John Stanga

Dr. John Stanga serves as Associate Professor of Biology within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Mercer University, where his research bridges plant molecular genetics and genome annotation. His work centers on unraveling how plants respond to environmental cues through hormone signaling pathways.

His academic foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• B.A. in Biology and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis

Stanga's research program has two primary pillars: First, investigating karrikin and strigolactone signaling mechanisms in seed germination and seedling development using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system. His genetic approaches have identified key regulators like SMAX1 in hormone response pathways. Second, contributing to the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) through Drosophila genome annotation, enabling comparative studies of insulin signaling evolution and chromatin dynamics. His methodology integrates forward/reverse genetics with computational genomics.

Analysis of his 9 publications (2009-2020) reveals consistent focus on plant hormone signaling, particularly karrikin-strigolactone crosstalk, with increasing molecular depth in protein-receptor interactions. Recent work demonstrates structural characterization of signaling components while earlier studies established genetic frameworks for seed germination responses.

He actively recruits undergraduate researchers for GEP projects regardless of prior course experience, emphasizing hands-on genomics training. His institutional role within Mercer's Biology Department connects classroom instruction with authentic research in plant molecular biology and genome science.