Tim Sharbel

Professor Tim Sharbel is a faculty member in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Agriculture and Bioresources. His research focuses on apomixis (asexual seed formation), evolutionary genomics, and the genetic mechanisms underlying plant reproduction. He investigates these processes using omics approaches (NGS, microarrays, etc.) and functional genetics, with applications to crop improvement and medicinal plants like St. John’s wort, chamomile, cannabis, and hops.

Education: PhD from the Max Planck Institute and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, MSc and BSc from McGill University. His work bridges basic evolutionary biology and applied agricultural innovation, aiming to engineer apomixis into crops for sustainable agriculture.

Research interests include: 1) Apomixis genetics in Boechera and other species, 2) Medicinal plant genomics (Hypericum, Matricaria), 3) Polyploid evolution and its effects on asexual reproduction. His lab develops technologies to transfer apomixis factors into crop plants, enhancing breeding efficiency and niche adaptation.

Recent work explores cannabis genomics and endophyte roles in plant traits. Collaborations with industry partners advance applications in human health (e.g., Alzheimer’s research via St. John’s wort) and agricultural productivity.