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Dr. Roisin C. McGarry

Assistant Professor

University of North Texas

Department of Biological Sciences

Email: rmcgarry@unt.edu

Education

  • PhD, Cornell University, 2004
    Major: Plant Biology
    Dissertation: A novel Arabidopsis thaliana acetyltransferase has a role in geminivirus replication and movement
  • MS, University of Alberta, 1996
    Major: Horticulture
    Dissertation: The role of plant hormones in saskatoon fruit development
  • BS, University of Lethbridge, 1993
    Major: Biology

Professional Memberships

  • American Society of Plant Biologists. (2021 - Present).
  • Southern Section of the American Society of Plant Biologists. (2021 - Present).

Development Activities

  • Faculty Development Leave, Elucidating and manipulating the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL circuit in cotton to understand meristem homeostasis in relation to fruit size and shape., University of Georgia. Athens,Georgia,United States of America. (August 1, 2019 - December 20, 2019).

Teaching

Teaching Experience

    University of North Texas

  • BIOL 2241 - Biology of Higher Plants, 1 course.
  • BIOL 3510 - Cell Biology, 6 courses.
  • BIOL 4900 - Special Problems, 3 courses.

Non-Credit Instruction

  • Guest Lecture, (September 2025 - 2025).
  • Guest Lecture, (2020).
  • Guest Lecture, (2019).
  • Guest Lecture, (2017).
  • Guest Lecture, (2017).
  • Guest Lecture, (2017).
  • Other (Forensic Microscopy Laboratory Course), (September 2016 - December 2016).
  • Guest Lecture, (2016).
  • Guest Lecture, (2016).
  • Guest Lecture, (2015).
  • Guest Lecture, (2014).
  • Guest Lecture, (2013).
  • Guest Lecture, (2013).
  • Guest Lecture, (2012).

Directed Student Learning

  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (April 2025).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (August 2024).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (2020).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (2020).
  • Postdoctoral Research Supervision, Biological Sciences. (2024 - 2025).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (2022 - 2025).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (2022 - 2024).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (2022 - 2023).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (2019 - 2023).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (2018 - 2023).
  • Other (Hosted visiting scientist), Biological Sciences. (2021 - October 2022).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (2017 - 2021).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (January 2019 - December 2019).
  • Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Biological Sciences. (January 2019 - December 2019).
  • Supervised Research, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. (January 2019 - May 2019).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (January 2019 - May 2019).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (August 2018 - December 2018).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (January 2017 - December 2018).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (September 2016 - December 2018).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (January 2013 - August 2015).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (2011).
  • Supervised Research, Biological Sciences. (May 2011).

Awards and Honors

  • Nominated for Women in Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetics Award, Cotton Incorporated.

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions

    Book Chapter

  • McGarry, R.C., Ayre, B.G., Azad, R.K. (2024). Cotton meristem transcriptomes: constructing an RNA-Seq pipeline to explore crop architecture regulation. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). Transcriptome Data Analysis. 215-233. New York, Springer Nature.

    • Journal Article

  • McGarry, R.C., Lin, Y., Kaur, H., Higgs, H., Arias-Gaguancela, O., Ayre, B.G. (2024). Disrupted oxylipin biosynthesis mitigates pathogen infections and pest infestations in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Journal of Experimental Botany. 75 (22) 7365-7380.
  • McGarry, R.C., Kaur, H., Lin, Y., Lopez Puc, G., van der Knaap, E., Eshed Williams, L., Ayre, B.G. (2023). Altered expression of SELF-PRUNING disrupts meristem homeostasis and facilitates delivery of signals to the meristem. Plant Physiology. 192 1517-1531.
  • McGarry, R.C., Ayre, B.G. (2021). Cotton architecture: examining the roles of SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING in regulating growth habits of a woody perennial crop. Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 59 101968.
  • Ayre, B.G., El-Gebaly, F.E., McGarry, R.C. (2020). Virus induced flowering – a tool for cereals.. Journal of Experimental Botany. 71 2839-2841.
  • McGarry, R.C., Rao, X., Li, Q., van der Knaap, E., Ayre, B.G. (2020). SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING signal developmental and metabolic networks to guide cotton architectures. Journal of Experimental Botany. 71 (19) 5911-5923. https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/71/19/5911/5879959
  • Prewitt, S.F., Ayre, B.G., McGarry, R.C. (2018). Cotton CENTRORADIALIS/TERMINAL FLOWER 1/SELF-PRUNING genes functionally diverged to differentially impact plant architecture. Journal of Experimental Botany. 69 5403–5417. https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/69/22/5403/5093783
  • McGarry, R.C., Klocko, A.L., pang, m., Strauss, S.H., Ayre, B.G. (2017). Virus-Induced Flowering: An Application of Reproductive Biology to Benefit Plant Research and Breeding. Plant Physiology. 173 (1) 47-55. http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/173/1/47.short
  • McGarry, R.C., Prewitt, S.F., Culpepper, S., Eshed, Y., Lifschitz, E., Ayre, B.G. (2016). Monopodial and sympodial branching architecture in cotton is differentially regulated by the Gossypium hirsutum SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING orthologs. New Phytologist. 212 (1) 244-258. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.14037
  • McGarry, R.C., Prewitt, S.F., Ayre, B.G. (2013). Overexpression of FT in cotton affects architecture but not floral organogenesis. Plant Signaling & Behavior. e23602 doi: 10.4161/psb.23602.
  • McGarry, R.C., Kragler, F. (2013). Phloem-mobile signals affecting flowers: applications for crop breeding. Trends in Plant Science. 18 (4) 198-206.
  • McGarry, R.C., Ayre, B.G. (2012). Geminivirus-Mediated Delivery of Florigen Promotes Determinate Growth in Aerial Organs and Uncouples Flowering from Photoperiod in Cotton. PLOS One. 7 (5) e36746. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0036746!!!

    • Review

  • McGarry, R.C., Ayre, B.G. (2012). Manipulating plant architecture with members of the CETS gene family. Plant Science. 188 71-81.

Presentations Given

    Invited Talk

  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), BioDiscovery Institute Seminar Series, Meristem dynamics: Virus-delivered signals alter meristem fate and homeostasis, presenting opportunities for biotechnology, UNT BioDiscovery Institute, UNT, United States of America. (2025).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Meristem dynamics: Virus-delivered signals alter meristem fate and homeostasis, presenting opportunities for biotechnology, Department of Biological Sciences, UNT, UNT, United States of America. (2025).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), TWU Biological Sciences Seminar Series, Plant viruses as tools for discovery and biotechnology: Tales from cotton, Texas’s most important crop plant, Texas Women's University, Denton, TX, United States of America. (2024 - 2024).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Rao, X. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Functional and genomic analysis of cotton growth habit to benefit iterative field maintenance and harvest by distributed, autonomous robots., University of Georgia, Tifton campus, United States of America. (2019 - 2019).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Rao, X. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Functional and genomic analysis of cotton growth habit to benefit iterative field maintenance and harvest by distributed, autonomous robots., University of Georgia, Athens campus, United States of America. (2019 - 2019).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Rao, X. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), 1st International Forum on Crop Science – Green Crops for Sustainable Agriculture, The application of virus-based technologies to rapidly explore gene networks regulating cotton architecture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China, China. (2019 - 2019).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), 2019 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Manipulating the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL circuit to generate fasciated cotton bolls for robot harvesting, Cotton Incorporated, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America. (2019 - 2019).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Prewitt, S. (Author), Eshed, Y. (Author), Lifschitz, E. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Functional and genome analysis of cotton growth habit: Branching architecture is regulated by the Gossypium hirsutum SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING orthologs, USDA Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Lubbock, TX, United States of America. (2017 - 2017).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Prewitt, S. (Author), Eshed, Y. (Author), Lifschitz, E. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Functional and genome analysis of cotton growth habit: Branching architecture is regulated by the Gossypium hirsutum SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING orthologs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Cotton Research Institute, Anyang, China, China. (2016 - 2016).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Prewitt, S. (Author), Eshed, Y. (Author), Lifschitz, E. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Functional and genome analysis of cotton growth habit: Branching architecture is regulated by the Gossypium hirsutum SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING orthologs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Cotton Research Institute, Zhengzhou, China, China. (2016 - 2016).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Eshed, Y. (Author), LifSchitz, E. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), Meeting of the Southern Section of the American Society of Plant Biologists, Monopodial and sympodial branching architecture in cotton is differentially regulated by the Gossypium hirsutum SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING orthologs, Denton, TX, United States of America. (2016 - 2016).

    • Oral Presentation

  • Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), USDA Project Directors' Meeting (2024), Formation of Cotton Bast Fiber as a Means to Modulate Carbon Capture and Increase Bio-Product Utilization, USDA, Virtual, United States of America. (2024 - 2024).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Macias, V.M. (Author), Horn, P. (Author), Shah, J. (Author), UNT BioDiscovery Institute Seminar Series, A Laser Microdissection System To Enhance Agricultural And Food Research In The North Texas And Southern Oklahoma Region, UNT BioDiscovery Institute, UNT, United States of America. (2024 - 2024).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Lin, Y. (Author), Kaur, H. (Author), Higgs, H. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), BioDiscovery Institute Seminar Series, Disrupted oxylipin biosynthesis mitigates pathogen infections and pest infestations in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), University of North Texas, United States of America. (2024).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Lin, Y. (Author), Kaur, H. (Author), Higgs, H. (Author), Arias-Gaguancela, O. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Beltwide Cotton Conference, Disrupted oxylipin biosynthesis mitigates pathogen infections and pest infestations in cotton, Fort Worth, TX, United States of America. (2024).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Lin, Y. (Author), Kaur, H. (Author), Higgs, H. (Author), Arias-Gaguancela, O. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Plant and Animal Genome Conference / PAG31, Disrupted oxylipin biosynthesis mitigates pathogen infections and pest infestations in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), San Diego, CA, United States of America. (2024).
  • Higgs, H. (Author & Presenter), Antunes, M.S. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), McGarry, R.C. (Author), BioDiscovery Institute Seminar Series, Applying natural mobility factors to enhance meristem-based gene editing with RNA viruses, BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, United States of America. (2023).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), BioFrontiers - the Biological Sciences Seminar Series, From the top: unraveling meristem dynamics for enhanced crop productivity, University of North Texas, University of North Texas, United States of America. (2022).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Ayre, B.G. (Author), BioDiscovery Institute Seminar Series, Enhancing crop yields: Manipulating the CLAVATA – WUSCHEL circuit to generate fasciated cotton bolls., University of North Texas, University of North Texas, United States of America. (2020).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Rao, X. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), BioDiscovery Institute Seminar Series, Transcriptome profiling identifies gene networks influencing distinct cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) architectures., University of North Texas, University of North Texas, United States of America. (2019).
  • Yadav, U.P. (Author), Shaikh, M.A. (Author), Evers, J. (Author), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), The 6th PanAmerican Plant Membrane Biology Workshop, Functional and Molecular Characterization of Sucrose Transporters in Gossypium hirsutum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, Canada. (2018 - 2018).
  • Ortiz, E. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), 20th Annual Texas National McNair Scholars Research Conference, Cotton’s secret fiber: Manipulating lignin biosynthesis for bast development (Abstract #64), McNair Scholars, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
  • Hughes, K. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), 20th Annual Texas National McNair Scholars Research Conference, Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) bast fiber modification. Abstract #39, McNair Scholars, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
  • Ortiz, E. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), 2018 Beltwide Cotton Conference, Cotton’s secret fiber: Manipulating lignin biosynthesis for bast development, National Cotton Council, San Antonio, TX, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
  • Hughes, K. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), 2018 Beltwide Cotton Conference, Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) genetic variation and bast fiber modification, National Cotton Council, San Antonio, TX, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), 2018 Precision Cotton Researcher’s Meeting, Beltwide Cotton Conference, Redesigning the cotton plant’s architecture to improve yield and quality for robot harvesting, National Cotton Council, San Antonio, TX, United States of America. (2018 - 2018).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Bio-Frontiers - the Biological Sciences Seminar Series, Plant architecture and the perennial problem: the roles of SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING in regulating complex growth habits, University of North Texas, University of North Texas, United States of America. (2017).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author), Prewitt, S. (Author), Eshed, Y. (Author), Lifschitz, E. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), Plant and Animal Genome Conference 2017, Functional and genome analysis of cotton growth habit: Branching architecture is regulated by the Gossypium hirsutum SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING orthologs (W523), San Deigo, CA, United States of America. (2017 - 2017).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Beltwide Cotton Conference 2017, A comparison of virus-based vectors for gene silencing and gene delivery in cotton, Dallas, TX, United States of America. (2017 - 2017).
  • Prewitt, S.F. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), Annual meeting of the Southern Section of the American Society of Plant Biologists, Functional and phylogenetic analysis of cotton CETS genes, Denton, TX, United States of America. (2016 - 2016).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Eshed, Y. (Author), Lifschitz, E. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists, 2015, Cotton architecture in the balance: the Gossypium hirsutum SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS and SELF-PRUNING orthologs regulate branching patterns, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America. (2015 - 2015).

    • Poster

  • Chiu, J. (Author & Presenter), Lin, Y. (Author), Antunes, M.S. (Author), McGarry, R.C. (Author), UNT Research Day 2025, Developing robust virus tools for meristem-based gene editing of non-model plants, UNT, UNT, United States of America. (2025).
  • Feragne, M. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), UNT Research Day 2024, Identifying the Genetic Networks of Phloem-Cap Fiber Development in Gossypium hirsutum to Improve Crop Value and Sustainability, UNT VPRI Office, UNT, United States of America. (2024 - 2024).
  • Kaur, H. (Author), Feragne, M. (Author), Fu, D. (Author), Mustapha, Y. (Author), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author & Presenter), UNT Research Day, Bast fiber development in Gossypium hirsutum: Genetic studies on an abundant yet underutilized and understudied natural byproduct of cotton acreage, University of North Texas, UNT, United States of America. (2023).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Author & Presenter), Lin, Y. (Author), Kaur, H. (Author), Higgs, H. (Author), Shah, J. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), UNT Research Day, Disrupted oxylipin biosynthesis mitigates pathogen infections and pest infestations in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), UNT, UNT, United States of America. (2023).
  • Higgs, H. (Author & Presenter), Antunes, M.S. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), McGarry, R.C. (Author), UNT Scholars Day, Applying natural mobility factors to enhance meristem based gene editing with RNA viruses, UNT, UNT, United States of America. (2023).
  • Lin, Y. (Author & Presenter), Alejos, M. (Author), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), UNT Biology Graduate Students Research Day, Genetic induction of somatic embryogenesis in Gossypium hirsutum using regulators of zygotic embryogenesis, UNT Biology Graduate Students Association, University of North Texas, United States of America. (2018).
  • Evers, J. (Author & Presenter), Shaikh, M.A. (Author), Yadav, U.P. (Author), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), UNT Biology Graduate Students Research Day, Understanding the Role of the Sucrose Transporter Gene Family in Carbon Partitioning in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), UNT Biology Graduate Students Association, University of North Texas, United States of America. (2018).
  • Ortiz, E. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), Cotton’s secret fiber – Manipulating lignin biosynthesis for bast development., SACNAS - Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America. (2017 - 2017).
  • Prewitt, S. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists, Functional and phylogenetic analysis of the Gossypium hirsutum CETS gene family (900-011-Z), Austin, TX, United States of America. (2016 - 2016).
  • Culpepper, S. (Author & Presenter), McGarry, R.C. (Author), Ayre, B.G. (Author), Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists, A tale of two viruses: comparing Cotton leaf crumple virus and Tobacco rattle virus as tools to transiently manipulate gene expression in cotton, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America. (2015 - 2015).

Media Contributions

    Internet

  • "USDA grants support cotton studies and enhance research capabilities with high-resolution tissue dissection and collection," UNT Research and Innovation 2024 Research Magazine. (February 15, 2024).
  • "Plant Scientists Develop New Methods for Cotton Research," UNT Research and Innovation. (October 25, 2021).

    • Magazine

  • "Future of Fashion," North Texan. (2023).

Contracts, Grants, Sponsored Research

    Grant - Research

  • Root, D.D. (Principal), Bernardino, A. (Supporting), Ayre, B.G. (Supporting), McGarry, R.C. (Supporting), Shah, J. (Supporting), Dzialowski, E.M. (Supporting), Gu, F. (Supporting), Macias, V.M. (Supporting), Burleson, M. (Supporting), "COS 2025 Equipment Grant Program," sponsored by College of Science, Local, $78500 Funded. (2025).
  • Ayre, B.G., McGarry, R.C., Macias, V.M., Horn, P., Shah, J., "A Laser Microdissection System to Enhance Agricultural and Food Research in the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma Region," sponsored by USDA NIFA Equipment Grants Program, Federal, $341019 Funded. (2023 - 2027).
  • Ayre, B.G., McGarry, R.C., "Formation of cotton bast fiber as a means to modulate carbon capture and increase bio-product utilization," sponsored by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative., Federal, $294000 Funded. (2023 - 2026).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), Jagadeeswaran, P. (Principal), "COS 2024 Equipment Grant Program: Procurement of Departmental Multiuser ThermoFisher QuantStudio 6 Real-Time PCR System to Replace an Applied Systems ViiA-7 Real-Time PCR System," sponsored by UNT College of Science, University of North Texas, $76129 Funded. (2024 - 2026).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Pest- and pathogen-resistant cotton through gene editing (Submitted in 2024, renewed at $30,000 for Jan 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025)," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated., Private, $30000 Funded. (2024 - 2025).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), Shah, J. (Co-Principal), "Generating pathogen- and pest-resistant non-GMO cotton through targeted genome editing of oxylipin signaling pathways," sponsored by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), Federal, $294000 Funded. (2021 - 2025).
  • Antunes, M.S. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "RNA movement in plants: tools for genetic improvement of an emerging oilseed crop," sponsored by University of North Texas BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, $30000 Funded. (2024 - 2025).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Pest- and pathogen-resistant cotton through gene editing.," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated., Private, $30000 Funded. (2024 - 2024).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Principal), "Pest- and pathogen- resistant cotton through gene editing," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated., Private, $25000 Funded. (2023 - 2023).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Principal), "Redesigning the cotton plant for yield and quality," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated., Private, $25000 Funded. (2023 - 2023).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), Eshed-Williams, L. (Co-Principal), van der Knaap, E. (Co-Principal), "Elucidating and manipulating the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL circuit in cotton to understand meristem homeostasis in relation to fruit size and shape," sponsored by USDA BARD, Federal, $310000 Funded. (2019 - 2023).
  • McGarry, R.C., Antunes, M.S., "Applying natural mobility factors to facilitate meristem gene editing with RNA viruses.," sponsored by BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, $10000 Funded. (2022 - 2022).
  • Ayre, B.G., McGarry, R.C., "Pest- and pathogen- resistant cotton through gene editing," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, Private, $25000 Funded. (2022 - 2022).
  • Ayre, B.G., McGarry, R.C., "Redesigning the cotton plant’s architecture to improve yield and quality," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, Private, $25000 Funded. (2022 - 2022).
  • McGarry, R.C., "Applying microscopy tools to illuminate the mode of action of growth stimulant, OpusMAX.," sponsored by BPS Agriculture, LLC., Local, $12601 Funded. (2021 - 2022).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Co-Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Redesigning the cotton plant’s architecture to improve yield and quality (renewed annually for ~$50,000)," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated: National Program, Private, $350000 Funded. (2016 - 2021).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Principal), Ayre, B.G. (Co-Principal), "Elucidating and manipulating the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL circuit in cotton to understand meristem homeostasis in relation to fruit size and shape.," sponsored by UNT BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, $7500 Funded. (2019 - 2020).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), Shah, J. (Co-Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Generating pathogen- / pest-resistant non-GMO cotton through targeted genome editing of oxylipin signaling pathways," sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture, FED, Funded. (2021 - 2024).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Elucidating and manipulating the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL circuit in cotton to understand meristem homeostasis in relation to fruit size and shape," sponsored by US Israel Binational Agricultural - BARD, NFP, Funded. (2019 - 2022).
  • McGarry, R.C. (Principal), "Applying microscopy tools to illuminate the mode of action of growth stimulant, OpusMAX," sponsored by BPS Agriculture, LLC, IND, Funded. (2021 - 2022).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Redesigning the cotton plant's architecture to improve yield and quality," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, NFP, Funded. (2021 - 2021).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Redesigning the cotton plant's architecture to improve yield and quality," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, NFP, Funded. (2020 - 2021).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Manipulating the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL circuit to generate fasciated cotton bolls for robot harvesting," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, NFP, Funded. (2019 - 2019).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Redesigning the cotton plant's architecture to improve yield and quality," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, NFP, Funded. (2018 - 2018).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), McGarry, R.C. (Co-Principal), "Redesigning the cotton plant's architecture to improve yield and quality," sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, NFP, Funded. (2017 - 2017).
  • Ayre, B.G. (Principal), "Regulation of Growth Habit in Complex Sympodial Plants: Applying the Tomato Model to Cotton," sponsored by US Israel Binational Agricultural - BARD, NFP, Funded. (2012 - 2016).

Copyrights, Patents

    Patent

  • McGarry, R.C., Ayre, B.G., Methods and systems for targeted modification of plant genes via meristem modulation and plants having engineered meristem modifications and other mutations., 17/749,560. Regular, Date submitted to the University: September 2020. Date of Patent Application: 2021. Date Patent Approved: May 20, 2022. .

Service

University Service

  • Committee Member, Faculty Awards Committee. (2024 - Present).
  • Committee Member, BioDiscovery Institute Industry Relations Committee. (2023 - Present).
  • Committee Member, University of North Texas Genomics Center Advisory Board. (2022 - Present).
  • Committee Member, Faculty search committee – Assistant Professor for Genetics / Epigenetics. (2023 - 2024).
  • Committee Member, Faculty search committee – Lecturer of Plant Biology. (2023).
  • Committee Member, Faculty search committee - Clinical Assistant Professor for Forensic Biology. (December 2021 - 2022).
  • Committee Member, Non-tenure track research faculty annual evaluation and promotion criteria committee. (2021 - 2022).
  • Other (Host of invited speaker), BioFrontiers Seminar Series. (April 22, 2022).
  • Committee Member, Genomics Center Manager Search Committee. (2020).
  • Committee Member, BioDiscovery Institute Core Facility Users Committee. (2016 - 2020).
  • Committee Member, BioDiscovery Institute Education Committee. (2016 - 2020).
  • Other (Host of invited speaker), BioFrontiers Seminar series. (October 2, 2020).
  • Other (Reviewed scholarship applicants), McNair Program Scholar Selection. (2018).
  • Host of Guest Artist, BioFrontiers Seminar Series. (September 7, 2018).

Public Service

  • Guest Speaker, Denton High School, AP/IB Senior Biology. Denton, TX. (2017).

Professional Service

  • Reviewer, Journal Article, BMC Genomics. (2025).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, BMC Plant Biology. Denton, TX. (2025).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Plant, Cell, and Environment. (2025).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Scientific Reports. (2025).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, BMC Plant Biology. Denton, TX. (2024 - 2024).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Advanced Research. Denton, TX. (2024 - 2024).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Applied Genetics. Denton, TX. (2023).
  • Editor, Guest Editor, Frontiers in Plant Science. (2022).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Frontiers in Plant Science. (2022).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Plant Physiology - the American Society of Plant Biologists. (2022).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, The Plant Cell - the American Society of Plant Biologists. (2022).
  • Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) Plant Science Research Review. Denton, TX. (2021).
  • Reviewer, Grant Proposal, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) Plant Science Research Review, Panel member. Denton, TX. (2021).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Plant Science. (2021).
  • Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, USDA-NIFA. Denton, TX. (2021).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Frontiers in Genetics. (2020).
  • Reviewer, Grant Proposal, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology Plant Science Research, Panel Member. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (2020).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Planta. (2020).
  • Reviewer, Journal Article, Journals, including Frontiers in Genetics, Planta. (2018 - 2020).
  • Reviewer, Grant Proposal, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology Plant Science Research, Panel Member. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (2019).
  • Reviewer, Grant Proposal, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology Plant Science Research, Panel Member. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (2018).