Overview

After completing his B.Sc. and M.Sc. at the Agricultural University Wageningen (Netherlands), van Wijk obtained a PhD at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands). This was then followed by postdocs at the Dept. of Biochemistry, Stockholm University, Sweden and at the Carnegie Institute at Stanford University (CA). He then became assistant professor in 1997 at the Dept. of Biochemistry, Stockholm University and moved his lab in 2001 to Cornell University. In 2005 he was promoted to tenured associate professor level. In 2007 he became DGS for the Field of Plant Biology

Research Focus

Plastids are essential organelles of prokaryotic origin present in nearly every plant cell containing an estimated 3000-4000 different proteins. Chloroplasts are the best known green plastids and carry out photosynthesis and also synthesize various primary and secondary metabolites. The van Wijk lab is focused on i) bundle sheath and mesophyll cell specific differentiation of chloroplasts in leaves of the C4 plant maize, and ii) in chloroplast biogenesis and protein homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana, with a particular focus on the Clp protease machinery. We use a multi-disciplinary approach, with emphasis on large scale comparative proteomics and mass spectrometry, bioinformatics and reverse genetics. Protein identifications with associated information are uploaded into the Plant Proteome Data Base (http://ppdb.tc.cornell.edu/), building a foundation for systems biology of the Arabidopsis and maize proteomes. Our proteomics and mass spectrometry infrastructure and expertise are also used in collaborations with colleagues at Cornell University and elsewhere.

Outreach and Extension Focus

Outreach is focused on multi-disciplinary training in quantitative plant biology and biochemistry, as well as bioinformatics and statistics at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels. Through the successful summer internship NSF sponsored plant genome, we involve undergraduates from under-represented groups in our research.

Teaching Focus

Van Wijk`s class room teaching is focused on Plant Biochemistry (BioPL462), Plant Genomics Tools and Techniques (BioPL641) and Plant Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry (BioPL482/483 series). In addition, van Wijk frequently participates in Workshops on Plant Genomics, where he typically teaches proteomics and mass spectrometry. Research advising occurs at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels and is oriented towards training in multi-disciplinary research with the objective to understand plastid differentiation and protein homeostatis/proteolysis.

Additional Links

• Department
• Plant Proteome Database, PPDB
• van Wijk Lab
• Link to CALS Research and Impact
• Link to Research & Expertise Across Cornell

Awards and Honors

• Guest research summer fellowship (2009) WennerGren Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden
• Roger E. Koeppe Lecture (2006) Oklahoma State University
• Melvin Calvin Award (2004) International Society for Photosynthesis Research

Selected Publications

Journal Publications

• Olinares, P., Kim, J., Davis, J. I., & Van Wijk, K. (2011). Subunit stoichiometry, evolution, and functional implications of an asymmetric plant plastid ClpP/R protease complex in Arabidopsis. . The Plant Cell. 23:2348-2361.
• Wickstrom, D., Wagner, S., Baars, L., Ytterberg, A. J., Klepsch, M., Van Wijk, K., Luirink, J., & de Gier, J. W. (2010). Consequences of depletion of the signal recognition particle in Escherichia coli. Journal of Biological Chemistry. http://www.jbc.org/content/286/6/4598.full.
• Majeran, W., Friso, G., Ponnala, L., Connolly, B., Huang, M., Reidel, E., Zhang, C., Asakura, Y., Bhuiyan, N. H., Sun, Q., Turgeon, E. G., & Van Wijk, K. (2010). Structural and metabolic transitions of C4 leaf development and differentiation defined by microscopy and quantitative proteomics in maize. The Plant Cell. 22:3509-3542.
• Friso, G., Majeran, W., Huang, M., Sun, Q., & Van Wijk, K. (2010). Reconstruction of metabolic pathways, protein expression and homeostasis machineries across maize bundle sheath and mesophyll chloroplasts; large scale quantitative proteomics using the first maize genome assembly. Plant Physiology. 152:1219-1250.
• Otinares, P. D., Ponnala, L., & Van Wijk, K. (2010). Megadalton Complexes in the Chloroplast Stroma of Arabidopsis thaliana characterized by Size Exclusion Chromatography. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. 9:1594-1615.
• Majeran, W., & Van Wijk, K. (2009). Cell-type specific differentiation of chloroplasts in C4 plants. Trends in Plant Science. 14:100-9.
• Kim, J., Rudella, A., Ramirez-RodriguezqV, RudellaZybailov, B., Olinares, P. B., & Van Wijk, K. (2009). Subunits of the plastid ClpPR protease complex have differential contributions to embryogenesis, plastid biogenesis, and plant development in Arabidopsis.. Plant Cell. 21:1669-1692.
• Zybailov, B., Friso, G., Kim, J., Rudella, A., Ramirez-RodriguezqV, Asakura, Y., Sun, Q., & Van Wijk, K. (2009). Large scale comparative proteomics of a chloroplast Clp protease mutant reveals folding stress, altered protein homeostasis and feedback regulation of metabolism. Mol Cell Proteomics . 8:1789-1810.
• Sun, Q., Zybailov, B., Majeran, W., Friso, G., Olinares, P. B., & Van Wijk, K. (2009). PPDB, the Plant Proteomics Database at Cornell. Nucleic Acids Research. 37:D969-74.
• Zybailov, B., Sun, Q., & Van Wijk, K. (2009). A Workflow for Large Scale Detection and Validation of Peptide Modifications by RPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap; application to the Arabidopsis thaliana leaf proteome and an on-line modified peptide library. . Analytical Chemistry. 81:8015-24.

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