Education/Training
- PhD, Kholodny Botany Institute of Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Ukraine, 1993
- MS, Systems Science, Louisiana State University, 2004
- BS, Melitopol State PedInstitute, Ukraine, 1986
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Areas of Specialization/Research
Dr. Oard's research focuses on the control of bacterial and fungal diseases in crops; development of new biobased products; and the use of molecular dynamics simulations of proteins to understand their function. Her research centers on developing crops with increased resistance to microbial diseases by means of molecular breeding through expression of antimicrobial peptides. Combining experimental and computations tools, she has made progress in designing new antimicrobial peptides with improved resistance to inhibition by metal ions.
- Expression of antimicrobial peptides in plants to control pathogenic bacteria and fungi
Dr. Oard's lab utilizes molecular biology approaches to solve one of most important agronomical problems in Louisiana, namely crop loss due to microbial pathogens.
- Molecular dynamics (MD) studies of purothionins
MD simulations are a powerful computational tool for investigation of structural and dynamic properties of biomolecules that complement experimental data to understand how these molecules function.
- Designing antimicrobial peptides to develop biobased products
Computational and modeling efforts are directed at designing thionin variants with improved resistance to a changing environment while maintaining wild type antimicrobial activity which can be produced as a biobased product in a plant system.
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Publications/Presentations/Patents
Oard, S., Karki, B., and Enright, F. (2007) Is there a difference in metal ion-based inhibition between members of thionin family: molecular dynamics simulation study. Biophysical Chemistry. Published online.
Oard S, Enright F (2006) Expression of the antimicrobial peptides in plants to control phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi. Plant Cell Reports 25: 561-572.
Oard S, Karki BB (2006) Mechanism of ß-purothionin antimicrobial peptide inhibition by metal ions: molecular dynamics simulation study. Biophysical Chemistry 121: 30-43.
Oard S, Rush MC, Oard JH (2004) Characterization of antimicrobial peptides against a US strain of the rice pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. Journal of Applied Microbiology 97: 169-180.
Oard, S. (2003) Biotech lab opens for business. Louisiana Agriculture Fall, 46.
Liu, D., Oard, S. V. and Oard, J. H. (2003) High transgene expression levels in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) driven by the rice ubiquitin promoter RUBQ2 Plant Science 165: 743-750. |