Curriculum Vitae

Donald John Gibson

don AT dongibson DOT org

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Genetics and Genomics with a Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology, University of California at Davis, Ph.D. Awarded Winter 2020
Thesis: “Natural Variation in Root Angle, Tomato Response to Phosphate Deprivation, and Creation of SlBZR1a-D and SlBZR1b-D”
Dissertation Advisor: Prof. Siobhan Brady

Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, emphasis in Fermentation and Microbiology, minor in Political Science, 06/2010, University of California, Davis
Advisor(s): Prof. George Bruening, Dr. Paul Feldstein

Research Experience

Scientific Expert & Business Developer - MyFloraDNA Inc. Davis, (10/2020-04/2021)
Implemented, new rapid DNA genotyping protocols to provide fast testing services to plant breeder clients in specialty crops and cannabis for the early-stage start-up. Ran external communications to solicit investors and clients. Operated under tight timelines to optimize testing pipelines.

Graduate Student Researcher - Plant Biology Department & Genome Center, UC Davis (10/2013-12/2019) 
Laboratory of Prof. Siobhan Brady, Genome Center & Plant Biology Department
Project 1) Characterized the phosphate deprivation stress response in wild and domesticated Tomato species. Identified a wild Tomato species with a constitutive phosphate deprivation stress response that is driven by zinc hyperaccumulation. Used enzymatic assays, next-generation sequencing, and quantitative PCR to link traits to gene expression.
Project 2) Developed transgenic Tomato lines via Gateway cloning and tissue culture, with gene homologous to Arabidopsis BZR1-d transcription factor blocking stress response.
Project 3) Identified PAP27, CDC73 contribute to root angle in Tomato and Arabidopsis via GWAS

CEO & Co-Founder, Bio Mobile Inc - Davis, CA (08/2014-08/2015)
Worked on a team of three Ph.D. students to develop a portable DNA testing device to address fraud in seafood and sushi. Raised $20,000 and was a founding start-up at the UC Davis-HM Clause Innovation Center, which helped establish the first life science start-up incubator in Davis, CA.

Junior Specialist - Plant Science Department, UC Davis (11/2010-8/2013)
Laboratory of Prof. Alan Bennett, Plant Sciences Department
Researched with a small team on a Mexican landrace of corn with an associated nitrogen-fixing microbiome. Identified which tissue was the source of nitrogen fixation and isolated and sequenced the nitrogen-fixing microbes. Managed greenhouse and field experiments.

Undergraduate Researcher - Department of Plant Pathology, UC Davis (08/2009-06/2010)

Intern - Vegetable Quantity Laboratory, Seminis Vegetable Seed, Woodland, CA (7/2007-9/2007)

Undergraduate Researcher - Department of Microbiology, UC Berkeley (8/2006-9/2006)

Publications

Regulation of Root Angle and Gravitropism. Ted W. Toal, Mily Ron, Donald Gibson, Kaisa Kajala, Bessie Splitt, Logan S. Johnson, Nathan D. Miller, Radka Slovak, Allison Gaudinier, Rohan Patel, Miguel de Lucas, Nicholas J. Provart, Edgar P. Spalding, Wolfgang Busch, Daniel J. Kliebenstein and Siobhan M. Brady  G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics December 1st, 2018 vol. 8 no. 12 3841-3855; https://doi.org/10.1534/g3.118.200540

Nitrogen fixation in a landrace of maize is supported by a mucilage-associated diazotrophic microbiota. Allen Van Deynze, Pablo Zamora, Pierre-Marc Delaux, Cristobal Heitmann †, Dhileepkumar Jayaraman, Shanmugam Rajasekar, Danielle Graham, Junko Maeda, Donald Gibson, Kevin D. Schwartz, Alison M. Berry, Srijak Bhatnagar, Guillaume Jospin, Aaron Darling, Richard Jeannotte, Javier Lopez, Bart C. Weimer, Jonathan A. Eisen, Howard-Yana Shapiro, Jean-Michel Ané, Alan B. Bennett (2018) PLOS Biology 16(8): e2006352. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2006352

Employment

Campaign Manager - Jim Provenza for Yolo County Supervisor, Davis, CA (08/2020-11/2020)
Managed the successful re-election of Jim Provenza by a 17-point margin. Coordinated consultants, elected officials, activists, and community leaders. Assisted in campaign efforts raising $90,000. Managed a team of six staffers and recruited fifty volunteers for voter contact program creating 3,000 contacts. Created diverse content for social media.

Political Organizer - Brixmor Inc., Davis, CA (05/2020-08/2020)
Developed and managed the outreach and communication strategy leading to the approval of University Commons, a housing development in Davis. Mobilized community members and lobbied elected officials to support the project and counter anti-housing sentiment.

Political Organizer - Strafford and Lincoln, Davis, CA (09/2019-06/2020)
Supervised communications and outreach efforts to UC Davis to build coalitions to support the successful approval of Davis Innovation and Sustainability Campus onto to general election ballot.

Organizer - Scientists for Mike, Mike Bloomberg 2020, Sacramento, CA (01/2020-03/2020)
Led the outreach efforts in California in the academic, scientific, and environmental communities for the Mike Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign. Organized events of over 50 attendees within 1-week time periods to secure endorsements, media attention, and built coalitions with stakeholders.

Campaign Manager - Teri Burns for School Board 2010, Sacramento, CA (08/2010-11/2010)

Teaching Experience

Co-Instructor - Introduction to R & Statistics Workshop – Co-Instructor, Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung. (09/2020)
Developed a two-day workshop on an introduction to R programming and statistics for life science graduate students & postdocs in the UC Davis Biotechnology Program.

Teaching Assistant - Biological Sciences 103 – Metabolism, Instructor Dr. Mona Monfared & Dr. Judy Callis University of California at Davis. Spring Quarters of 2019, 2018, 2017, & 2016
Taught central metabolic pathways, prepared and led exam review sessions, graded exams, and held weekly office hours to undergraduates.

Research Mentor (04/2015-04/2019)
Advised and trained five undergraduate students during my Ph.D. on basic molecular biology, laboratory safety, image analysis, programming R, lab-based plant growth techniques. One undergraduate completed an honors thesis, and another is continuing to their Ph.D. at Cornell University.

Outreach Projects

Barbara on the Bill (07/2015-06/2016) 
Created an advocacy campaign to place Barbara McClintock on the US $10 bill. Worked on social media, developed website Barbaraonthebill.org, and video. Established partnerships with scientific societies and universities for awareness and membership mobilization. Results were Barbara McClintock and campaign been covered in over a dozen, online, local, and national media outlets.

Fellowships & Awards

Stocking Fellowship (04/2018)
Travel grant used to support travel for a presentation at the International Symposium on Root Research in Jerusalem, Israel.

CLEAR Trainee - Communication, Literacy, and Education for Agricultural Research (CLEAR), University of California Global Food Initiative (04/2015-03/2016)
Yearlong training grant to support science communication, which I used to create Science Says, a science commination club, and Barbara on the Bill a campaign to place Barbara McClinton on the $10 Bill.

Honorable Mention - Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award, American Institute of Biological Sciences, (02/2015) & (02/2016)

Community Service

Committee Member - Davis Housing Element Committee, Davis, CA (11/2020-05/2020)
City Council appointee to recommend and advise the implementation of policies to increase the supply of housing and Affordable housing in Davis, California

Student Representative, Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology Executive Committee, UC Davis. (12/2015-12/2019)
Developed cost-saving measures that increased the number of speakers in speaker series. Added further ways to engage students to support the completion of the program on time.

Chair, Joint ASUCD-GSA Housing Task Force, UC Davis (11/2016-07/2019)
Led advocacy efforts to increase the supply of housing and affordable housing in the City of Davis on behalf of UC Davis Undergraduate and Graduate Student Associations. Developed the first campus-wide housing survey using Qualtrics in partnership with UC Davis Student Affairs to address homelessness with 1,839 respondents.

Student Membership Director, Capital Science Communicators, Sacramento, CA (04/2014-11/2018)
Connected student community with professional science communicators to grow a local community of communicators. Developed science communication training for fellow early-career scientists, organized science café talks & created “Sac Science Idol” a science communication competition.

Member, Chancellor’s Affordable Housing Task Force, UC Davis (04/2018-07/2018)
Graduate student member on a diverse team of campus leadership and stakeholders such as student, facility, and administration. Produced a series of collaborative recommendations to improve housing for UC Davis community members.

Membership Director, Science Says, Davis, CA (06/2016-06/2017)
A founding officer for the graduate student-led science communication club, executed leadership retreat, and recruited members interested in science communication.

Invited Public Talks

“Tomato Phosphate Starvation” – Plant Biology Departmental Retreat, Lake Tahoe, California, (10/2018)
“Natural Variation in Tomato Phosphate Starvation” – International Symposium on Root Research, Jerusalem, Israel, (06/2018)
“Root Angle Gravitropism” – Plant Biology Departmental Retreat, Davis California, (10/2016)
“Plants and the Zombie Apocalypse” - FAMELab Competition Semi-Finals, hosted by NASA, San Francisco, (11/2015)
“Biological Patents” - R.W. Emerson Junior High School, Davis, (09/2015)
“Future of Science Policy and Funding”- Panelist, Future of Research Conference, San Francisco, (07/2015)
“Genetics of Food” - Moderator & Panel Organizer, Interdisciplinary Graduate and Professional Student Symposium, UC Davis (04/2015)
“Let’s End Malnutrition” - FAMELab Competition 2nd Round, hosted by NASA, San Francisco, (12/2014)
“GMO… A Misnomer” - FAMELab Competition 1st Round, hosted by NASA, San Francisco, (12/2014)
“Food and Ag R/Evolution Forum, Young Visionaries” - Panelist, Biotechnology Industry Organization, San Diego, (06/2014)
“Prop 37, GMO labeling” - Campus Democrats at Sacramento State, Sacramento, (09/2012)
“Prop 37, GMO labeling” - California Democratic Party Executive Board, San Diego, CA, (09/2012)