Professor Jim Murray
Professor
School of Biosciences
- MurrayJA1@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 29208 76676
- Sir Martin Evans Building, Room Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Overview
I graduated in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in 1983 as a member of King's College. I was then awarded a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship and studied for my Ph.D. at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany in collaboration with the National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London under Professor Gianni Cesareni [http://mint.bio.uniroma2.it/molecular-genetics/ , analysing the molecular mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of the yeast 2 micron circle plasmid (1983-1987).
In 1988, I was appointed to a University Lectureship in Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, and was promoted to Reader in Biotechnology in 2001 and to a Personal Chair as Professor of Molecular Biotechnology in 2004, leading an active research group of around 15 postdocs and postgraduate students. Over 20 PhD students have successfully graduated from my lab since 1993, almost all completing with 4 years, and 40 postdoctoral researchers have worked with me. Many now occupy prestigious positions across the globe as researchers and leaders in academia and industry.
Research overview
The group has two major research interests in plant cellular development and molecular biotechnology.
Plant cellular development seeks to understand how processes operating at the level of the cell are integrated with plant development. Plants grow continuously and are responsive to the environment, so cell division and cellular differentiation are closely integrated in growth processes. We focus in particular on understanding how cell division is controlled in plants, how it responds to the environment, and how it is co-ordinated with differentiation to build complex and highly organised structures. We study cell division both during development and in cell cultures applying a range of genetic, cell biological, imaging, transgenic and systems biology approaches in a range of developmental situations.
Molecular biotechnology is the study and application of molecular approaches to practical problems. The lab has a longstanding interest in two areas- the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which plasmids are maintained in yeast, and the applications of bioluminescence to diagnostic systems, in particular a new technology known as BART (Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time) which can detect nucleic acid amplification as it takes place in portable devices.
Publication
2023
- Nan, X. et al. 2023. VarLOCK: sequencing-independent, rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern for point-of-care testing, qPCR pipelines and national wastewater surveillance. Scientific Reports 13(1), article number: 20832. (10.1038/s41598-023-47289-0)
- Williamson, D., Tasker-Brown, W., Murray, J. A. H., Jones, A. and Band, L. R. 2023. Modelling how plant cell-cycle progression leads to cell size regulation. PLoS Computational Biology (10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011503)
2022
- Nan, X. et al. 2022. VarLOCK - sequencing independent, rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern for point-of-care testing, qPCR pipelines and national wastewater surveillance. [Online]. medRxix: (10.1101/2022.01.06.21268555) Available at: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.06.21268555v1
- Jathoul, A. P., Branchini, B. R., Anderson, J. C. and Murray, J. A. H. 2022. A higher spectral range of beetle bioluminescence with infraluciferin. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 10, article number: 897272. (10.3389/fbioe.2022.897272)
2021
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2021. Discovery of the pseudomonas polyyne protegencin by a phylogeny-guided study of polyyne biosynthetic gene cluster diversity. mBio 12(4), pp. e00715-21. (10.1128/mBio.00715-21)
2020
- Parry, G. et al. 2020. How to build an effective research network: lessons from two decades of the GARNet plant science community. Journal of Experimental Botany 71(22), pp. 6881-6889. (10.1093/jxb/eraa397)
- Hardinge, P., Baxani, D. K., McCloy, T., Murray, J. A. H. and Castell, O. K. 2020. Bioluminescent detection of isothermal DNA amplification in microfluidic generated droplets and artificial cells. Scientific Reports 10(1), article number: 21886. (10.1038/s41598-020-78996-7)
- Rojas, O., Forero, M. G., Menendez, J. M., Jones, A., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2020. Segmentation of meristem cells by an automated opinion algorithm. Journal of Applied Sciences 10(23), article number: 8523. (10.39390/app10238523)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2020. Genomic assemblies of members of Burkholderia and related genera as a resource for natural product discovery. Microbiology Resource Announcements 9, article number: e00485-20. (10.1128/MRA.00485-20)
- Hardinge, P. and Murray, J. A. H. 2020. Full dynamic range quantification using loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) by combining analysis of amplification timing and variance between replicates at low copy number. Scientific Reports 10, article number: 916. (10.1038/s41598-020-57473-1)
2019
- Jones, A. R., Band, L. R. and Murray, J. A. H. 2019. Double or nothing? Cell division and cell size control. Trends in Plant Science 24(12), pp. 1083-1093. (10.1016/j.tplants.2019.09.005)
- Hardinge, P. and Murray, J. A. H. 2019. Lack of specificity associated with using molecular beacons in loop mediated amplification assays. BMC Biotechnology 19, article number: 55. (10.1186/s12896-019-0549-z)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2019. Genome mining identifies cepacin as a plant-protective metabolite of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. Nature Microbiology 4, pp. 996-1005. (10.1038/s41564-019-0383-z)
- Hardinge, P. and Murray, J. A. H. 2019. Reduced false positives and improved reporting of loop-mediated isothermal amplification using quenched fluorescent primers. Scientific Reports 9, article number: 7400. (10.1038/s41598-019-43817-z)
2018
- Hardinge, P., Kiddle, G., Tisi, L. and Murray, J. A. H. 2018. Optimised LAMP allows single copy detection of 35Sp and NOSt in transgenic maize using Bioluminescent Assay in Real Time (BART). Scientific Reports 8, article number: 17590. (10.1038/s41598-018-36207-4)
- Scofield, S. et al. 2018. Coordination of meristem and boundary functions by transcription factors in the SHOOT MERISTEMLESS regulatory network. Development 145(9), article number: dev157081. (10.1242/dev.157081)
- Halliwell, L. M., Jathoul, A. P., Bate, J. P., Worthy, H. L., Anderson, J. C., Jones, D. D. and Murray, J. A. H. 2018. ΔFlucs: brighter photinus pyralis firefly luciferases identified by surveying consecutive single amino acid deletion mutations in a thermostable variant. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 115(1), pp. 50-59. (10.1002/bit.26451)
2017
- Joanna, F. et al. 2017. The next generation of training for arabidopsis researchers: Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology. Plant Physiology 175, pp. 1499-1509. (10.1104/pp.17.01490)
- Pass, D. A., Sornay, E., Marchbank, A., Crawford, M. R., Paszkiewicz, K., Kent, N. A. and Murray, J. A. H. 2017. Genome-wide chromatin mapping with size resolution reveals a dynamic sub-nucleosomal landscape in Arabidopsis. PLoS Genetics 13(9), article number: e1006988. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1006988)
- Jones, A. R., Forero-Vargas, M., Withers, S. P., Smith, R. S., Traas, J., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2017. Cell-size dependent progression of the cell cycle creates homeostasis and flexibility of plant cell size. Nature Communications 8, article number: 15060. (10.1038/ncomms15060)
2016
- Anderson, J. C., Grounds, H., Jathoul, A., Murray, J. A. H., Pacman, S. J. and Tisi, L. 2016. Convergent synthesis and optical properties of near-infrared emitting bioluminescent infra-luciferins. RSC Advances 7(7), pp. 3975-3982. (10.1039/C6RA19541E)
- Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2016. Seed size plasticity in response to embryonic lethality conferred by ectopic CYD activation is dependent on plant architecture. Plant Signaling & Behaviour 11(7), article number: e1192741. (10.1080/15592324.2016.1192741)
- Nieuwland, J., Stamm, P., Wen, B., Randall, R. S., Murray, J. A. H. and Bassel, G. W. 2016. Re-induction of the cell cycle in the Arabidopsis post-embryonic root meristem is ABA-insensitive, GA-dependent and repressed by KRP6. Scientific Reports 6, article number: 23586. (10.1038/srep23586)
2015
- Sornay, E., Forzani, C., Forero-Vargas, M., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. Activation of CYCD7;1 in the central cell and early endosperm overcomes cell-cycle arrest in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte, and promotes early endosperm and embryo development. Plant Journal 84(1), pp. 41-55. (10.1111/tpj.12957)
- Randall, R. et al. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 regulate root secondary growth and respond to cytokinins. Biology Open 4, pp. 1229-1236. (10.1242/bio.013128)
- Patron, N. J. et al. 2015. Standards for plant synthetic biology: a common syntax for exchange of DNA parts. New Phytologist 208(1), pp. 13-19. (10.1111/nph.13532)
- Randall, R., Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 independently contribute to petal size control in Arabidopsis: evidence for organ size compensation being an emergent rather than a determined property. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(13), pp. 3991-4000. (10.1093/jxb/erv200)
- Galletti, R., Johnson, K. L., Scofield, S., San-Bento, R., Watt, A. M., Murray, J. A. H. and Ingram, G. C. 2015. DEFECTIVE KERNEL 1 promotes and maintains plant epidermal differentiation. Development 142(11), pp. 1978-1983. (10.1242/dev.122325)
2014
- Forzani, C., Aichinger, E., Sornay, E., Willemsen, V., Laux, T., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. WOX5 suppresses CYCLIN D activity to establish quiescence at the center of the root stem cell niche. Current Biology 24(16), pp. 1939-1944. (10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.019)
- Scofield, S., Jones, A. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. The plant cell cycle in context. Journal of Experimental Botany 65(10), pp. 2557-2562. (10.1093/jxb/eru188)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. STM sustains stem cell function in the Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem and controls KNOX gene expression independently of the transcriptional repressor AS1. Plant Signaling and Behavior 9(6), article number: e28934. (10.4161/psb.28934)
2013
- Patzewitz, E. et al. 2013. Glutathione transport: A new role for PfCRT in chloroquine resistance. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling 19(7), pp. 683-695. (10.1089/ars.2012.4625)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W., Nieuwland, J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2013. The Arabidopsis homeobox gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS has cellular and meristem-organisational roles with differential requirements for cytokinin and CYCD3 activity. The Plant Journal 75(1), pp. 53-66. (10.1111/tpj.12198)
- Wen, B., Nieuwland, J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2013. The Arabidopsis CDK inhibitor ICK3/KRP5 is rate limiting for primary root growth and promotes growth through cell elongation and endoreduplication. Journal of Experimental Botany 64(4), pp. 1-13. (10.1093/jxb/ert009)
2012
- Nieuwland, J., Sornay, E., Marchbank, A. M., De Graaf, B. H. J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2012. Phytotracker, an information management system for easy recording and tracking of plants, seeds and plasmids. Plant Methods 8, article number: 43. (10.1186/1746-4811-8-43)
- Cruz-Ramirez, A. et al. 2012. A bistable circuit involving SCARECROW-RETINOBLASTOMA integrates cues to inform asymmetric stem cell division. Cell 150(5), pp. 1002-1015. (10.1016/j.cell.2012.07.017)
- Collins, C., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2012. D-type cyclins control cell division and developmental rate during Arabidopsis seed development. Journal of Experimental Botany 63(10), pp. 3571-3586. (10.1093/jxb/ers015)
- Kiddle, G. et al. 2012. GMO detection using a bioluminescent real time reporter (BART) of loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) suitable for field use. BMC Biotechnology 12, article number: 15. (10.1186/1472-6750-12-15)
- Murray, J. A. H., Jones, A. R., Godin, C. and Traas, J. 2012. Systems analysis of shoot apical meristem growth and development: integrating hormonal and mechanical signaling. The Plant Cell 24(10), pp. 3907-3919. (10.1105/tpc.112.102194)
2011
- Sanz, L. et al. 2011. The Arabidopsis D-type cyclin CYCD2;1 and the inhibitor ICK2/KRP2 modulate auxin-induced lateral root formation. The Plant Cell 23(2), pp. 641-660. (10.1105/tpc.110.080002)
- Gandelman, O. A., Kiddle, G., McElgunn, C., Rizzoli, M., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2011. BART: Smart biochemistry, bright bioluminescence, low cost hardware. Presented at: 15th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence- Light Emission: Biology and Scientific Applications, Shanghai, China, 13-17 May 2008 Presented at Shen, X. et al. eds.Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence- Light Emission: Biology and Scientific Applications, Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium, Shanghai, P R China, 13 – 17 May 2008. New Jersey: World Scientific Publishing pp. 93-96., (10.1142/9789812839589_0021)
- Quelhas, P., Nieuwland, J., Dewitte, W., Mendonça, A. M., Murray, J. A. H. and Campilho, A. 2011. Arabidopsis Thaliana automatic cell file detection and cell length estimation. Lecture Notes on Computer Science 6754, pp. 1-11. (10.1007/978-3-642-21596-4_1)
2010
- Umbrasaite, J. et al. 2010. MAPK phosphatase AP2C3 induces ectopic proliferation of epidermal cells leading to stomata development in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE 5(12), article number: e15357. (10.1371/journal.pone.0015357)
- Gandelman, O. et al. 2010. Novel bioluminescent quantitative detection of nucleic acid amplification in real-time. PLoS ONE 5(11), article number: e14155. (10.1371/journal.pone.0014155)
- Xie, Z. et al. 2010. Regulation of cell proliferation in the stomatal lineage by the Arabidopsis MYB FOUR LIPS via direct targeting of core cell cycle genes. The Plant Cell 22(7), pp. 2306-2321. (10.1105/tpc.110.074609)
- Lee, T. et al. 2010. Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 4 replicates in two phases that correlate with chromatin state. PLoS Genetics 6(6), article number: e1000982. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1000982)
- Maughan, S. C. et al. 2010. Plant homologs of the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistance transporter, PfCRT, are required for glutathione homeostasis and stress responses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107(5), pp. 2331-2336. (10.1073/pnas.0913689107)
- Sozzani, R. et al. 2010. Spatiotemporal regulation of cell-cycle genes by SHORTROOT links patterning and growth. Nature 466(7302), pp. 128-132. (10.1038/nature09143)
2009
- Nieuwland, J., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S., Sanz, L. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. The D-type cyclin CYCD4;1 modulates lateral root density in Arabidopsis by affecting the basal meristem region. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106(52), pp. 22528-22533. (10.1073/pnas.0906354106)
- Menges, M. et al. 2009. Comprehensive gene expression atlas for the Arabidopsis MAP kinase signalling pathways. New Phytologist 179(3), pp. 643-662. (10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02552.x)
- Nieuwland, J., Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. Control of division and differentiation of plant stem cells and their derivatives. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 20(9), pp. 1134-1142. (10.1016/j.semcdb.2009.09.011)
- Tromas, A. et al. 2009. The AUXIN BINDING PROTEIN 1 is required for differential auxin responses mediating root growth. PLoS ONE 4(9), article number: e6648. (10.1371/journal.pone.0006648)
- De Jager, S. M., Scofield, S., Huntley, R. P., Robinson, A. S., Den Boerr, B. G. W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. Dissecting regulatory pathways of G1/S control in Arabidopsis: common and distinct targets of CYCD3;1 E2Fa and E2Fc. Plant Molecular Biology 71(4-5), pp. 345-365. (10.1007/s11103-009-9527-5)
- Gandelman, O. A., Kiddle, G., McElgunn, C. J., Rizzoli, M., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2009. BART applications in medical and food diagnostics. Presented at: International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence, Shanghai, China, 13 – 17 May 2008 Presented at Shen, X. et al. eds.Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence : light emission : biology and scientific applications. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific Publishing pp. 97-100., (10.1142/9789812839589_0022)
2008
- Sanz, L., Dewitte, W., Law, E. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. Stem cell maintenance and reactivation in lateral root initiation [Abstract]. FEBS Journal 275(S1), pp. 429. (10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06448.x)
- Paponov, I. A., Paponov, M., Teale, W. ., Menges, M. ., Chakrabortee, S., Murray, J. A. H. and Palme, K. 2008. Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of auxin responses in Arabidopsis. Molecular Plant 1(2), pp. 321-337. (10.1093/mp/ssm021)
- Lopez-Juez, E. et al. 2008. Distinct light-mediated gene expression and cell cycle programs in the shoot apex and cotyledons. Plant Cell 20(4), pp. 947-68. (10.1105/tpc.107.057075)
- Ren, H., Santner, A., Pozo, J. C. ., Murray, J. A. H. and Estelle, M. 2008. Degradation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor KRP1 is regulated by two different ubiquitin E3 ligases. Plant Journal 53(5), pp. 705-716. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03370.x)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. A model for Arabidopsis class-1 KNOX gene function. Plant Signaling and Behavior 3(4), pp. 257-259. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
- Menges, M. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. Plant D-type cyclins: structure,roles and function. In: Bryant, J. A. and Francis, D. eds. The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle. Experimental Biology Reviews Vol. 59. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-28.
2007
- Gandelman, O. A., Church, V. L., Moore, C. A., Carne, C., Jalal, H., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2007. BART - Bioluminescent Alternative To real-time PCR. Presented at: 14th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence : chemistry, biology and applications, San Diego, USA, 15-19 October 2006 Presented at Szalay, A. A. et al. eds.Proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence : chemistry, biology and applications, San Diego USA 15-19 October 2006. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific pp. 95-98.
- Jathoul, A., Gandelman, O. A., Law, G. H. E., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2007. Designing enhanced thermostable luciferase for proteolytic assay. In: Szalay, A. A. et al. eds. Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence: Chemistry, Biology and Applications. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific, pp. 107-110., (10.1142/9789812770196_0026)
- Dewitte, W. et al. 2007. Arabidopsis CYCD3 D-type cyclins link cell proliferation and endocycles and are rate-limiting for cytokinin responses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(36), pp. 14537-14542. (10.1073/pnas.0704166104)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2007. The KNOX gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS is required for the development of reproductive meristematic tissues in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal 50(5), pp. 767-781. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
2006
- Gandelman, O., Church, V. L., Moore, C., Carne, C., Jalal, H., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2006. Bioluminescent alternative to real-time PCR (BART) [abstract]. Luminescence -Chichester- 21(5), pp. 276-277.
- Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2006. KNOX gene function in plant stem cell niches. Plant Molecular Biology 60(6), pp. 929-946. (10.1007/s11103-005-4478-y)
- Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2006. The evolving concept of the Meristem. Plant Molecular Biology 60(6), pp. V-VII. (10.1007/s11103-006-0061-4)
2005
- Masubelele, N. H. et al. 2005. D-type cyclins activate division in the root apex to promote seed germination in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 102(43), pp. 15694-15699. (10.1073/pnas.0507581102)
- Jager, S., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2005. The developmental context of cell-cycle control in plants. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 16(3), pp. 385-396. (10.1016/j.semcdb.2005.02.004)
2002
- Dewitte, W., Riou-Khamlichi, C., Scofield, S., Healy, J. M. S., Jacqmard, A., Kilby, N. J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2002. Altered cell cycle distribution, hyperplasia, and inhibited differentiation in Arabidopsis caused by the D-type cyclin CYCD3. The Plant Cell 15(1), pp. 79-92. (10.1105/tpc.004838)
Articles
- Nan, X. et al. 2023. VarLOCK: sequencing-independent, rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern for point-of-care testing, qPCR pipelines and national wastewater surveillance. Scientific Reports 13(1), article number: 20832. (10.1038/s41598-023-47289-0)
- Williamson, D., Tasker-Brown, W., Murray, J. A. H., Jones, A. and Band, L. R. 2023. Modelling how plant cell-cycle progression leads to cell size regulation. PLoS Computational Biology (10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011503)
- Jathoul, A. P., Branchini, B. R., Anderson, J. C. and Murray, J. A. H. 2022. A higher spectral range of beetle bioluminescence with infraluciferin. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 10, article number: 897272. (10.3389/fbioe.2022.897272)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2021. Discovery of the pseudomonas polyyne protegencin by a phylogeny-guided study of polyyne biosynthetic gene cluster diversity. mBio 12(4), pp. e00715-21. (10.1128/mBio.00715-21)
- Parry, G. et al. 2020. How to build an effective research network: lessons from two decades of the GARNet plant science community. Journal of Experimental Botany 71(22), pp. 6881-6889. (10.1093/jxb/eraa397)
- Hardinge, P., Baxani, D. K., McCloy, T., Murray, J. A. H. and Castell, O. K. 2020. Bioluminescent detection of isothermal DNA amplification in microfluidic generated droplets and artificial cells. Scientific Reports 10(1), article number: 21886. (10.1038/s41598-020-78996-7)
- Rojas, O., Forero, M. G., Menendez, J. M., Jones, A., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2020. Segmentation of meristem cells by an automated opinion algorithm. Journal of Applied Sciences 10(23), article number: 8523. (10.39390/app10238523)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2020. Genomic assemblies of members of Burkholderia and related genera as a resource for natural product discovery. Microbiology Resource Announcements 9, article number: e00485-20. (10.1128/MRA.00485-20)
- Hardinge, P. and Murray, J. A. H. 2020. Full dynamic range quantification using loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) by combining analysis of amplification timing and variance between replicates at low copy number. Scientific Reports 10, article number: 916. (10.1038/s41598-020-57473-1)
- Jones, A. R., Band, L. R. and Murray, J. A. H. 2019. Double or nothing? Cell division and cell size control. Trends in Plant Science 24(12), pp. 1083-1093. (10.1016/j.tplants.2019.09.005)
- Hardinge, P. and Murray, J. A. H. 2019. Lack of specificity associated with using molecular beacons in loop mediated amplification assays. BMC Biotechnology 19, article number: 55. (10.1186/s12896-019-0549-z)
- Mullins, A. J. et al. 2019. Genome mining identifies cepacin as a plant-protective metabolite of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria. Nature Microbiology 4, pp. 996-1005. (10.1038/s41564-019-0383-z)
- Hardinge, P. and Murray, J. A. H. 2019. Reduced false positives and improved reporting of loop-mediated isothermal amplification using quenched fluorescent primers. Scientific Reports 9, article number: 7400. (10.1038/s41598-019-43817-z)
- Hardinge, P., Kiddle, G., Tisi, L. and Murray, J. A. H. 2018. Optimised LAMP allows single copy detection of 35Sp and NOSt in transgenic maize using Bioluminescent Assay in Real Time (BART). Scientific Reports 8, article number: 17590. (10.1038/s41598-018-36207-4)
- Scofield, S. et al. 2018. Coordination of meristem and boundary functions by transcription factors in the SHOOT MERISTEMLESS regulatory network. Development 145(9), article number: dev157081. (10.1242/dev.157081)
- Halliwell, L. M., Jathoul, A. P., Bate, J. P., Worthy, H. L., Anderson, J. C., Jones, D. D. and Murray, J. A. H. 2018. ΔFlucs: brighter photinus pyralis firefly luciferases identified by surveying consecutive single amino acid deletion mutations in a thermostable variant. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 115(1), pp. 50-59. (10.1002/bit.26451)
- Joanna, F. et al. 2017. The next generation of training for arabidopsis researchers: Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology. Plant Physiology 175, pp. 1499-1509. (10.1104/pp.17.01490)
- Pass, D. A., Sornay, E., Marchbank, A., Crawford, M. R., Paszkiewicz, K., Kent, N. A. and Murray, J. A. H. 2017. Genome-wide chromatin mapping with size resolution reveals a dynamic sub-nucleosomal landscape in Arabidopsis. PLoS Genetics 13(9), article number: e1006988. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1006988)
- Jones, A. R., Forero-Vargas, M., Withers, S. P., Smith, R. S., Traas, J., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2017. Cell-size dependent progression of the cell cycle creates homeostasis and flexibility of plant cell size. Nature Communications 8, article number: 15060. (10.1038/ncomms15060)
- Anderson, J. C., Grounds, H., Jathoul, A., Murray, J. A. H., Pacman, S. J. and Tisi, L. 2016. Convergent synthesis and optical properties of near-infrared emitting bioluminescent infra-luciferins. RSC Advances 7(7), pp. 3975-3982. (10.1039/C6RA19541E)
- Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2016. Seed size plasticity in response to embryonic lethality conferred by ectopic CYD activation is dependent on plant architecture. Plant Signaling & Behaviour 11(7), article number: e1192741. (10.1080/15592324.2016.1192741)
- Nieuwland, J., Stamm, P., Wen, B., Randall, R. S., Murray, J. A. H. and Bassel, G. W. 2016. Re-induction of the cell cycle in the Arabidopsis post-embryonic root meristem is ABA-insensitive, GA-dependent and repressed by KRP6. Scientific Reports 6, article number: 23586. (10.1038/srep23586)
- Sornay, E., Forzani, C., Forero-Vargas, M., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. Activation of CYCD7;1 in the central cell and early endosperm overcomes cell-cycle arrest in the Arabidopsis female gametophyte, and promotes early endosperm and embryo development. Plant Journal 84(1), pp. 41-55. (10.1111/tpj.12957)
- Randall, R. et al. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 regulate root secondary growth and respond to cytokinins. Biology Open 4, pp. 1229-1236. (10.1242/bio.013128)
- Patron, N. J. et al. 2015. Standards for plant synthetic biology: a common syntax for exchange of DNA parts. New Phytologist 208(1), pp. 13-19. (10.1111/nph.13532)
- Randall, R., Sornay, E., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2015. AINTEGUMENTA and the D-type cyclin CYCD3;1 independently contribute to petal size control in Arabidopsis: evidence for organ size compensation being an emergent rather than a determined property. Journal of Experimental Botany 66(13), pp. 3991-4000. (10.1093/jxb/erv200)
- Galletti, R., Johnson, K. L., Scofield, S., San-Bento, R., Watt, A. M., Murray, J. A. H. and Ingram, G. C. 2015. DEFECTIVE KERNEL 1 promotes and maintains plant epidermal differentiation. Development 142(11), pp. 1978-1983. (10.1242/dev.122325)
- Forzani, C., Aichinger, E., Sornay, E., Willemsen, V., Laux, T., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. WOX5 suppresses CYCLIN D activity to establish quiescence at the center of the root stem cell niche. Current Biology 24(16), pp. 1939-1944. (10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.019)
- Scofield, S., Jones, A. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. The plant cell cycle in context. Journal of Experimental Botany 65(10), pp. 2557-2562. (10.1093/jxb/eru188)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2014. STM sustains stem cell function in the Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem and controls KNOX gene expression independently of the transcriptional repressor AS1. Plant Signaling and Behavior 9(6), article number: e28934. (10.4161/psb.28934)
- Patzewitz, E. et al. 2013. Glutathione transport: A new role for PfCRT in chloroquine resistance. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling 19(7), pp. 683-695. (10.1089/ars.2012.4625)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W., Nieuwland, J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2013. The Arabidopsis homeobox gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS has cellular and meristem-organisational roles with differential requirements for cytokinin and CYCD3 activity. The Plant Journal 75(1), pp. 53-66. (10.1111/tpj.12198)
- Wen, B., Nieuwland, J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2013. The Arabidopsis CDK inhibitor ICK3/KRP5 is rate limiting for primary root growth and promotes growth through cell elongation and endoreduplication. Journal of Experimental Botany 64(4), pp. 1-13. (10.1093/jxb/ert009)
- Nieuwland, J., Sornay, E., Marchbank, A. M., De Graaf, B. H. J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2012. Phytotracker, an information management system for easy recording and tracking of plants, seeds and plasmids. Plant Methods 8, article number: 43. (10.1186/1746-4811-8-43)
- Cruz-Ramirez, A. et al. 2012. A bistable circuit involving SCARECROW-RETINOBLASTOMA integrates cues to inform asymmetric stem cell division. Cell 150(5), pp. 1002-1015. (10.1016/j.cell.2012.07.017)
- Collins, C., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2012. D-type cyclins control cell division and developmental rate during Arabidopsis seed development. Journal of Experimental Botany 63(10), pp. 3571-3586. (10.1093/jxb/ers015)
- Kiddle, G. et al. 2012. GMO detection using a bioluminescent real time reporter (BART) of loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) suitable for field use. BMC Biotechnology 12, article number: 15. (10.1186/1472-6750-12-15)
- Murray, J. A. H., Jones, A. R., Godin, C. and Traas, J. 2012. Systems analysis of shoot apical meristem growth and development: integrating hormonal and mechanical signaling. The Plant Cell 24(10), pp. 3907-3919. (10.1105/tpc.112.102194)
- Sanz, L. et al. 2011. The Arabidopsis D-type cyclin CYCD2;1 and the inhibitor ICK2/KRP2 modulate auxin-induced lateral root formation. The Plant Cell 23(2), pp. 641-660. (10.1105/tpc.110.080002)
- Quelhas, P., Nieuwland, J., Dewitte, W., Mendonça, A. M., Murray, J. A. H. and Campilho, A. 2011. Arabidopsis Thaliana automatic cell file detection and cell length estimation. Lecture Notes on Computer Science 6754, pp. 1-11. (10.1007/978-3-642-21596-4_1)
- Umbrasaite, J. et al. 2010. MAPK phosphatase AP2C3 induces ectopic proliferation of epidermal cells leading to stomata development in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE 5(12), article number: e15357. (10.1371/journal.pone.0015357)
- Gandelman, O. et al. 2010. Novel bioluminescent quantitative detection of nucleic acid amplification in real-time. PLoS ONE 5(11), article number: e14155. (10.1371/journal.pone.0014155)
- Xie, Z. et al. 2010. Regulation of cell proliferation in the stomatal lineage by the Arabidopsis MYB FOUR LIPS via direct targeting of core cell cycle genes. The Plant Cell 22(7), pp. 2306-2321. (10.1105/tpc.110.074609)
- Lee, T. et al. 2010. Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome 4 replicates in two phases that correlate with chromatin state. PLoS Genetics 6(6), article number: e1000982. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1000982)
- Maughan, S. C. et al. 2010. Plant homologs of the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistance transporter, PfCRT, are required for glutathione homeostasis and stress responses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107(5), pp. 2331-2336. (10.1073/pnas.0913689107)
- Sozzani, R. et al. 2010. Spatiotemporal regulation of cell-cycle genes by SHORTROOT links patterning and growth. Nature 466(7302), pp. 128-132. (10.1038/nature09143)
- Nieuwland, J., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S., Sanz, L. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. The D-type cyclin CYCD4;1 modulates lateral root density in Arabidopsis by affecting the basal meristem region. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106(52), pp. 22528-22533. (10.1073/pnas.0906354106)
- Menges, M. et al. 2009. Comprehensive gene expression atlas for the Arabidopsis MAP kinase signalling pathways. New Phytologist 179(3), pp. 643-662. (10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02552.x)
- Nieuwland, J., Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. Control of division and differentiation of plant stem cells and their derivatives. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 20(9), pp. 1134-1142. (10.1016/j.semcdb.2009.09.011)
- Tromas, A. et al. 2009. The AUXIN BINDING PROTEIN 1 is required for differential auxin responses mediating root growth. PLoS ONE 4(9), article number: e6648. (10.1371/journal.pone.0006648)
- De Jager, S. M., Scofield, S., Huntley, R. P., Robinson, A. S., Den Boerr, B. G. W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2009. Dissecting regulatory pathways of G1/S control in Arabidopsis: common and distinct targets of CYCD3;1 E2Fa and E2Fc. Plant Molecular Biology 71(4-5), pp. 345-365. (10.1007/s11103-009-9527-5)
- Sanz, L., Dewitte, W., Law, E. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. Stem cell maintenance and reactivation in lateral root initiation [Abstract]. FEBS Journal 275(S1), pp. 429. (10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06448.x)
- Paponov, I. A., Paponov, M., Teale, W. ., Menges, M. ., Chakrabortee, S., Murray, J. A. H. and Palme, K. 2008. Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of auxin responses in Arabidopsis. Molecular Plant 1(2), pp. 321-337. (10.1093/mp/ssm021)
- Lopez-Juez, E. et al. 2008. Distinct light-mediated gene expression and cell cycle programs in the shoot apex and cotyledons. Plant Cell 20(4), pp. 947-68. (10.1105/tpc.107.057075)
- Ren, H., Santner, A., Pozo, J. C. ., Murray, J. A. H. and Estelle, M. 2008. Degradation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor KRP1 is regulated by two different ubiquitin E3 ligases. Plant Journal 53(5), pp. 705-716. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03370.x)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. A model for Arabidopsis class-1 KNOX gene function. Plant Signaling and Behavior 3(4), pp. 257-259. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
- Dewitte, W. et al. 2007. Arabidopsis CYCD3 D-type cyclins link cell proliferation and endocycles and are rate-limiting for cytokinin responses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104(36), pp. 14537-14542. (10.1073/pnas.0704166104)
- Scofield, S., Dewitte, W. and Murray, J. A. H. 2007. The KNOX gene SHOOT MERISTEMLESS is required for the development of reproductive meristematic tissues in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal 50(5), pp. 767-781. (10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03095.x)
- Gandelman, O., Church, V. L., Moore, C., Carne, C., Jalal, H., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2006. Bioluminescent alternative to real-time PCR (BART) [abstract]. Luminescence -Chichester- 21(5), pp. 276-277.
- Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2006. KNOX gene function in plant stem cell niches. Plant Molecular Biology 60(6), pp. 929-946. (10.1007/s11103-005-4478-y)
- Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2006. The evolving concept of the Meristem. Plant Molecular Biology 60(6), pp. V-VII. (10.1007/s11103-006-0061-4)
- Masubelele, N. H. et al. 2005. D-type cyclins activate division in the root apex to promote seed germination in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 102(43), pp. 15694-15699. (10.1073/pnas.0507581102)
- Jager, S., Maughan, S., Dewitte, W., Scofield, S. and Murray, J. A. H. 2005. The developmental context of cell-cycle control in plants. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 16(3), pp. 385-396. (10.1016/j.semcdb.2005.02.004)
- Dewitte, W., Riou-Khamlichi, C., Scofield, S., Healy, J. M. S., Jacqmard, A., Kilby, N. J. and Murray, J. A. H. 2002. Altered cell cycle distribution, hyperplasia, and inhibited differentiation in Arabidopsis caused by the D-type cyclin CYCD3. The Plant Cell 15(1), pp. 79-92. (10.1105/tpc.004838)
Book sections
- Menges, M. and Murray, J. A. H. 2008. Plant D-type cyclins: structure,roles and function. In: Bryant, J. A. and Francis, D. eds. The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle. Experimental Biology Reviews Vol. 59. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-28.
- Jathoul, A., Gandelman, O. A., Law, G. H. E., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2007. Designing enhanced thermostable luciferase for proteolytic assay. In: Szalay, A. A. et al. eds. Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence: Chemistry, Biology and Applications. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific, pp. 107-110., (10.1142/9789812770196_0026)
Conferences
- Gandelman, O. A., Kiddle, G., McElgunn, C., Rizzoli, M., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2011. BART: Smart biochemistry, bright bioluminescence, low cost hardware. Presented at: 15th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence- Light Emission: Biology and Scientific Applications, Shanghai, China, 13-17 May 2008 Presented at Shen, X. et al. eds.Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence- Light Emission: Biology and Scientific Applications, Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium, Shanghai, P R China, 13 – 17 May 2008. New Jersey: World Scientific Publishing pp. 93-96., (10.1142/9789812839589_0021)
- Gandelman, O. A., Kiddle, G., McElgunn, C. J., Rizzoli, M., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2009. BART applications in medical and food diagnostics. Presented at: International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence, Shanghai, China, 13 – 17 May 2008 Presented at Shen, X. et al. eds.Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence : light emission : biology and scientific applications. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific Publishing pp. 97-100., (10.1142/9789812839589_0022)
- Gandelman, O. A., Church, V. L., Moore, C. A., Carne, C., Jalal, H., Murray, J. A. H. and Tisi, L. C. 2007. BART - Bioluminescent Alternative To real-time PCR. Presented at: 14th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence : chemistry, biology and applications, San Diego, USA, 15-19 October 2006 Presented at Szalay, A. A. et al. eds.Proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence : chemistry, biology and applications, San Diego USA 15-19 October 2006. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific pp. 95-98.
Websites
- Nan, X. et al. 2022. VarLOCK - sequencing independent, rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern for point-of-care testing, qPCR pipelines and national wastewater surveillance. [Online]. medRxix: (10.1101/2022.01.06.21268555) Available at: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.06.21268555v1
Research
Research in the lab focuses around molecular aspects of cellular development in plants, particularly the control of cell division and cellular differentiation in plant growth, and on applications of molecular biology, based in our expertise in yeast molecular biology and bioluminescence.
The group has always collaborated widely with both academic groups and companies from across the UK and Europe. We have hosted several Marie Curie Fellows with an excellent success rate in applications and participated in multiple EU projects and Research Training Networks, including the Systems Biology of the Shoot Apical Meristem (SY-STEM), and enquiries from outstanding applicants interested in joining the lab are always welcome.
My interests span from basic biological research to the applications of technology and entrepreneurship, and I have filed 11 patents in diverse areas. In 2003 I co-founded Lumora Ltd, a molecular diagnostics company that is focused on high-speed portable DNA diagnostics devices based on a novel bioluminescent technology for detecting microorganisms in foods and disease. From 2004-2008 I was Academic Director of the Master's in Bioscience Enterprise, a high profile international course that combines teaching of the latest advances in biotechnology with business and entrepreneurship skills, and in 2007 was acting Director of the Management of Technology and Innovation in the Judge Business School, Cambridge University.
In late 2008, I transferred the research group to the School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, opening exciting new collaboration opportunities and a new chapter for the lab. Here we occupy newly refurbished and purpose-designed facilities with an excellent equipment infrastructure. We are based within a broad and stimulating biological sciences department, which emphasises our interest in collaborating widely across the biological and other sciences, and located in the exciting city of Cardiff.
Molecular Development in Plants
Plant Cell Division and Cell Cycle Control
Cell division in plants is largely concentrated in specialised regions known as meristems, which contain the stem cells. The most important meristems are located at the tips of shoots and roots. We are interested in the mechanisms by which cell division is controlled in plant cells, how it is organised within meristems, and how this changes not only during plant development, but also in response to the environment.
The processes which a cell undergoes in order to divide is termed the cell cycle. Our main interest is in genes that control the entry into the cell cycle - the decision as to whether a cell will divide or not. We cloned a family of genes from plants called D-type cyclins (CYCD), which are related to genes that control the same process in mammals. Further analysis showed, somewhat unexpectedly, that the whole pathway of commitment to cell division is conserved between plants and mammals, although the signals to which cell division responds are, of course, different.
D-type cyclins in both plants and mammals share the property of responding to signals that come from outside the cell. In Arabidopsis, one group of the D-type cyclins called CYCD3 responds to the plant hormone cytokinin, and overexpression of CYCD3 can replace the requirement for exogenous cytokinin (Riou-Khamlichi et al., 1999). Arabidopsis mutants lacking all three CYCD3 genes show reduced cell division and their organs are made of fewer cells (Dewitte et al, 2007).
Plants are unusual in having large numbers of genes controlling the cell cycle, and we have used cell cultures to study their action in the cell cycle, employing biochemical and transcript profiling techniques. This has provided the understanding of the timing of action of genes, and allowed us to progress to analyzing their role in plant development.
In addition to the normal mitotic cycle, in which the chromosomes are replicated and then shared between two daughter cells, plant cells switch to an alternative cycle called the endocycle, in which DNA is replicated (S phase) but not segregated. Therefore each endocycle round doubles the DNA content of the cell. This switch to endocycles is associated with differentiation of cells and a large increase in volume that drives much of plant growth (compare the meristem and cotyledon cells in the section below). The balance of mitotic cycles and endocycles, and the control of the switch between them, determines how many cells comprise a plant organ and how large those cells are. This control is a major focus of research in the lab.
The lab takes an integrated view of cell division in plants, and studies its control and role at the biochemical and molecular level, in cell suspension cultures and at the developmental level in transgenic plants and mutants.
Systems approaches to Meristem Organisation and Maintenance
In order to understand how the behaviour of individual cells is co-ordinated to build complex structures during plant development, we are applying systems analysis approaches. One example is the shoot apical meristem, which forms the tip of shoots. This is a shallow domed structure containing the stem cell niche in the central region, surrounded by an organogenic zone where new organs (leaves or flowers) are initiated. In ongoing projects, we are seeking to understand how cell identity, cell division and cell differentiation are interlinked and coordinated at the molecular level by genetic regulators and the hormones cytokinin and auxin. This work is funded through the EU SY-STEM (Systems Biology of Stem Cell Function in Arabidopsis) network (http://www.sy-stem.ethz.ch/ ) and a European Research Area in Plant Functional Genomics (http://www.erapg.org/everyone ) network on Plant Stem Cells, in which the Cardiff lab is the co-ordinator.
The influence of the environment
A further unique aspect of plant growth is that it responds to the environment. Under conditions of stress- such as low water or high temperature- plants stop growing. With funding from the BBSRC (www.bbsrc.ac.uk ) and Bayer CropScience (http://www.bayercropscience.com/ ), we are seeking to understand how and why they stop growing, and what is happening at the cellular level. Molecular insights into this process and how it is signalled may lead to opportunities to engineer crops with increased stress tolerance and so higher yields.
Molecular biotechnology: Engineering new opportunities
Firefly luciferase and applications of bioluminescence in diagnostics
Firefly luciferase emits light in the presence of its substrate luciferin and ATP, and is widely used as a method of measuring ATP concentrations.
Since all living organisms contain ATP, firefly luciferase it finds widespread application in diagnostic assays for contamination in the pharmaceutical, food processing and related industries as well as for environmental monitoring. The native enzyme is rather labile, and we have successfully engineered the enzyme for improved stability, providing greater utility in a range of assays, and these enzymes have now been commercialized.
Using the thermostable luciferases, we developed a new bioluminescent method to detect specific nucleic acid sequences known as BART (Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time). This novel reporter system that permits real-time, quantitative detection of nucleic acids during isothermal DNA amplification without the need for fluorescent reporters and has been commercialized through a spin-out company Lumora, jointly funded by the University of Cambridge and commercial investors. BART works by coupling the generation of pyrophosphate, a by-product of nucleic acid synthesis, to the emission of light from a highly thermostable version of firefly luciferase. The amplification of a specific target nucleic acid sequence therefore becomes linked to a luminescent output from the sample itself (for a detailed explanation of the technology see http://www.lumora.co.uk/Technology.php?view=BART ). Since light is readily measured by simple devices, portable and cheap apparatus can be built to carry out molecular tests that previously were only possible in the laboratory. We are applying this technology to develop methods to track GM foodstuffs with the EU Co-EXTRA consortium (http://www.coextra.eu/ ) as well as detecting pathogenic microorganisms.
Yeast plasmids and applications of yeast
Budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is almost unique in having a small nuclear plasmid that has specific mechanisms that ensure its maintenance. The plasmid appears to be a relatively benign molecular parasite- it is very rarely lost from yeast cells and confers a measurable but slight disadvantage to its host. The plasmid has evolved a transmission mechanism independent of centromere function and a copy number control mechanism. These characteristics have led to the widespread use of the plasmid as a basis for cloning and expression vectors. We are interested in the chromatin modifications that allow the maintenance mechanisms to operate effectively. We also make use of yeast in the development of novel assays for screening for inhibitors of specific gene function with potential roles as drug candidates.
Group members
- Dr Ruth Bastow
- Dr Patrick Hardinge
- Dr Jonathon Harrington
- Dr Amit Jathoul
- Dr Angharad Jones
- Miss Joanne Kilby
- Ms Angela Marchbank
- Dr Geraint Parry
- Dr Daniel Pass
- Dr Emily Sornay
Postgraduate research students
- Miss Camille Blakebrough-Fairbairn
- Miss Joanne Kilby (staff candidate)
- Mr Tomasz Lasota
- Mr James Long
- Ms Angela Marchbank (staff candidate)
Biography
I graduated in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in 1983 as a member of King's College. I was then awarded a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship and studied for my Ph.D. at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany in collaboration with the National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London under Professor Gianni Cesareni [http://mint.bio.uniroma2.it/molecular-genetics/ , analysing the molecular mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of the yeast 2 micron circle plasmid (1983-1987).
In 1988, I was appointed to a University Lectureship in Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, and was promoted to Reader in Biotechnology in 2001 and to a Personal Chair as Professor of Molecular Biotechnology in 2004, leading an active research group of around 15 postdocs and postgraduate students. Over 20 PhD students have successfully graduated from my lab since 1993, almost all completing with 4 years, and 40 postdoctoral researchers have worked with me. Many now occupy prestigious positions across the globe as researchers and leaders in academia and industry.
Research in the lab focuses around molecular aspects of cellular development in plants, particularly the control of cell division and cellular differentiation in plant growth, and on applications of molecular biology, based in our expertise in yeast molecular biology and bioluminescence.
The group has always collaborated widely with both academic groups and companies from across the UK and Europe. We have hosted several Marie Curie Fellows with an excellent success rate in applications and participated in multiple EU projects and Research Training Networks, including the Systems Biology of the Shoot Apical Meristem (SY-STEM), and enquiries from outstanding applicants interested in joining the lab are always welcome.
My interests span from basic biological research to the applications of technology and entrepreneurship, and I have filed 11 patents in diverse areas. In 2003 I co-founded Lumora Ltd, a molecular diagnostics company that is focused on high-speed portable DNA diagnostics devices based on a novel bioluminescent technology for detecting microorganisms in foods and disease [http//:www.lumora.co.uk]. From 2004-2008 I was Academic Director of the Master's in Bioscience Enterprise, a high profile international course that combines teaching of the latest advances in biotechnology with business and entrepreneurship skills, and in 2007 was acting Director of the Management of Technology and Innovation in the Judge Business School, Cambridge University.
In late 2008, I transferred the research group to the School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, opening exciting new collaboration opportunities and a new chapter for the lab. Here we occupy newly refurbished and purpose-designed facilities with an excellent equipment infrastructure. We are based within a broad and stimulating biological sciences department (http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosi/ ), which emphasises our interest in collaborating widely across the biological and other sciences, and located in the exciting city of Cardiff [http://www.visitcardiff.com/ ].
Professional memberships
- President of the Society of Experimental Biology (July 2021-July 2023)
- Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and Academia Europaea
Committees and reviewing
- Associate Editor of Plant Molecular Biology
- Associate Editor of Journal of Experimental Botany
- Referee for BBSRC applications, European Science Foundation and Research Grants Council of Hong Kong in 2021.