Max Jones
Associate Professor
Email:
Phone:
519-824-4120 x53016
Education:
B.Sc., University of Guelph;
M.Sc. University of Guelph;
Ph.D. University of British Columbia
Location:
Edmund C. Bovey Building
Room:
4221 ECB
One of the fundamental characteristics of plant cells is that they are totipotent. This means that each individual cell has the potential to regenerate into an entire plant. This concept is the basis of vegetative plant propagation and a variety of approaches used in crop improvement with far reaching economic and cultural implications. However, while plant cells are totipotent in theory, it is not possible to realize this potential in many plant species and techniques need to be developed on a case by case basis. My primary research interest is to better understand why some plants are recalcitrant and to develop new approaches to establish integrated plant production systems for applications in plant conservation and the horticultural industry. Some of the major projects I am currently involved in include:
3D Printing to Develop New Micropropagation Systems
Micropropagation has been used for the mass production of clean planting material for decades. While methods have been refined over this time period, especially culture medium and plant growth regulators, the basic system has remained relatively static and some limitations inherent to the design remain. 3D printing provides a new way to rapidly design, produce, and test prototypes. Using this technology, we have developed a new modular culture system that addresses many of the limitations identified in standard micropropagation systems. While this system is under continued development to produce and refine more modules for further improvement, 2 patents have been filed and the product has been launched commercially through we vitro. This technology is being used to manipulate and study the effects of various environmental factors on plant growth and development.
Cannabis Biotechnology
The recent legalization of Cannabis has led to a multi-billion dollar industry in Canada. However, due to the long history of prohibition many technologies that are commonplace in other crops are only in early development for Cannabis. Since receiving a Health Canada Research License in Sept, 2018, we have been actively engaged in developing modern biotechnological tools for Cannabis including micropropagation for clean plant production, cryopreservation for long term genetic storage, and other technologies in demand by the industry.
Courses:
AGR*2500 Field Course in International Agriculture
HORT*3150 Principles and Applications of Plant Propagation
Relevant Links:
Selected Publications:
Piunno, K. F., Golenia, G., Boudko, E.A., Downey, C., and A.M.P. Jones. (2019). Regeneration of shoots from immature and mature inflorescences of Cannabis sativa. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 99(4): 556-559.
Downey, C.D., Zon, J., and A.M.P. Jones. (2019). Improving callus regeneration of Miscanthus x giganteus J.M. Greef, Deuter ex Hodk., Renvoize “M161” by inhibition of the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant 55(1): 109-120
Shukla, M.R., Piunno, K., Saxena, P.K., and A.M.P. Jones. (2019). Improved in vitro rooting in liquid culture using a two piece scaffold system. Engineering in Life Sciences.
McKenzie-Gopsill, A.G., Amirsadeghi, S., Earl, H.J., Jones, A.M.P., Lukens, L., Lee, E., and C.J. Swanton. (2019). Early physiological and biochemical responses of soyabean to neighbouring weeds under resource-independent competition. Weed Research.
Cantrell, C.L., Ali, A., and A.M.P. Jones (2018). Isolation and identification of mosquito biting deterrents from the North American mosquito repelling folk remedy plant, Matricaria discoidea DC. PLoS one. 13(10): e0206594.
Lincoln, N.K., Ragone, D., Zerega, N., Roberts-Nkrumah, L.B., Merlin, M., and A.M.P. Jones (2018). Grow us our daily bread: A review of breadfruit cultivation in traditional and contemporary systems. Horticultural Reviews. 46: 299-384.
Chattopadhyay, A., Erland, L.A.E., Jones, A.M.P., and P.K. Saxena. (2018). INdoleamines and phenylpropanoids modify development in the bryophyte Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Hedw.)T.J.Kop. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology – Plant. 54(4): 454-464.
Salama, A., Popova, E., Jones, A.M.P., Shukla, M.R., Fisk, N.S., and P.K. Saxena. (2018). Cryopreservation of the critically endangered golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta greenm.): from nature to cryobank to nature. In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology – Plant. 54(1): 69-78
Salama, A., Shukla, M.R., Popova, E., Fisk, N.S., Jones, A.M.P., and P.K. Saxena. (2018). In vitro propagation and reintroduction of golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta), a critically imperiled plant species. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 98(3): 762-770.
Shukla, M.R., A.S. Singh, K. Piunno, P.K. Saxena, and A.M.P. Jones. (2017). Application of 3D printing to prototype and develop novel plant tissue culture systems. Plant Methods. 13(1).
Singh, A., A.M. Jones, M. Shukla and P. Saxena. (2017). High light intensity stress as the limiting factor in micropropagation of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture. 129 (2): 209-221. DOI: 10.1007/s11240-017-1170-2
Erland, L., A. Chattopadhyay, A.M.P. Jones and P.K. Saxena. (2016). Melatonin in Plants and Plant Culture Systems: Variability, Stability and Efficient Quantification. Frontiers Plant Science. 7: 1721.
Cantrell, C.L., A.M. Jones and A. Abbas. (2016). Isolation and Identification of Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) Biting Deterrent Compounds from the Flathead Indian Folk Remedy Plant Hierochloë odorata (Sweetgrass). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b01668
Rathwell, R., M. Shukla and A.M. Jones. (2016). In vitro propagation of cherry birch (Betula lenta L.). Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 96: 571-578. DOI: 10.1139/cjps-2015-0331
Jones, A.M., M.R. Shukla, G.C. Biswas and P.K. Saxena. (2015). Protoplast-to-plant regeneration of American elm (Ulmus americana). Protoplasma. 252 (3): 925-931. DOI: 10.1007/s00709-014-0724-y
Jones, A.M., M.R. Shukla, S. Sherif, P. Brown and P.K. Saxena. (2015). Growth regulating properties of isoprene and isoprenoid based essential oils. Plant Cell Reports.
A.M. Jones, and P. Brown. (2015). Quantification of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid in British Columbia Plants and Contaminated Honey Using an Improved Single-Laboratory Validated HPLC-MS Method. Food Additives and Contaminants: Part A.
For a complete list of publications, please visit Google Scholar .