2026 Michael J. Axtell: Genetics Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Genetics	44	4238	3998	1827	1712	83	19051

Overview

Michael J. Axtell is affiliated with Pennsylvania State University in the United States. Their research predominantly spans the fields of Agricultural and Biological Sciences as well as Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology, with a particular focus on Plant Science and Molecular Biology subfields.

The scientist's work addresses several core topics including:

Plant Molecular Biology Research
Plant Virus Research Studies
Plant Parasitism and Resistance
Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
Nematode management and characterization studies

Axtell has contributed to multiple scientific papers across notable publication venues. Frequent venues include bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), The Plant Cell, Nature Communications, Genome Research, and PLANT PHYSIOLOGY.

Recent publications include:

Integrated annotations and analyses of small RNA-producing loci from 47 diverse plants, 2020, Genome Research
MSH1-induced heritable enhanced growth vigor through grafting is associated with the RdDM pathway in plants, 2020, Nature Communications
Segregation of an MSH1 RNAi transgene produces heritable non-genetic memory in association with methylome reprogramming, 2020, Nature Communications
Mechanisms of resistance and virulence in parasitic plant-host interactions, 2020, PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
Quality control and evaluation of plant epigenomics data, 2021, The Plant Cell

Frequent coauthors in Axtell's work include Blake C. Meyers, Alice Lunardon, Nathan Johnson, Allison Vanek, and Hardik Kundariya.

Best Publications

Angiosperm phylogeny inferred from 18S rDNA, rbcL, and atpB sequences

Douglas E. Soltis;Pamela S. Soltis;Mark W. Chase;Mark E. Mort

1698
Citations
Criteria for Annotation of Plant MicroRNAs

Blake C. Meyers;Michael J. Axtell;Bonnie Bartel;David P. Bartel

1323
Citations
Large-Scale Sequencing Reveals 21U-RNAs and Additional MicroRNAs and Endogenous siRNAs in C. elegans

J. Graham Ruby;Calvin Jan;Christopher Player;Michael J. Axtell

1156
Citations
Initiation of RPS2-Specified Disease Resistance in Arabidopsis Is Coupled to the AvrRpt2-Directed Elimination of RIN4

Michael J. Axtell;Brian J. Staskawicz

1028
Citations
Classification and Comparison of Small RNAs from Plants

Michael J. Axtell

965
Citations
The Selaginella genome identifies genetic changes associated with the evolution of vascular plants.

Jo Ann Banks;Tomoaki Nishiyama;Mitsuyasu Hasebe;Mitsuyasu Hasebe;John L. Bowman;John L. Bowman

954
Citations
The genome of Theobroma cacao

Xavier Argout;Jerome Salse;Jean-Marc Aury;Jean-Marc Aury;Jean-Marc Aury;Mark J Guiltinan

873
Citations
Endogenous siRNA and miRNA Targets Identified by Sequencing of the Arabidopsis Degradome

Charles Addo-Quaye;Tifani W. Eshoo;David P. Bartel;Michael J. Axtell

837
Citations
A Two-Hit Trigger for siRNA Biogenesis in Plants

Michael J. Axtell;Calvin Jan;Ramya Rajagopalan;David P. Bartel

747
Citations
Antiquity of MicroRNAs and Their Targets in Land Plants

Michael J. Axtell;David P. Bartel

726
Citations
CleaveLand: a pipeline for using degradome data to find cleaved small RNA targets

Charles Addo-Quaye;Webb Miller;Michael J. Axtell

629
Citations
Vive la différence: biogenesis and evolution of microRNAs in plants and animals.

Michael J Axtell;Jakub O Westholm;Eric C Lai

568
Citations
Common functions for diverse small RNAs of land plants.

Michael J. Axtell;Jo Ann Snyder;David P. Bartel;David P. Bartel

525
Citations
Evolution of plant microRNAs and their targets

Michael Axtell;John Lincoln Bowman;John Lincoln Bowman

509
Citations
ShortStack: Comprehensive annotation and quantification of small RNA genes

Michael J. Axtell

440
Citations
Transcriptome-wide identification of microRNA targets in rice

Yong Fang Li;Yun Zheng;Charles Addo-Quaye;Li Zhang

420
Citations
Revisiting Criteria for Plant MicroRNA Annotation in the Era of Big Data.

Michael J Axtell;Blake C Meyers;Blake C Meyers

419
Citations
MicroRNAs from the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris target host messenger RNAs.

Saima Shahid;Gunjune Kim;Nathan R. Johnson;Eric Wafula

375
Citations
The helicase domain of the TMV replicase proteins induces the N-mediated defence response in tobacco.

F. Les Erickson;F. Les Erickson;Steve Holzberg;Alejandro Calderon-Urrea;Alejandro Calderon-Urrea;Vanessa Handley;Vanessa Handley

293
Citations
Genetic and molecular evidence that the Pseudomonas syringae type III effector protein AvrRpt2 is a cysteine protease.

Michael J. Axtell;Stephen T. Chisholm;Douglas Dahlbeck;Brian J. Staskawicz

282
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

David P. Bartel MIT

Blake C. Meyers University of California, Davis

Claude W. dePamphilis Pennsylvania State University

Jean-Marc Aury University of Paris-Saclay

Julie Poulain French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

John L. Bowman Monash University

Patrick Wincker University of Paris-Saclay

Brian J. Staskawicz University of California, Berkeley

Angélique D'Hont University of Montpellier

Rod A. Wing University of Arizona

External Links

Personal website of Michael J. Axtell

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