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Photo of Executive Dean Robert M. Goodman. Robert M. Goodman, a plant biologist and virologist by training, is an expert on soil microorganisms and plant disease.

Prior to assuming his decanal duties at Rutgers, Goodman was a professor of plant pathology and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin. There, he studied microbial diversity using culture-independent methods. His group discovered a clade of soil Crenarchaeota inhabiting soil and plant roots, and characterized the diversity of uncultivated members of the bacterial division acidobacterium. He and collaborators also pioneered the field now known as "metagenomics." Goodman's work has appeared in premier journals, including Nature, Science, Virology, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Goodman also served as chair of the undergraduate major in molecular biology and as chair of the oversight committee of the McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Program.

Goodman was previously senior scholar-in-residence at the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences, executive vice-president of R&D at Calgene, Inc., and a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Goodman was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and also chaired the Agriculture, Food and Renewable Resources section of the AAAS. He is also trustee of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

Goodman holds a bachelor's degree in plant sciences and a doctorate in plant pathology from Cornell University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in plant virology at the John Innes Center in Norwich, England.

EDUCATION

John Innes Institute, UK Plant Virology Postdoctoral Fellow 1973-1974
Cornell University Plant Pathology Ph.D. 1973
Cornell University Plant Sciences B.Sc. 1967
The Johns Hopkins University     1963-1965

APPOINTMENTS

Executive Dean and Professor II Rutgers University 2005-
Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison 1991-2005
Chair, Major in Molecular Biology University of Wisconsin-Madison 1994-2005
Co-chair, Biology Major University of Wisconsin-Madison 1999-2001
Senior Scholar-In-Residence National Research Council/NAS 1990-1991
Visiting Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison 1990-1991
Executive Vice President, R&D Calgene, Inc., Davis, CA 1982-1990
Professor University of Illinois-Urbana 1981-1982
Associate Professor University of Illinois-Urbana 1978-1981
Assistant Professor University of Illinois-Urbana 1974-1978

HONORS

Vilas Trust Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison 2000
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2002

SELECTED CURRENT PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science, Marcel Dekker, New York, NY
Member, Editorial Board, Environmental Microbiology, Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK

PUBLICATIONS

Key Publications, 1977-1999

(Total number of publications since 1967 in refereed journals is 103)

Goodman, R. M. 1977. Infectious DNA from a whitefly-transmitted virus of Phaseolus vulgaris. Nature 266:54-55.

Goodman, R. M. 1977. Single-stranded DNA genome in a whitefly-transmitted plant virus. Virology 83:171-179.

Haber, S., M. Ikegami, N. B. Bajet, and R. M. Goodman. 1981. Evidence for a divided genome in bean golden mosaic virus, a geminivirus. Nature 289:324-326.

Ikegami, M., S. Haber, and R. M. Goodman. 1981. Isolation and characterization of virus-specific double-stranded DNA from tissues infected by bean golden mosaic virus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78:4102-4106.

Howarth, A. J., J. Caton, M. Bossert, and R. M. Goodman. 1985. Nucleotide sequence of bean golden mosaic virus and a model for gene regulation in geminiviruses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:3572-3576.

Goodman, R. M., H. Hauptli, A. Crossway, and V. C. Knauf. 1987. Gene transfer in crop improvement. Science 236:48-54.

Alexander, D., R. M. Goodman, M. G. Rella, C. Glascock, K. Weymann, L. Friedrich, D. Maddox, P. Ahl Goy, T. Luntz, E. Ward, and J. Ryals. 1993. Increased tolerance to two oomycete pathogens in transgenic tobacco expressing pathogenesis-related protein 1a. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:7327-7331.

Goodman, R. M. 1997. Ensuring the scientific foundations for agriculture's future. Pages 187-203 in Lockeretz, W .ed. Visions of American Agriculture. Iowa State University Press, Ames.

Bintrim, S. B., T. J. Donohue, J. Handelsman, G. P. Roberts, and R. M. Goodman. 1997. Molecular phylogeny of Archaea from soil. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:277-282.

Schrenk, M. O., K. J. Edwards, R. M. Goodman, R. J. Hamers, and J. F. Banfield. 1998. Distribution of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans: Implications for generation of acid mine drainage. Science 279:1519-1522.

Handelsman, J., M. R. Rondon, S. Brady, J. Clardy, and R. M. Goodman. 1998. Molecular biological access to the chemistry of unknown soil microbes: A new frontier for natural products. Chem. Biol. 5:R245-249.

Smith, K. P., J. Handelsman, and R. M. Goodman. 1999. Genetic basis in plants for interactions with disease-suppressive bacteria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:4786-4790.

Rondon, M. R., S. J. Raffel, R. M. Goodman, and J. Handelsman. 1999. Toward functional genomics in bacteria: Analysis of gene expression in Escherichia coli from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of Bacillus cereus DNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:6451-6455.

All Publications, 2000-Present

69. Rondon, M. R., P. R. August, A. D. Bettermann, S. F. Brady, T. H. Grossman, M. R. Liles, K. A. Loiacono, B. A. Lynch, I. A. MacNeil, C. Minor, C. L. Tiong, M. Gilman, M. S. Osburne, J. Clardy, J. Handelsman, and R. M. Goodman. 2000. Cloning the soil metagenome: A strategy for accessing the genetic and functional diversity of uncultured microorganisms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66:2541-2547.

70. Simon, H. M., J. Dodsworth, and R. M. Goodman. 2000. Crenarcheota colonize terrestrial plant roots. Environ. Microbiol. 2:495-505.

71. Kazmar, E. R., R. M. Goodman, C. R. Grau, D. W. Johnson, E. V. Nordheim, D. J. Undersander, and J. Handelsman. 2000. Regression analyses for evaluating the influence of Bacillus cereus on alfalfa yield under variable disease intensity. Phytopathology 90:657-665.

72. Broderick, N. A., R. M. Goodman, K. F. Raffa, and J. Handelsman. 2000. Synergy between zwittermicin A and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki against gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Environ. Entomol. 29:101-107.

73. Simon, H. M., K. P. Smith, J. A. Dodsworth, B. Guenthner, J. Handelsman, and R. M. Goodman. 2001. Influence of tomato genotype on growth of inoculated and indigenous bacteria in the spermosphere. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:514-520.

74. Nelson, B. P., T. E. Grimsrud, M. R. Liles, R. M. Goodman, and R. M. Corn. 2001. Surface plasmon resonance imaging measurements of DNA and RNA hybridization adsorption onto DNA microarrays. Anal. Chem. 73:1-7.

75. Dasgupta, R., B. H. Garcia II, and R. M. Goodman. 2001. Systemic spread of an RNA insect virus in plants expressing plant viral movement protein genes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:4910-4915.

76. Song, F., and R. M. Goodman. 2001. Molecular biology of disease resistance in rice. Physiol. Molec. Plant Pathol. 59:1-11.

77. Song, F., and R. M. Goodman. 2001. Activity of nitric oxide is dependent on, but is partially required for function of salicylic acid in the signaling pathway in tobacco systemic acquired resistance. Molec. Plant Microbe Interact. 14:1458-1462.

78. Song, F., and R. M. Goodman. 2002. OsBIMK1, a rice MAP kinase gene involved in disease resistance responses. Planta 215:997-1005.

79. Song, F., and R. M. Goodman. 2002. Molecular cloning and characterization of a rice phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C gene, OsPI-PLC1, that is activated in systemic acquired resistance. Physiol. Molec. Plant Pathol. 61:31-40.

80. Song, F., and R. M. Goodman. 2002. Cloning and identification of the promoter of the tobacco Sar8.2b gene, a gene involved in systemic acquired resistance. Gene 290:115-124.

81. Gillespie, D. E., S. F. Brady, A. D. Bettermann, N. P. Cianciotto, M. R. Liles, M. R. Rondon, J. Clardy, R. M. Goodman, and J. Handelsman. 2002. Isolation of antibiotics turbomycin A and B from a metagenomic library of soil microbial DNA. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68:4301-4306.

82. Nelson, B. P., M. R. Liles, K. B. Frederick, R. M. Corn, and R. M. Goodman. 2002. Label-free detection of 16S ribosomal RNA hybridization on reusable DNA arrays using surface plasmon resonance imaging. Environ. Microbiol. 4:735-743.

83. Broderick, N. R., R. M. Goodman, J. Handelsman, and K. F. Raffa. 2003. Effect of host diet and insect source on synergy of gypsy moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) mortality to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki by zwittermicin A. Environ. Entomol. 32:387-391.

84. Kapuscinski, A. R., R. M. Goodman, S. D. Hann, L. R. Jacobs, E. E. Pullins, C. S. Johnson, J. D. Kinsey, R. L. Krall, A. G.M. La Viña, M. G. Mellon, and V. W. Ruttan. 2003. Making "Safety First" a reality for biotechnology products. Nature Biotechnol. 21:599-601.

85. Liles, M. R., B. F. Manske, S. B. Bintrim, J. Handelsman and R. M. Goodman. 2003. A census of rRNA genes and linked genomic sequences within a soil metagenomic library. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69:2684-2691.

86. Stone, A. G., G. E. Vallad, L. R. Cooperband, D. Rotenberg, H. R. Darby, R. V. James, W. Stevenson, and R. M. Goodman. 2003. The effects of organic amendments on soil-borne and foliar diseases in a field vegetable rotation. Plant Disease 87:1037-1042.

87. Broderick, N. A., K. F. Raffa, R. M. Goodman, and J. Handelsman. 2004. Census of the bacterial community of the gypsy moth larval midgut by using culturing and culture-independent methods. Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 70:293-300.

88. Vallad, G. E., L. Cooperband, and R. M. Goodman. 2004. Plant foliar disease suppression mediated by composted forms of paper mill residuals exhibits molecular features of induced resistance. Physiol. Molec. Plant Pathol. 63:65-77.

89. Sliwinski, M. K., and R. M. Goodman. 2004. Spatial heterogeneity of crenarchaeal assemblages within mesophilic soil ecosystems revealed by PCR-single stranded conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) profiling. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:1811-1820.

90. Sliwinski, M. K., and R. M. Goodman. 2004. Comparison of the crenarchaeal consortia inhabiting the rhizosphere of diverse terrestrial plants with those in bulk soil in native environments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:1821-1826.

91. Naylor, R. L., W. P. Falcon , R. M. Goodman, M. M. Jahn, T. Sengooba, H. Tefera, and R. J. Nelson. 2004. Biotechnology in the developing world: A case for increased investments in orphan crops. Food Policy 29:15-44.

92. Riesenfeld, C. S., R. M. Goodman, and J. Handelsman. 2004. Uncultured soil bacteria are a reservoir of new antibiotic resistance genes. Environ. Microbiol. 6:981-989.

93. Vallad, G. E, and R. M. Goodman. 2004. Systemic acquired resistance and induced systemic resistance in conventional agriculture. Crop Sci. 44:1920-1934.

94. Simon, H. M., C. E. Jahn, L. T. Bergerud, M. K. Sliwinski, P. J. Weimer, D. K. Willis, and R. M. Goodman. 2005. Cultivation of mesophilic soil crenarchaeotes in enrichment cultures from plant roots. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71:4751-4760.

95. Luo, H., F. Song, R. M. Goodman, Z. Zheng. 2005. Up-Regulation of OsBIHD1, a rice gene encoding BELL homeodomain transcriptional factor, in disease resistance responses. Plant Biology 7:459-468.

96. Cao, Y., F. Song, R. M. Goodman, Z. Zheng. 2006. Molecular characterization of four rice genes encoding ethylene-responsive transcriptional factors and their expressions in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Journal of Plant Physiology 163:1167-1178.

97. Sabree, Z. L., V. Bergendahl, M. R. Liles, R. R. Burgess, R. M. Goodman, and J. Handelsman. 2006. Identification and characterization of the gene encoding the Acidobacterium capsulatum major sigma factor. Gene 376:144-151.

98. Mentzer, J.L., R. M. Goodman, and T. C. Balser. 2006. Microbial response over time to hydrologic and fertilization treatments in a simulated wet prairie. Plant and Soil 284:85-100.

99. Garcia, II, B. H., and R. M. Goodman. 2007. Use of surface plasmon resonance imaging to study viral RNA:protein interactions. Journal of Virological Methods 147:18–25.

100. Liles, M. R., L. L. Williamson, J. Rodbumrer, V. Torsvik, R. M. Goodman, and J. Handelsman. 2008. Recovery, purification and cloning of high molecular weight DNA from soil microorganisms. Appl. Environ. Microbiology 74: 3302-3305.

101. George, I., M. R. Liles, M. Hartmann, W. Ludwig, R. M. Goodman, and S. Agathos. 2009. Changes in soil Acidobacteria communities after 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene contamination. Federation of European Microbiological Societies 296: 159–166.

102. Liles, M. R., L. L. Williamson, J. Rodbumrer, V. Torsvik, L. C. Parsley, R. M. Goodman, and J. Handelsman. Recovery, purification and cloning of high molecular weight DNA from soil microorganisms. Cold Spring Harbor Press In Press.

103. Kerkhof, L. J. and R. M. Goodman. Ocean microbial metagenomics. 2009. Deep-Sea Research II 56:1824-1829.

Books and Chapters in Books, 2000-Present

Goodman, R. M., and J. B. Weisz. 2001. Plant-microbe symbioses: An evolutionary survey. In Microbial Symbioses. J. Staley and A.-L. Reysenbach, ed. J. Wiley and Sons, NY.

Buttel, F. H., and R. M. Goodman. 2001. On Frankenfoods and Golden Rice: Risks, Rewards, and Realities of Genetically Modified Foods. Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, Madison, WI.

Buttel, F. H., and R. M. Goodman. 2001. Introduction to the scientific, political, and ethical dialogue on genetically modified organisms. Pages 1-13 in On Frankenfoods and Golden Rice: Risks, Rewards, and Realities of Genetically Modified Foods. F. H. Buttel and R. M. Goodman, ed. Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, Madison, WI.

Simon, H. M., and R. M. Goodman. 2002. Archaea in soil habitats. In Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology. John Wiley and Sons, New York.

Handelsman, J., M. Liles, D. Mann, C. Riesenfeld, and R. M. Goodman. 2002. Cloning the metagenome: Culture independent access to the diversity and functions of the uncultivated microbial world. Pages 241-255 in Methods in Microbiology. Vol. 33. B. Wren and N. Dorrell, ed. Academic Press, London.

Liles, M. R., L. L. Williamson, J. Handelsman, and R. M. Goodman. 2004. Isolation of high molecular weight genomic DNA from soil bacteria for genomic library construction. In Molecular Microbial Ecology Manual. 2nd edition. G. A. Kowalchuk, F. J. de Bruijn, I. M. Head, A. D. L. Akkermans, and J. D. van Elsas, ed. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Goodman, R. M., ed. 2004. Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Sciences. Marcel Dekker, New York.

Kowalchuk, G. A., A. G. Speksnijder, K. Zhang, R. M. Goodman, J. A. van Veen. 2007. Finding the Needles in the Metagenome Haystack. Microbial Ecology, Springer, New York.

Goodman, R. M. and Brown, A.R. Jr. 2009. Dynamics of agriculture. In M.N. Lurie & P.O. Wacker (Ed.), Mapping New Jersey: an evolving landscape (pp. 59-67). Rivergate Books, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

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