Plants are incredibly diverse, and so are botanists! In its mission to spread fascinating stories about the plant world, Botany One also introduces you to the scientists behind these great stories.
Today, we have Dr Dustin Wolkis, who is fascinated with the physiology of ex-situ seed and pollen conservation and is currently researching their longevity and the factors that influence it—moisture, temperature, lipids, and time. Based in Hawai‘i, where 90% of vascular plants are endemic, but the extinction rate is the highest globally, Wolkis is especially interested in how ex-situ conservation can help safeguard biodiversity for the future. As the Scientific Curator of Seed Conservation at the National Tropical Botanical Garden, he curates the conservation collection of endangered Hawaiian seeds, pollen, and spores and is the principal investigator for germplasm research. Wolkis earned his M.Sc. in Plant Biology and Conservation from Arizona State University and his Ph.D. in Biodiversity from the University of Copenhagen. He is also currently an Affiliate Graduate Faculty in the Botany Graduate Program in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and serves as the Deputy Chair for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Species Survival Commission, Seed Conservation Specialist Group. You can follow more of his work at Bluesky.
Wolkis observing pollen grains under the microscope. Photo by Dustin Wolkis.
What made you become interested in plants?
I was lucky enough to grow up near a desert remnant in the otherwise paved-over middle of Phoenix (Arizona, United States), where I could escape and enjoy the solace of natue. I loved camping, hiking, and science, but I would become a first-generation college graduate, so I never thought becoming a scientist of any kind was realistic. As a young adult, I found myself working in an apothecary. I loved learning about the plants, their Latin names, and how humans have used them. I thought I would go back to school for biology so I could then go on to naturopathic medical school. However, I took my first Ecology and Conservation Biology courses and realized I could study the plants themselves, in their own habitat, which set me down the path of plant conservation biology – and I never looked back. Working in plant ecology and conservation in the field and in the lab as an undergrad only strengthened my love for plants and my desire to study them. It was then that I realized becoming a plant scientist was actually attainable.
What motivated you to pursue your current area of research?
After graduating with a BSc in Biology with a concentration in Conservation Biology and Ecology, I was fortunate enough to find a home in the Research, Conservation, and Collections Department at the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG). I was hired to coordinate DBG’s efforts in the national native seed collecting program termed “Seeds of Success”, and thus my introduction to seeds. Simultaneously, I started an MSc in Plant Biology and Conservation at Arizona State University (ASU), where I studied old-school plant community ecology of ciénega wetlands. My DBG and ASU supervisors, Kim McCue and Julie Stromberg, respectively, had a powerful influence on my growth as a scientist, giving me the confidence, support, and freedom to explore new ideas, take on challenges, and succeed in ways I never imagined. During this period, I had the opportunity to spend a week with Christina Walters and her team at the US National Laboratory for Genetic Resource Preservation (aka the US “National Seed Lab”). She blew my mind with what I now know to be the most basic of seed banking information. My mind overflowed with possibilities—I couldn’t think of anything else. Just like that, I was hooked on seed conservation!
What is your favourite part of your work related to plants?
I’m constantly amazed by the weird and wild physiological responses of plants, their seeds, and their pollen. I have the great honour and kuleana —“sacred privilege and responsability”— to work with the native Hawaiian flora where 90% of vascular plant species are endemic, 268 plant taxa have fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild, nearly half (45%) of plant taxa federally listed as Threatened or Endangered are located, and where the highest number of modern plant extinctions have occurred. Working in such a special place, I feel like I can make a positive impact on plant conservation, even if just in a small way. I am also fortunate to work for the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden, whose mission “to enrich life by perpetuating tropical plants, ecosystems, and cultural heritage” is one I believe in. Mentoring the next generation of plant scientists, whether they be in high school, undergraduate, graduate or postdoc, is one of my favourite parts of working with plants.
SeedLab at the National Tropical Botanial Garden (Hawaiʻi). Photo by Dustin Wolkins.
Are any specific plants or species that have intrigued or inspired your research? If so, what are they and why?
Although the questions are the same when moving from the desert to the tropics, the floras are quite different! However, when I arrived in Hawaiʻi, I had an instant plant friend – Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae). This plant is native to both the Sonran Desert as well as Hawaiʻi (and the tropics and subtropics globally) where it is known as ‘a‘ali‘i. One ʻŌlelo Noʻeau (“Hawaiian proverbs and poetical sayings”) that has inspired me is:
He ‘a‘ali‘i ku makani mai au; ‘a‘ohe makani nana e kula‘i.”
“I am a wind-resisting ‘a‘ali‘i; no gale can push me over.”
ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #507, collected, translated, and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983.
The largest yet most endangered family in Hawaiʻi is the Campanulaceae, which has radiated into six genera, five of which are endemic, and 161 currently described taxa. Seeds in this family were observed to be desiccation tolerant yet longer-lived at a cool 5°C compared to the conventional frozen storage temperature of -18°C. This peculiar seed storage behaviour has intrigued and inspired my current research on lipid thermal fingerprinting and strengthened my fascination with seed longevity.
Wolkins on fieldwork with a stunning view of the Hawaiian natural landscapes. Photo by Dustin Wolkins.
Could you share an experience or anecdote from your work that has marked your career and reaffirmed your fascination with plants?
Well, I am easily excitable and guilty of be being fascinated with almost everything, LOL! However, inference based on taxonomic similarity for the full Hawaiian flora, suggests that up to one-third of Hawaiian species may exhibit the curious “freeze-sensitive” seed storage behaviour discussed above. Through discussions with colleagues in Hawaiʻi and others like Chris Walters and those at RBG Kew Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) Hugh Pritchard and Daniel Ballesteros*,* we hypothesized that this response to storage conditions might be due to transformation or crystallization and melting kinetics of lipids. But it wasn’t until several years later when doing a research stay at the MSB that I actually had the opportunity to carry out the differential scanning calorimetry to determine lipid thermal fingerprints. While still in preparation, we observed large lipid melting events around the conventional seed banking temperature (-18°C), which may explain the peculiar “freeze-sensitive” response. No melting nor crystalizing events occurred around -80°C, indicating this be a safe storage temperature and the “freeze-sensitive” term to be a misnomer. Just like -18°C freezers, -80°C freezers are readily available for purchase, so perhaps one day -80°C will become the conventional storage temperature.
Wolkins collecting Polyscias racemosa in the field. Photo by Seana Walsh.
What advice would you give young scientists considering a career in plant biology?
I had a meandering path. Between my first undergraduate course and my last, 11 years had elapsed. I believe it’s completely okay not to have everything figured out in the early or pre-career stages. In fact, it can be an exciting place to be—a blank canvas waiting to be filled with possibilities, even those you haven’t imagined yet. But when times get tough, be the ‘a‘ali‘i; resist the wind.
I wish someone had told me about AmeriCorps, which in Hawaiʻi is Kupu, when I was an undergrad. They offer fantastic programs where you can explore different careers by working with various host organizations across multiple disciplines. The service schedule aligns with most universities, so students can participate while still in school. It’s also a great opportunity for recent graduates, providing not only a stipend but also an education award upon completion, which can be applied toward graduate school. If this isn’t an option, I highly recommend internships as another great way to explore different career paths.
Also, work in labs as an undergrad. It’s great exposure and networking.
What do people usually get wrong about plants?
Pollen is not just something that blows around in the air and makes people sneeze! In seed plants, pollen grains produce the male gametes and is essential for sexual reproduction. Pollen is alive. In fact, given the right conditions it will germinate. When this happens, a pollen tube emerges from the pollen grain, and the two sperm cells travel down the tube to perform double fertilization of the ovules, which then mature into seeds. Pollen germination is the answer to our questions about pollen conservation physiology related to the effects of moisture, temperature, lipids, and time on longevity.
A “seed bank” could mean several things. Usually, it refers to a conservation seed bank or a natural seed bank like a soil seed bank or aerial/canopy seed bank. This can sometimes be confusing, so it’s important to specify which “seed bank” is being referred to ☺️.
Also, licorice/liquorice is Glycyrrhiza glabra (Fabaceae) and does not taste like anise Pimpinella anisum (Apiaceae).
Wolkins on the SeedLab. Photo by Dustin Wolkins.
Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra
Carlos (he/him) is a Colombian seed ecologist currently doing his PhD at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and working as a Science Editor at Botany One and a Communications Officer at the International Society for Seed Science. You can follow him on BlueSky at @caordonezparra.
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