Plant Genome Panel (2006, 2007). (iii) National Science Foundation Integrative Organismal
Biology Panel (2007, 2009, 2015, 2015). (iv) National Science Foundation Metabolism and Microbial
Communities (2011). (v) SunGrant Biofuels Panel in Oklahoma (2009). (v) USDA Plant Biology 2010. (vi)
Ad-hoc Reviewer for NSF-MCB (2007), IsraelI-BARD (2004, 2006, 2009, 2014), German Federal Ministry
of Education and Research (BMBF) Genome Analysis of the Plant Biological System & German BMBF“Plant Biotechnology for the Future” (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015); Kearney Soil Foundation (2004), Georgian
National Science Foundation (2007, 2008) and UCD-Chevron (2009), Florida Citrus Board (2012), USDA
Plant Biochemistry (2015)
-Journal reviewer: I review papers in plant physiology, genetics, genomics, biochemistry, plant breeding
and horticultural sciences in the J Plant Physiology, Horticultural Science, Plant Sci., Plant Physiol., PNAS,
J. Integrative Biology, Functional & Integ. Genomics, J. Agriculture Food Chemistry, Carbohydrate Res., J.
Food Science, Intl. J. Phytoremediation, Funct. Plant Biol., J. American Soc. Hort. Sci, -Omics and J. Mole.
Evol., Plant Biotech. J.; J. Exp. Bot.; PLOS ONE.
-University Service I assist the University with recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, by
providing them with Research Opportunities, and through an advising and mentorship capacity. These
include AGEP (Alliance for Graduate Education for the Professoriate), BUSP (Biology Undergraduate
Student Program) UC LEADS (Leadership Excellence Through Advanced DegreeS). I am also the PBGG
Chair Recruitment Committee (2014-2017); NSF Advance Inclusive Campus Climate Committee (2012current), and I am a mentor in the PlantingScience.org. These activities will allow me to enhance the
opportunities available to connect with the brightest young scientists for participation in this research
programs.
Others: Advisory Committee: President's Undergraduate Fellowship (2011 – 2012); Advisory Committee:
Regent’s Scholarship Administrative (2012-2013). Chair Recruitment committee Plant Biology Graduate
Group (2015-2018), Academic Advisor Integrative Genetics & Genomics Graduate group (2015-2018);
Plant Biology Graduate Group Recruitment Committee (2014-2017); Plant Biology Graduate Group
Executive Committee (2012-2018); Chair Plant Sciences Graduate Student Fellowship Committee (20152018).
-Membership Professional Organisations (i) American Society Horticultural Sciences, Member
Educational Committee (ii) Tomato Genetics Cooperative, (iii) Metabolomics Society.
THESIS/POSTODOCTORAL ADVISEES
Current: Maysaya Thiisaksakul (Ph.D.; PBGG 6th year); Shary Dong (Ph.D.; GGHA 3rd year); Karin
Albornoz (Ph.D.; GGHA 3rd year); Emma Shipman (Ph.D.; PBGG 1st Year); Moses Wanyakha (Msc.
GGHA 3rd year), Bixuan Chen (Msc. GGHA 1st year)
Past: Randi Jimenez (MSc. 2012; Ph.D. UC Davis), Boryana Stamova (Ph.D. 2008; Project Scientist, UCD
MIND Institute) Kietsuda Luengwilai (PhD; 2010; Faculty Kasesart University, Thailand).
Membership to Ph.D. Thesis committees (from 2013-2016): Damian Guerra (Ph.D. 2013), KaLai Lam
(MSc. 2013); Longling Wang (MSc. 2012); Cherrie Lacaras (MSc. 2013); Orn-uma Tanadul (Ph.D. 2014);
Brittany Hazard (Ph.D. 2015).
Postdoctoral Fellows: Marina Leterrier (CSIC, Spain 2006-2008); Lynn Holappa (2004-2006 Harvard,
MA); Sunitha Gurusinghe (2005-2006; California State Water Resources Board).