About

Charles Anderson is a Professor of Biology at Penn State University, where he also serves as Chair of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology and Co-Director of the Center for Biorenewables. His research focuses on in vivo imaging of plant cell wall dynamics, molecular genetic analysis of genes involved in cell growth, and cell wall biosynthesis in dividing cells. He investigates cell wall engineering for sustainable bioenergy production and has contributed to understanding the architecture and functions of plant cell walls, including the development of gelatinous fibers in common bean vines and the impact of cell wall modifications on plant growth and morphogenesis. Anderson's work emphasizes the molecular mechanisms underlying plant cell wall structure and function, with a particular interest in how these processes can be harnessed for bioenergy and sustainability. He has been involved in numerous research initiatives related to plant biology, bioengineering, and structural biology, and has published extensively on topics such as cell wall remodeling, wall integrity responses, and the dynamics of pectic homogalacturonan. His contributions have advanced the understanding of plant cell wall biosynthesis, remodeling, and the implications for bioenergy and plant development.

Research topics

• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Botany
• Cell biology
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Ecology
• Biophysics
• Organic chemistry
• Optics
• Environmental science
• Genetics
• Physics
• Natural resource economics
• Environmental protection

Selected publications

• Crop yields under simulated nuclear winter: a growth chamber experiment

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-05-07

  articleOpen access

  Abstract A global nuclear war could inject soot into the stratosphere, blocking sunlight and causing rapid cooling. Assessments of the resulting agricultural collapse rely on crop models never validated under such conditions. We grew wheat, canola, and potato in growth chambers simulating the light and temperature of an extreme nuclear winter at tropical and temperate sites. In the tropical chamber (18–20 °C, 200 μmol m -2 s -1 PAR), all three crops produced viable yields. Wheat yielded 2.1–2.3 t/ha ( n =3 well-watered, n =3 water-stressed pots), 60% of the global average, and single-pot observations of canola and potato suggested biological yields comparable to global averages. In the temperate chamber simulating nuclear winter irradiance (60–360 μmol m −2 s −1 ), wheat stems collapsed under their own weight. Although hand-harvesting recovered 0.6–2.8 t/ha of grain, mechanical field harvest of a flat canopy would recover substantially less. This failure mode was not observed in a higher-light control chamber and is not captured by existing crop models, which may therefore overestimate temperate cereal production under nuclear winter. Canola produced comparable yields under both temperate light regimes without lodging. Empirical screening of additional staples is needed to identify which remain viable under nuclear winter.

  PublisherDOI

• Branching under pressure: Influences of cell wall architecture and biomechanics on lateral root morphogenesis

  Current Opinion in Plant Biology · 2025-05-08 · 4 citations

  reviewSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• BPS2025 - Characterization and design of plant mucilage-based hydrogel in bio-hybrid robotics for reforestation strategies

  Biophysical Journal · 2025-02-01 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• The epidermis coordinates multi-scale symmetry breaking in chiral root growth

  Nature Communications · 2025-12-10 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Twisted growth serves myriad adaptive functions in plants. Unlike animal motions, plant motions require symmetry breaking during growth and typically involve microtubule-related genes. But how macroscopic twisting emerges from molecular-level perturbations remains unclear. Here, we show that microtubule-based symmetry breaking propagates across multiple organizational scales via the epidermis to produce handed root skewing. At the nanoscale, aberrant patterning of cellulose microfibrils is associated with microscale skewed cell expansion, both of which precede the millimeter scale emergence of helical epidermal cell files. The resulting chiral torsion of the epidermis mediates organ level symmetry breaking in the form of whole-root skewing through macroscale interactions between the root and its surrounding environment. We demonstrate the dominant role of the epidermis by complementation of microtubule activity in the epidermis alone, which is sufficient to restore transverse cortical microtubule orientation, wild-type-like morphology in cortical cells, and straight root growth.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pectin Metabolism Influences Phloem Architecture and Flowering Time in <i>Arabidopsis Thaliana</i>

  Advanced Science · 2025-07-29 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Cell wall matrices undergo continuous remodeling during plant growth and development. The methyl- and de-methyl-esterification of pectic homogalacturonan dynamically influence the physicochemical and mechanical properties of cell walls, and consequently regulate organ morphogenesis. Phloem plays a crucial role in the transport of photoassimilates and other organic molecules from source to sink tissues, and the walls of phloem cells are rich in pectins. However, how pectin metabolism orchestrates phloem architecture and function is unclear. This work demonstrates that the methyl-esterification status and subsequent degradation of pectic homogalacturonan affect flowering time by modulating phloem development and transport capacity, which control the transport of a mobile florigen, FLOWERING LOCUS T protein, in the phloem stream. During this process, auxin signaling is stimulated by pectin de-methyl-esterification to influence vasculogenesis. Together, this data provide new insights into the mechanisms by which pectin chemistry is coordinated with auxin signaling to mediate phloem development, long-distance transport and flowering time.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• BPS2025 - Single-molecule tracking reveals dual front door/back door inhibition of Cel7A cellulase by its product cellobiose

  Biophysical Journal · 2025-02-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Gelatinous fibers develop asymmetrically to support bends and coils in common bean vines (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i>)

  American Journal of Botany · 2025-03-01 · 7 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  PREMISE: Gelatinous (G)-fibers are specialized fibers that generate tensile force to bend and straighten many plant organs; this phenomenon has been intensively studied in tension wood of trees. Previous work has shown that G-fibers are common within the stems of twining vines, but we lack the spatiotemporal developmental data required to determine whether, or how, G-fibers contribute to the movement and/or stabilization of twining tissues. METHODS: We employed multiple histochemical approaches to characterize the formation and cell wall architecture of G-fibers in twining and shrub phenotypes of common bean across a developmental time series. RESULTS: Within an internode, G-fibers first formed asymmetrically via differentiation of pericyclic fibers on the concave side of an existing bend and later arose erratically from the vascular cambium. G-fibers were absent in immature and/or actively circumnutating internodes, thus validating previous reports that G-fibers are not involved in rapid dynamic movements. Instead, G-fibers formed in stationary internodes, where they developed (1) in an alternating asymmetric pattern, likely to support the posture maintenance of erect internodes at the base of twiners and throughout the length of shrubs or (2) on the concave side of twined internodes to stabilize their helical conformation. CONCLUSIONS: Our spatiotemporal results indicate that common bean vines form G-fibers after an internode has fully elongated and becomes stationary, thus functioning to stabilize the posture of subtle bends and coil internodes. These results contribute to understanding how twining vines establish and maintain a grip on their host or supporting structure.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Storming the barricades of rhamnogalacturonan-II synthesis and function

  The Plant Cell · 2025-04-16 · 9 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Despite its low abundance, rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II) is an essential structural component of the cell wall and is present in a highly conserved molecular configuration across all plants. RG-II is a branched pectin domain that contains 13 different sugars linked by over 20 different bond types, and uniquely among pectins it can be covalently dimerized via borate diesters. RG-II is hypothesized to crosslink the pectin matrix, controlling cell wall architecture and porosity, but has resisted detailed analyses due to its compositional complexity and the lethality of RG-II-deficient mutants. Here, we highlight how biochemical dissection, genetic engineering, chemical inhibitors, and high-resolution imaging have enabled recent leaps in our understanding of RG-II structure, synthesis, localization, dimerization, and function, pointing out new questions and research directions that have been enabled by these advances.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Carbohydrate Binding Module of TrCel7A Aids in Navigating the Complexity of Plant Cell Walls

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-09-18

  preprintSenior author

  Abstract Efficient enzymatic deconstruction of plant cell walls is critical for utilization of lignocellulose biomass. Key enzymes in this process are cellobiohydrolases, a class of cellulases that processively degrade crystalline cellulose. Many cellobiohydrolases possess a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM), yet the importance of CBMs in substrate interaction remains unclear. Here, we use single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to investigate how CBM1 of Trichoderma reesei Cel7A influences enzyme binding and motility on cellulose substrates of varying complexity. We compare wild-type Cel7A with a truncated variant lacking CBM1 (Cel7A ΔCBM ) on bacterial cellulose (BC), phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC), delignified milkweed cellulose (MWC), and holocellulose nanofibrils (hCNF). While both variants showed similar steady-state binding densities on BC and PASC, Cel7A ΔCBM exhibited reduced binding on MWC and hCNF, with the greatest reduction on the hemicellulose-rich hCNF. Alkali removal of hemicellulose partially restored Cel7A ΔCBM binding, suggesting a role for CBM1 in substrate navigation and productive binding sites recognition. Kinetic analyses revealed that CBM1 enables a rapid binding mode absent in the truncated variant. Comparisons with isolated CBM3 further showed that CBMs are capable of fast substrate association. These findings demonstrate that CBMs enhance cellulase-substrate interactions by accelerating binding, enabling navigation of the complex environment of plant cell walls. Our results emphasize the importance of CBMs in natural cellobiohydrolase function and highlight their value in the design of improved cellulases for industrial biomass conversion.

  PublisherDOI

• Mechanical constraint causes lower turgor, thicker walls, and faster growth in Arabidopsis root hairs

  PLANT PHYSIOLOGY · 2025-11-29

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Root hairs absorb water and mineral nutrients while anchoring growing root tips. They must navigate through soils of varying mechanical properties. Mechanical changes in their microenvironment affect root hair shape and growth rate, but what underlies these responses has remained elusive. To uncover these mechanisms, we grew seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) in media with increasing mechanical stiffness. Col-0 seedlings showed both shorter and fewer root hairs with increasing mechanical resistance. We used incipient plasmolysis to estimate turgor pressure in trichoblasts and found that it also decreased with increasing media stiffness. Because cellulose is the major load-bearing polymer in the cell wall and influences cell expansion, we quantified cellulose orientation in root hairs. We found that cellulose fibrils were oriented at steeper angles relative to the growth axis in root hairs grown in stiffer media, suggesting a response to mechanical stress. Cell wall thickness also increased with increasing media stiffness. Microtubule orientations followed patterns that were similar to those of cellulose fibrils, but at a smaller angle relative to the growth axis, whereas microtubule density decreased with increasing media stiffness. Unexpectedly, we observed that root hairs grew faster in stiffer media, implying that their growth is misregulated, potentially triggering wall integrity signaling that causes early growth arrest. Finite element modeling of root hairs predicted decreased surface stress, explaining these growth phenotypes. These findings help establish mechanistic links among mechanotransduction, cytoskeletal dynamics, and cell wall assembly during root hair growth.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• MRI: Acquisition of a Nikon SIM & STORM capable super-resolution fluorescent microscope as a shared instrument for the Penn State research community

  NSF · $649k · 2016–2019

• Integrated Molecular, Dynamic Imaging, and Modeling Analysis of Stomatal Guard Cell Walls

  NSF · $832k · 2016–2021

• Collaborative Research: Integrated Analysis of the Cell Biological, Biomechanical, and Physiological Dynamics of Stomatal Guard Cells in Plants

  NSF · $878k · 2020–2025

Frequent coauthors

• Boris Vauzeilles

  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

  15 shared

• William O. Hancock

  Pennsylvania State University

  15 shared

• Chris Somerville

  University of California, Berkeley

  15 shared

• Chaowen Xiao

  Sichuan University

  15 shared

• William J. Barnes

  Pennsylvania State University

  14 shared

• Zachary K. Haviland

  Pennsylvania State University

  13 shared

• Ming Tien

  Pennsylvania State University

  13 shared

• Daguan Nong

  Pennsylvania State University

  13 shared

Labs

• Charles Anderson LabPI

Education

• PhD, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences

  Stanford University

  2008

• Bachelor of Science, Biology

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  2002

Awards & honors

• Institute of Energy and the Environment Fellows (2024)