THE WHITEMAN LABORATORY
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Dr. Moe Bakhtiari
Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow

Department of Integrative Biology
University of California, Berkeley 
Office: 4095 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, California 94720 
email: Moe.bakhtiari@berkeley.edu
 
​


Appointments & Education 


SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley (2020-)
Ph.D. Organismal Biology|Chemical Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland (2019)
MSc. Systematics & Evolution, Institute of Systematics & Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland (2015)  
BSc. Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada (2012)



Research Interests 

I am a chemical ecologist broadly interested in the evolutionary biology of plant-insect interactions in natural and applied contexts. My research focuses on unraveling the chemical mechanisms governing interactions between plants and their biotic and abiotic environment. I am interested in employing a mechanistic approach in studying the role of secondary compounds as ecological signals in order to identify crucial pathways involved in plant defense against insect pests. Such approach allows for the identification of links between gene regulations, biochemical pathways and expression of secondary metabolites to delineate biochemical signals and regulatory processes involved in plant resistance against pests. Application of multi-omics represents a frontier in plant sciences and ecology, enhancing our understanding of the complexity of nature but more so the knowledge gain through its application in ecological and evolutionary research can be integrated in environmentally sound- agricultural pest managements –and plant breeding practices.
 
My postdoctoral research at Whiteman lab focuses on evolutionary genomics of how plants’ reproductive and defense traits evolve in response to natural selection imposed by both mutualists (pollinators) and antagonists (herbivores). I investigate the genomic basis of how plants evolved to engineer chemical solutions to navigate such relationships and solve ecological problems.



Publications 


Bakhtiari M, Glauser G, Defossez E, Rasmann S. Ecological convergence of secondary phytochemicals along elevation gradients. Authorea.  (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.158169797.74987843. In review.

Bakhtiari M, Rasmann S. Variation in Below-to Aboveground Systemic Induction of Glucosinolates Mediates Plant Fitness Consequences under Herbivore Attack. J Chem Ecol 46, 317–329 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-020-01159-5
 
Bakhtiari M, Formenti L, Caggìa V, Glauser G, Rasmann S. (2019). Variable effects on growth and defense traits for plant ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity along elevation gradients. Ecology & Evolution, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4999.
 
Bakhtiari M, Glauser, G., & Rasmann, S. (2018). Root JA Induction Modifies Glucosinolate Profiles and Increases Subsequent Aboveground Resistance to Herbivore Attack in Cardamine hirsuta. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9, 1230-1240. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01230
 
Knauer A. C., Bakhtiari M., & Schiestl, F. P. (2018). Crab spiders impact floral-signal evolution indirectly through removal of florivores. Nature Communications, 9(1), 1367-1376. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03792-x
 
Kergunteuil A., Bakhtiari M., Rasmann S. (2018) Eco-evolutionary Factors Driving Plant-Mediated Above– Belowground Invertebrate Interactions along Elevation Gradients. In: Ohgushi T., Wurst S., Johnson S. (eds) Aboveground–Belowground Community Ecology. Ecological Studies (Analysis and Synthesis), vol 234. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91614-9_10
 
Kergunteuil A., Bakhtiari, M., Formenti, L., Defossez, E., & Rasmann, S. (2016). Biological Control beneath the Feet: A Review of Crop Protection against Insect Root Herbivores. Insects, 7(4), 70-92. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects7040070








The Whiteman Lab | Integrative Biology | University of California | Berkeley, CA 94720

Photographs are copyright protected by Noah Whiteman, Whiteman lab members, or were obtained through Creative Commons licenses.
  • Home
  • Group Members
    • Principal Investigator, Dr. Noah Whiteman
    • Research Specialist Susan Bernstein
    • Postdoctoral Researchers and Research Associates >
      • Dr. Moe Bakhtiari
      • Dr. Teruyuki Matsanaga
      • Dr. Carolina Reisenman
    • Graduate Students >
      • Jessica Aguilar
      • Nicolas Alexandre
      • Diler Haji
      • Julianne Pelaez
      • Hiromu Suzuki
      • Rebecca Tarnopol
      • Kirsten Verster
    • Undergraduate Students >
      • Sneha Agrawal
      • Saron Akalu
      • Michael Astourian
      • Ashley Bendl
      • Bridget Cheng
      • Anna Leipertz
      • Irene Liang
      • Gillian Montross
      • Elizabeth Ordeman
      • Anna Pham
      • Giovani Pimentel-Solorio
      • Esteban Rodas
      • Faye Romero
      • Marissa Sandoval
      • Haarini Sridhar
      • Shivani Sundaram
      • Kannagi Yashroy
      • Derrick Yip
    • Former members >
      • Dr. Marianna Karageorgi
      • Kevin Miao
      • Dr. Rebecca Duncan
      • Kelly D'Ambrogia
      • Jiarui Wang
      • Tim O'Connor
      • Judith Okoro
      • William Farley
      • Dr. Cathy Rushworth
      • Andy Gloss
      • Benjamin Goldman-Huertas
      • Alana Augur
      • Hoon Pyon
      • Julianne Ray
      • Dr. Simon "Niels" Groen
      • Dr. David Hembry (PERT Postdoctoral Fellow)
      • Dr. Jennifer Koop (PERT Postdoctoral Fellow)
      • Dr. Anna Nelson Dittrich (PERT Postdoctoral Fellow)
      • Dr. Rick Lapoint (PERT Postdoctoral Fellow)
      • Dr. Paul Nabity (USDA-NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow)
      • Christina Meyer
      • Parris Humphrey
      • Lea Flechon
      • Research Specialist, Tim Rast
      • Amir Abidov
      • Allan Castillo
      • Matt Cravens
      • Mitchell Feldmann
      • Jason Giles
      • Lauren Johnston
      • Noel Kitchen
      • Erika LaPlante
      • Matthew J. Velasquez
    • Internal page >
      • Protocols
      • Recommended Reading
  • Research
  • Publications
  • DEI
    • #leadership
    • #participation
    • #recruitment
    • #belonging
    • #accountability
  • Join
  • Contact
  • "Monarch Fly"