University of Florida

Charles L. Guy


Environmental Horticulture Dept.
University of Florida
1509 Fifield Hall, PO Box 110670
Gainesville FL 32611-0670

Phone: (352) 273-4528
Fax: (352) 392-3870

Professional Background


  • Ph.D. Horticulture (Univ. Minnesota), 1983
  • M.S. Biological Sciences (Univ. Central Florida), 1977
  • B.S. Microbiology (Univ. South Florida), 1973


Current Research Interests: The goals of my very diverse research program are to better understand people - plant interactions and the biochemical and molecular responses of plants to unfavorable temperature conditions.

It is widely accepted that gardening and being immersed in a garden or experiencing a plant-rich natural environment can be therapeutic by reducing stress and increasing quality of life factors for people. As the majority of the world's population continues to be more separated from the natural world and lives in more urbanized settings where intimate interactions with plants are more limited, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the role that plants play in our daily lives and our well-being.

My primary research interest is to better understand how engaging in horticultural activities provides therapeutic benefit to people through horticultural therapy. Humanity co-evolved close relationships with plants that well predated recorded history, and which led to agriculture and aspects of medicine as we know them today. Modern technology now makes it possible to seek a quantitative understanding of how engaging in horticultural activities alter brain activity and function. Ideally, it should be possible to determine which horticultural activities have the greatest benefit for a given therapeutic purpose.

The second focus of my research is on developing a better understanding of how plants respond to temperature stress. My goal is to contribute to the understanding of how plants are able to cope with freezing stress that will helpful in efforts to engineer greater cold tolerance in species of economic importance. The rationale for seeking a better understanding of how plants respond to potentially deleterious situations is predicated on the possibility that better strategies to mitigate crop losses can be devised. Our approach has ranged from whole plant physiology to molecular biology of the gene.

Selected Publications

  • Lessl, J.T., Ma, L.Q., Rathinasabapathi, B. and Guy, C.L. (2013) Novel phytase from Pteris vittata resistant to arsenate, high temperature, and soil deactivation. Environmental Science & Technology 47: 2204-2211.
  • Meador, D.P., Fisher, P.R., Harmon, P.F., Peres, N.A., Teplitski, M. and Guy, C.L. (2012) Survey of physical, chemical, and microbial water quality in greenhouse and nursery irrigation water. HortTechnology 22: 778-786.
  • Kaplan, F., Zhao, W., Richards, J.T. Wheeler, R.L., Guy, C.L. and Levine, L. (2012) Transcriptional and metabolic insights into the differential physiological responses of Arabidopsis to optimal and supraoptimal atmospheric CO2. PLoS One 7: e43583.
  • Tripurani, S.K., Nakaminami, K., Thompson, K.B., Crowell, S.V., Guy, C.L, Karlson, D.T. (2011) Spatial and temporal expression of cold-responsive DEAD-box RNA helicases: with functional role during Arabidopsis embryogenesis. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter DOI: 10.1007/s11105-010-0282-1 Online First, January 11, 2011.
  • Maul, P., McCollum, G., Guy, C.L. Porat, R. (2011) Temperature conditioning alters transcript abundance of genes related to chilling stress in 'Marsh' grapefruit flavedo. Postharvest Biology Technology 60: 177-185.
  • Visscher, A.M., Paul, A.-L., Kirst, M., Guy, C.L., Schuerger, A.C., Ferl, R.L. (2010) Growth performance and root transcriptome remodeling of Arabidopsis in response to Mars-like levels of magnesium sulfate. PLoS ONE 5(8): e12348. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012348.
  • Sharabi-Schwager, M., Lers, A., Samach, A., Guy, C.L., Porat, R. (2010) Overexpression of the CBF2 transcriptional activator in Arabidopsis delays leaf senescence and extends plant longevity. Journal Experimental Botany 61: 261-273.