School of Biosciences
Plant and Crop Sciences Division
News and Events
From the Editor..
A warm welcome to a new cohort of
Masters and PhD students who joined
the Division this Autumn, along with
30 undergraduate project students.
Here’s hoping you all have a good time
with us and are successful scientifically
as well!
Kevin
Natalie Chapman and Andy had a baby boy on
27th September weighing 5 lbs 12. oz and
called George Edwin Bottley. Well done all!!
.
A beautiful picture of Sutton Bonington campus from the air taken by Mike Beard
SOME RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM
PLANT AND CROP SCIENCES STAFF
(in no particular order)
Sjögersten S, Black CR, Evers S, HoyosSantillan J, Wright EL and Turner BL
(2014). Tropical wetlands: a missing link in
the global carbon cycle? Global
Biochemical Cycles (doi
10.1002/2014GB004844).
Hodgetts, J; Johnson, G; Perkins, K; OstojaStarzewska, S; Boonham, N; Mumford, R;
Dickinson, M (2014) The development of
monoclonal antibodies to the Seca protein of
Cape St. Paul wilt disease phytoplasma and
their evaluation as a diagnostic tool.
Molecular Biotechnology 56:803-813.
Murphy, E; De Smet, I (2014)
Understanding the RALF family: a tale of
many species. Trends in Plant Science19,
664-671
Ajigboye, OO; Murchie, E; Ray, RV (2014)
Foliar application of isopyrazam and
epoxiconazole improves photosystem II
efficiency, biomass and yield in winter
wheat. Pesticide Biochemistry and
Physiology 114,52-60.
Stephenson C and Black CR (2014).
One step forward, two steps back; the
evolution of phytoremediation into
commercial technologies. Bioscience
Horizons 7,10.1093/biohorizons/hzu00.9
Chloe Stephenson was an
undergraduate project student with Colin
Black in his last year, who ahs had here
project review published in the Journal
for Undergraduate research – Bioscience
Horizons.
Calcium uptake transporters
characterised in Arabidopsis as recently
published by
Graham, NS; Hammond, JP; Lysenko,
A; Mayes, S; Lochlainn, SO; Blasco, B;
Bowen, HC; Rawlings, CJ; Rios, JJ;
Welham, S; Carion, PWC; Dupuy, LX;
King, GJ; White, PJ; Broadley, MR
(2014) Genetical and comparative
genomics of Brassica under altered Ca
supply identifies Arabidopsis Catransporter orthologs. Plant Cell
26:2818-2830.
OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE HOUNSFIELD FACILITY,
SUTTON BONINGTON CAMPUS
The Hounsfield facility,
uses some of the most advanced X-ray
micro Computed Tomography (CT)
scanners to learn how to design plant
roots so they can interact better with
soil and capture water and nutrients
more efficiently. This non-invasive
technology will help Nottingham unearth
some of the answers to one of the
biggest challenges facing the world
today — global food security. The
facility is named after Sir Godfrey
Hounsfield, the electrical engineer from
Newark in Nottinghamshire, who shared
the 1979 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his
part in developing the diagnostic
technique of X-ray Computed
Tomography (CT). Find out more about
the Hounsfield facility at
www.nottingham.ac.uk/microct/aboutus/index.aspx
Professor Jackie Hunter, Chief Executive of BBSRC officially opens the building
Professor Jerry Roberts presents a gift to Linda Hounsfield, Sir Godfrey
Hounsfield’s niece.
From left: Tony Pridmore, Jackie Hunter, Sacha Mooney, Linda Hounsfield,
Malcolm Bennett
Neil Crout (Head of Biosciences) and Malcolm Bennett explain the history of
Hounsfield
Darren Wells demonstrates the delightful LEGO model of the Hounsfield
facility
Saoirse Tracy explains to the visitors how CT scanning of roots can be used
The Hounsfield mafia (from left): Craig Sturrock, Malcolm Bennett, Sacha
Mooney, Tony Pridmore, Darren Wells
NEW MASTERS STUDENTS
PLANT GENETIC MANIPULATION
Omar Arwag
Berhan Dimelik
Chen Liu
Laura Castillo Oyervides
Thu Xuan Dao
Halil Findik
Salem Hama Rashed
Ruuimbo (Faith) Chikukwa
Rosemary Norton
NEW MASTERS STUDENTS
PLANT GENETIC MANIPULATION
Ufuk Tozlu
Alsaffar, Nora Saeed
Wenyu (Winny) Yun
Jaquelynn Mateluna
Mana Afsharinafar
NEW MASTERS STUDENTS
CROP IMPROVEMENT
Brian Ó Loinsigh
Olutomisin Adedeji
Mohammad Ahmad Razi
Matthew Heatley
Mohd Haziq Kahar
Charlotte Grant
NEW MASTERS STUDENTS
CROP IMPROVEMENT AND ENTREPENEURSHIP
Carlos Enrique Balmaceda Cuenca
NEW PhD STUDENTS IN THE PLANT AND CROP SCIENCES DIVISION
Rita Sarah Borna is a Commonwealth scholar from
Bangladesh. She will study the function of the F-box genes
HAWAIIAN SKIRT (HWS) and its rice orthologs during plant
development. Supervisors Zinnia Gonzalez and Jerry Roberts.
Lauren Baker is a new PhD student with Ian and Julie
King who graduated in Plant Sciences here last this
summer. Lauren is transferring chromosomal segments of
Thinopyrum elongatum. Ultimately all the lines produced
will be phenotyped world wide for key agronomic traits.
Alison Fraser’s PhD is entitled, "Improving nitrogen-use efficiency
in oilseed rape (Brassica napus)”. The aim of which is to develop
and test a field-based physiological model of N-uptake and
utilisation in oilseed rape. This model will be used to identify novel
traits for use in breeding strategies to improve N-use efficiency and
inform the optimal use of N fertilisers. The studentship is a joint
project between the University of Nottingham, ADAS, and the
James Hutton Institute; Alison will be co-supervised by John
Foulkes, Neil Graham, Dr Pete Berry (ADAS) and Philip White
(James Hutton Institute).
Jack Heath is a new PhD student with Julie and Ian King and
will be carrying out work to transferring Rye chromosome
segments into wheat. Ultimately all the lines they produce will
be phenotyped world wide for key agronomic traits.
Duoduo Wang graduated from the University of Chinese
Academy of Sciences and majored in Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology. Her PhD project is modulation of tomato
fruit texture by silencing multiple cell wall structure-related
genes. Supervisors Graham Seymour and Rupert Fray
John Vaughan-Hirsch is interested in the molecular networks
underlying developmental processes. He is working on cytokinin
signalling components in rice and examining how they determine
root vascular. John Is a University of Nottingham DTP student
supervised by Malcolm Bennett and Anthony Bishopp.
Jekaterina Truskina is a joint PhD student between the
University of Nottingham and the ENS de Lyon. She is
identifying components upstream of auxin signalling that
regulate development in the shoot and root apical meristems.
Supervisor Anthony Bishopp.
Tamara Fitters is working on the response of water stress in sugar
beet roots, to find a management strategy which can reduce the water
stress. increase sugar beet yield. I am originally from the Netherlands
were I studied Biology and during my Mastesr I studied root
architecture of maize plants in response to drought and nitrogen
placement in different soil layers. Since I really like working with crops,
especially in close relation with farmers I think I will have a good time
here and in the best outcome would be to find something useful that
can help the farmers increase their yield! Debbie Sparkes and Mark
Stevens (British Beet Research Organisation).
Alistair Wright graduated here in Agricultural and Crop Science this
summer and is investigating the interactions between beet cyst
nematode (BCN), sugar beet and various Brassica species. The aim of
the project is to see how the knowledge about the interactions can be
used to limit the yield losses caused by BCN. Originally coming from a
sugar beet growing family in Norfolk who farm land infested with BCN,
the project is of great personal interest and hopefully will have some
useful results! Supervisors Debbie Sparkes and Marks Stevens
(British Beet Research Organisation).
Zhang Mi is working on mRNA methylation "Investigating the role
of mRNA methylation in regulating plant growth, development and
environmental responses” She is here with Scholarships from
Nottingham University and a Research Excellence Scholarship
from China. She has a Masters degree from Beijing Forestry
University and an undergraduate degree from Northwest A&F
University, Shaanxi. Supervisors Rupert Fray and Graham
Seymour,
Ruth Dennis is a Nottingham DTP student who is working
on anther dehiscence and genes involved in water flux and
osmotic balance, primarily in Arabidopsis. Supervisors Zoe
Wilson and John King (Mathematical Sciences)
Thomas Alcock is working on a PhD project to identify genes
involved in nutrient uptake distribution in plants and is working as
part of a larger group that is screening over 400 cultivars of
oilseed rape for nutrient content and early root architectural traits.
With the help of recently developed genetic techniques including
association mapping, he plans to identify key genes involved in
the control of these traits. With this new information, mutants in
these genes will be generated, which will subsequently be grown
and phenotyped, in the hopes of finding new cultivars that are
beneficial to agriculture. Supervisors Neil Graham and Martin
Broadley
Amira Hassan is from Egypt and did an MSc in Japan
in 2010. Prior to coming to Nottingham she was working
at the Central Lab of Organic Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Center, Giza, Egypt. Her PhD project is to
investigate the effects of abiotic stress, in particular
water stress, on pollen development. She is funded by
the Islamic Development Bank. Supervisor Zoe Wilson.
Fahmi Yunus is from Malaysia, prior to coming to
Nottingham he was working as a Research Assistant at the
Malaysian Agricultural Research & Development Institute,
Serdang. His PhD project involves altering male fertility by
manipulating proteases involved in pollen development.
Supervisor Zoe Wilson
George Janes is a DTP student working with Ian Kerr (Life
Sciences), Tony Bishopp and Leah Band. He graduated with an
MRes in Global Food Security from Sutton Bonington last year.
He is working on a project entitled “'To characterise ABCB1,
ABCB19, ABCB4 and ABCB21 in regard to their auxin transport
activity and role in root growth and development in Arabidopsis
thaliana’.
Fryni Drizou is from Wageningen University and Research
Centre where she has obtained Master of Plant Sciences,
specialization in Plant Pathology and Entomology. Her project will
focus on elucidating the epidemiology of Rhizoctonia solani in
oilseed rape under the supervision of Rumiana Ray, Neil Graham
and Toby Bruce (RRES) and aims to develop new integrative
strategies for disease control through improved understanding of
host-pathogen interactions and the identification of resistance or/
and tolerance traits and novel loci for resistance against R. solani
that can be used in oilseed rape breeding programmes.
Emily Roberts is on the DTP programme and is working on a project with Fera, York,
looking at developing in-field biosensors linked to spore traps to identify airborne spores
in agricultural systems. She will be based largely up at Fera during her PhD.
(supervisors Matt Dickinson and Fera)
NEW MRes STUDENTS IN THE PLANT AND CROP SCIENCES
DIVISION
Stuart Bagley was a student on the Applied Biology degree last
year, who is now on an AHDB-funded MRes project, co-supervised
by Tim O'Neill at ADAS, working on assaying the microorganisms
present in irrigation water in glasshouse grown tomatoes.
A PLANT SCIENCES GATHERING
In early October there as a social gathering in the foyer for all new PhD students,
masters students and undergraduate students associated with the Division and doing
undergraduate or postgraduate degrees in Plant Sciences. There are five new
undergraduate Plant Science students, 20 Masters students on the PGM, CI and CI/
entrepreneurship Masters courses and 18 new Postgraduate students
Some of the new cohort of PhD students in the Plant and Crop Sciences Division
A collection of new and older undergraduate students studying Plant Science
MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING
Friday 26th September in the Plant Sciences Foyer, the girls from the Office along
with Nicky Leftley from CPIB organised a Coffee Morning for Macmillan Cancer.
Thanks to everyone who came along and supported the event we raised £326.69.
Winners of the two little games which we ran were Becky Cameron (Student
Experience and Support Officer) who guessed which cup of coffee had the double
shot of coffee in, and Mike Pound whose guess was the nearest in 'how many
100's and 1000's are on top of the cake'. Just a bit of fun which added a bit more
money to the pot.
Many many thanks to everyone.
This Newsletter was edited entirely by Kevin Pyke, so any mistakes are Kevin’s fault. It is
available online on the Plant and Crop Sciences web page at www.nottingham.ac.uk/
biosciences/subject-areas/plantcrop/index.aspx
Contributions for the next issue by December 16th 2014 to be published December 17th
2014.