Degrees

• B.S., Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1994
• Ph. D, Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, 2001

Research Interests

My research interests focus on using biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and genomics to understand the developmental and biochemical pathways that affect bioenergy traits in sorghum and other bioenergy grasses.

Major Project Activities

• Understand the fundamental mechanisms and genes controlling cell wall formation and energy availability in sorghum
• Investigating the enzymes in starch biosynthesis in sorghum and its wild relatives
• Investigating the enzymes in sorghum monolignol synthetic pathway
• Understand how lignin modification impacts fungal pathogen and insect interactions in sorghum for bioenergy
• Increasing lignin content in sorghum through transgenic approaches

Selected Publications

• Saballos A., Sattler S.E., Sanchez E., Foster T.P., Xin Z., Kang C.H., Pedersen J.F., Vermerris W. (Accepted 1/27/2012) Brown midrib2 (Bmr2) encodes the major 4-coumarate: Coenzyme A ligase involved in lignin biosynthesis in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). Plant Journal.
   
• Saathoff A.J., Tobias C.M., Sattler S.E., Haas E.J., Twigg P., Sarath G. (2011) Switchgrass Contains Two Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenases Involved in Lignin Formation. BioEnergy Research 4:120-133.
   
• Funnell-Harris D.L., Pedersen J.F., Sattler S.E. (2010) Soil and root populations of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. associated with seedlings and field-grown plants are affected by sorghum genotype. Plant and Soil 335:439-455.
   
• Funnell-Harris D.L., Pedersen J.F., Sattler S.E. (2010) Alteration in lignin biosynthesis restricts growth of Fusarium spp. in brown midrib sorghum. Phytopathology 100:671-681.
   
• Sattler S.E., Funnell-Harris D.L., Pedersen J.F. (2010) Efficacy of Singular and Stacked brown midrib 6 and 12 in the Modification of Lignocellulose and Grain Chemistry. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 58:3611-3616.
   
• Sattler S.E., Funnell-Harris D.L., Pedersen J.F. (2010) Brown midrib mutations and their importance to the utilization of maize, sorghum, and pearl millet lignocellulosic tissues. Plant Science 178:229-238.
   
• Palmer N.A, Sattler S.E., Saathoff A.J., Sarath G. (2010) A Continuous, Quantitative Fluorescent Assay for Plant Caffeic Acid O-Methyltransferases. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
   
• Sattler S.E., Singh J., Haas E.J., Guo L., Sarath G., Pedersen J.F. (2009) Two distinct waxy alleles impact the granule-bound starch synthase in sorghum. Molecular Breeding 24:349-359.
   
• Sattler S.E., Saathoff A.J., Haas E.J., Palmer N.A., Funnell-Harris D.L., Sarath G., Pedersen J.F. (2009) A Nonsense Mutation in a Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Is Responsible for the Sorghum brown midrib6 Phenotype. Plant Physiology 150:584-95.
   
• Dien B.S., Sarath G., Pedersen J.F., Sattler S.E., Chen H., Funnell-Harris D.L., Nichols N.N., Cotta M.A. (2009) Improved Sugar Conversion and Ethanol Yield for Forage Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Lines with Reduced Lignin Contents. BioEnergy Research 2:153–164.
   
• Sarath G., Mitchell R.B., Sattler S.E., Funnell D., Pedersen J.F., Graybosch R.A., Vogel K.P. (2008) Opportunities and roadblocks in utilizing forages and small grains for liquid fuels. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology 35:343-354.
   
• Pedersen J.F., Toy J.J., Funnell D.L., Sattler S.E., Oliver A.L., Grant R.A. (2008) Registration of BN611, AN612, BN612, and RN613 Sorghum Genetic Stocks with Stacked bmr-6 and bmr-12 Genes. Journal Of Plant Registrations 2:258-262.
   
• Palmer N.A., Sattler S.E., Saathoff A.J., Funnell D., Pedersen J.F., Sarath G. (2008) Genetic background impacts soluble and cell wall-bound aromatics in brown midrib mutants of sorghum. Planta 229:115-27.