Stephen Ebbs | Plant Biology | SIU

Stephen Ebbs

Passed Away March 13, 2017

In SIUC Botany from 1999 to 2017

Ph.D. 1997, Cornell University

M.S. 1995, Cornell University

B.S. 1990, McKendree College

Research in Dr. Ebbs laboratory focused on the interface between pollutants, plants, and the soil-water environment. This included fundamental studies of plant uptake and transport of contaminants, physiological effects of pollutants on plants, interactions of pollutants with mineral nutrients, phytotoxicity, hyperaccumulation, tolerance, and detoxification. His work also focused on the biogeochemistry of pollutants and their trophic transfer to wildlife and humans. The pollutants of primary interest included Cd, Zn, cyanide and metal cyanides, engineered nanoparticles, and automotive friction materials while past work has examined Au, Cu, Pb, As, Se, radionuclides (137Cs, 90Sr), and uranium. He also had a long standing interest in phytotechnologies such as phytoremediation, phytomining, and green roofs and conducting basic research that contributes to the development of those techniques.

Selected Publications

1. Machingura M and Ebbs SD. 2014. Functional redundancies in cyanide tolerance provided by b-cyanoalanine pathway genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 175(3):346-358
2. Milner M, Mitani N, Yamaji N, Yokosho K, Craft E, Fei Z, Ebbs S, Ma JF, and Kochian L. 2014. Root and shoot transcriptome analysis of two ecotypes of Noccaea caerulescens uncovers the role of NcNramp1 in Cd hyperaccumulation. The Plant Journal. 78(3):398–410.
3. Machingura M, Sidibe A, Wood AJ, and Ebbs SD. 2013. The β-cyanoalanine pathway is involved in the response to water deficit in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. 63:159-169.
4. Shupert LA, Ebbs SD, Lawrence J, Gibson DJ, and Filip P. 2013. Dissolution of copper and iron from automotive brake pad wear debris enhances growth and accumulation by the invasive macrophyte Salvinia molesta Mitchell Chemosphere. 92(1):45-51.
5. Wang Q, Ebbs S, Chen Y, and Ma X. 2013. Trans-generational impact of cerium oxide nanoparticles on tomato plants Metallomics. 5:753-759.
6. Ebbs SD, Kolev SD, Piccinin RCR, Woodrow IE, and Baker AJM. 2011. Initial loss of cyanide, thiocyanate, and thiosulfate adjuvants following amendment to an oxidic gold ore. Minerals Engineering. 24:1641-1643.
7. Ueno D, Milner MJ, Yamaji N, Yokosho K, Koyama E, Clemencia Zambrano M, Kaskie M, Ebbs S, Kochian LV, and Ma JF. 2011. Elevated expression of TcHMA3 plays a key role in the extreme Cd tolerance in a Cd-hyperaccumulating ecotype of Thlaspi caerulescens. The Plant Journal. 66(5):852-862.
8. Ebbs S, Hatfield S, Nagarajan V, and Blaylock M. 2010. A comparison of the dietary arsenic exposures from ingestion of contaminated soil and hyperaccumulating Pteris ferns used in a residential phytoremediation project. International Journal of Phytoremediation. 12(1):121-132.
9. Sankaran RP and Ebbs SD. 2008. Transport of Cd and Zn to seeds of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern.) during specific stages of plant growth and development. Physiologia Plantarum. 132:69-78.
10. Piccinin RCR, Ebbs SD, Reichman SM, Kolev SD, Woodrow IE, and Baker AJM. 2007. A screen of some native Australian flora and exotic agricultural species for their potential application in cyanide-induced phytoextraction of gold. Minerals Engineering. 20:1327–1330.