Karen Tanino PhD

Plant Sciences

Adjunct Professor with IWATE University, Morioka, Japan
Chair of the Northern Agriculture Thematic Network, University of the Arctic

My specialization is plant abiotic stress physiology, eco-physiology and the interactions of plants with the environment. My research interests include the influence of temperature and water on vegetative bud dormancy and cold hardiness in woody plants; acclimation and cold stress responses on a single cell level using FTIR-synchrotron technology; salt and drought stress resistance in potato; Northern vigour (latitudinal) responses in horticulture crops; eco-physiology of plant adaptation to environmental stress.

• Ph.D., Oregon State University, USA
• M.Sc., University of Guelph
• B.Sc., University of Guelph

A) Articles in refereed publications (career total: 55):

Vijayan, P., Willick, I., Lahlali, R., Karunakaran, C., Tanino, K.  2015.  Synchrotron Radiation Sheds Fresh Light on Plant Research: the Use of Powerful Techniques to Probe Structure and Composition of Plants.  Plant & Cell Physiol. 56 (7): 1252-1263.

Lahlali, R., Karunakaran, C., Wang, L., Willick, I., Schmidt, M., Liu, X., Borondics F, Forseille L, Fobert P, Tanino K, Hallin E, Peng G. 2015. Synchrotron based phase contrast X-ray imaging combined with FTIR spectroscopy reveals structural and biomolecular differences in spikelets play a significant role in resistance to Fusarium in wheat.  BMC Plant Biol. 15(1): 24.                                                                   

L.E. Arve, O.M.O. Kruse, K.K. Tanino, J.E. Olsen, C. Futsæther, S. Torre.  2015. Growth in continuous high air humidity increases the expression of CYP707A-genes and inhibits stomatal closure.  Env. Exp. Bot. 115:11-19. 

U. Matsushima, K. Takeda, K.K. Tanino.  2014. Water Pathway in Xylem during Ice Segregation by Keisukea japonica Miq.  Cryobiology and Cryotechnology. Vol. 60(1). 

K. Tanino, K.M. Cherry, J.N. Kriger, W. Hrycan, G. Marufu, J.D. Thomas, G. Gray.  2014. Photosynthetic responses to temperature-mediated dormancy induction in contrasting ecotypes of red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea L.) J. Env. Exp. Bot. 106:221-230.

S. Kobayashi, N. Katsuna, K. Tanino, M. Uemura, Y. Kawamura. 2014. Confocal cryomicroscopic analysis and cryodynamics of endoplasmic reticulum in herbaceous plant cells. J.Env.Exp.Bot.106:44-51.

K. Tanino, Y. Kawamura, K. Hamilton, F. Borondics, T. Pedersen, J. Liu, S. Kaneko, S. Kobayashi, T. Ellis and M. Uemura.  2013. Allium fistulosum as a novel system to investigate mechanisms of freezing resistance.  Physiologia Plantarum 147: 101–111                                                                             

K.K. Tanino, Kobayashi, S., Hyett, C., Hamilton, K., Liu, J., Li, B., Borondics, F., Pedersen, T., Tse, J., Ellis, T., Kawamura, Y. and Uemura, M. 2013. Allium fistulosum as a novel system to investigate mechanisms of freezing resistance. Physiologia Plantarum, 147: 101–111.

K. Tanino. 2012.  From Lab to Nature: Assessing Injury in Xylem Parenchyma Cells.  Tree Physiology, 32:815-818.  Plus journal issue cover page image for that article.                         

W. Waalen, L.V. Gusta, K. Tanino, J. Olsen, O. Rognli, R. Eltun.  2011.  Freezing tolerance of winter    canola cultivars is best revealed by a prolonged freeze test.  Crop Science 51:1988-1996     

L. Arve, S. Torre, J.E. Olsen and K.K. Tanino.  2011.  Stomatal responses to drought stress and air humidity.  IN:  Abiotic Stress, Book 1, Aleksander Lazinica, ed., Intech Open Access Publisher.  ISBN 978-953-307-394-1.        

Books Edited:

NATURE AT RISK: Temperature Adaptation in a Changing Climate. 2011. (K. Storey, K.K. Tanino, eds). CABI Press, Wallingford, UK.

PLANT COLD HARDINESS: From the Laboratory to the Field. 2009. (L.V. Gusta, M. Wisniewski and K.K.Tanino, eds). CABI Press, Wallingford, UK. 317 pp.

Sakai, A. 2009. STRATEGY OF PLANT COLD HARDINESS. (K.K. Tanino, ed.). English translation of the 2003 Japanese published version (Hokkaido University Press, Hokkaido, Japan) available through the internet.

K.K. Tanino, 2003. Environmental Stress and Horticulture Crops. Editor-in-Chief, Acta Horticulturae Volume 618, International Society for Horticulture Science, Wageningen, Netherlands.

B) Other refereed contributions:  Books, Chapters in Books (career total: 21):

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in the Circumpolar North.  Proceedings of the 8th Circumpolar Agricultural Conference & University of the Arctic Inaugural Food Summit.  September 29 – October 3, 2013, Girdwood, Alaska, USA.  S. Seefeldt and D. Helfferich (eds.), C. Lewis, M. Shipka and *K. Tanino (conference co-chairs). Alaska Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station Publication MP 2014-16. 

H. Hanninen, *K. Tanino, G. Howe and M. Wisniewski (co-hosts). 2014. Frontiers in Plant Science.  Hosting  Specialty: Frontiers in Functional Plant Ecology.  Topic: Seasonality of woody plants in cold climates:  adaptations, regulation and modeling. (http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/plant-science/section/functional-plant-ecology#research-topics).                

 K. Tanino, Liu J., Kawamura Y., Kobayashi S., Borondics F., and Uemura M. 2013. Using synchrotron FTIR and confocal cryomicroscopy to explore mechanisms of cold acclimation and freezing resistance using a single cell layer of Allium fistulosum L.  Plant and Microbe Adaptations to Cold in a Changing World:  Proceedings of the Plant and Microbe Adaptation to Cold Conference.  Edited by R. Imai, M. Yoshida, and N. Matsumoto Published by Springer, New York, USA.

K. Storey and K. Tanino (eds). 2011.  Nature at Risk:  Temperature Adaptation and Climate Change.  CABI Press, Wallingford, UK.

K. Hamilton.  2011.  Cell wall alterations and mechanism of freezing resistance of the Japanese bunching onion (Allium fistulosum) using FTIR and cryomicroscopy.  Undergraduate thesis, Univ. Saskatchewan.

K. Storey, J. Storey and K. Tanino.  2011.  Nature at risk. Chapter 1. IN:  Temperature Adaptation and Climate Change.  Chapter 1.  CABI Press, Wallingford, UK.

K. Tanino.  2011.  Temperature adaptation in a changing climate. Chapter 16.  IN:  Temperature Adaptation and Climate Change.  Chapter 16.  CABI Press, Wallingford, UK.

L.E. Arve, S. Torre, J.E. Olsen, K.K. Tanino, 2011.  Stomatal Responses to Drought Stress and Air Humidity.  IN:  Abiotic Stress / Book 1", ISBN 978-953-307-394-1 (Arun Shanker, ed.).  INTECH Open Access Publisher.

Book Links: 

Full Version, Section I Chapters 1-13, Section II Chapters 1-8,

Tanino, List of research contributions 2003-present

Undergraduate courses:

• PLSC 220 – Fundamentals of Horticulture
• PLSC 461 – Postharvest storage and transport 

Graduate courses:

• PLSC 865 – Plant Abiotic Stress Physiology