Professor Brian Thomas

Brian Thomas

TITLE   

Deputy Head, School of Life Sciences

CONTACT   

Life Sciences
Room PP 1.28
University of Warwick
Wellesbourne
Warwick
CV35 9EF 		Tel: +44(0)2476 575050
Fax: +44(0)24 7657 4500
Email: Brian.Thomas@warwick.ac.uk
Crop Development

 

RESEARCH PROFILE


The properties of plants, including those that contribute to their economic and societal value, are determined by the interaction between their genotype and the environment. My research interests are in the mechanisms by which plants interact with the environment and the practical consequences of these interactions. Current research includes a study of the control of juvenility in Antirrhinum and Arabidopsis where flowering is photoperiod-sensitive and Brassica where flowering is usually low-temperature-dependent. The aim here is to understand what regulates the onset of environmental sensitivity and to provide insights that will aid in the reliable scheduling of high quality flower and vegetable crops with minimal waste. A second interest is in the genetic components of daylength induction of bulbing in Allium species and how these relate to known to the well-characterised components of photoperiodic regulation of flowering. I also have a strong interest in climate change and crop development and have led several recent projects assessing the potential impact of predicted weather patterns on aspects of development in a range of crops. Current work involves a study of water and nutrient use efficiency in Brassica and wheat at ambient and elevated CO2 levels.

BACKGROUND


Brian obtained his first degree in Botany and a PhD in Plant Physiology at UCW Aberystwyth. He worked as a Postdoctoral Scientist in Carleton University, Ottawa and the University of Reading before becoming a research scientist at the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in Littlehampton, which subsequently became part of Horticulture Research International. He moved to Wellesbourne in 1995 where he was latterly a Research Director responsible for the Crop Improvement and Biotechnology Research Theme. He joined the University of Warwick in 2004 as part of Warwick HRI. He became a member of the newly formed School of Life Sciences in 2010 and is currently the Deputy Head of the School.

TEACHING PROFILE


Courses Taught

  • HR 101 Environmental Biology
      Lectures on and introduction to climate change
  • HR920 Climate Change
      Taught module for Environmental Biosciences in a Changing Climate
  • BS358 Biological Clocks
      Lectures on Nurospora Clock and Seasonal Adaptation in Plants and Animals
  • HR 203 Bioscience and Society
      Lectures and case studies

Learning, Teaching & Development Activity

  • Module leader
  • Postgraduate teaching (inc modules & project/research)

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS


  • Adaption of interacting factors associated with climate change, with Dr Andrea Massiah, Funded by: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Project Start Date: 01/02/2010 Project End Date: 31/01/2013
  • Vegetable Genetic Improvement Network (VeGIN): Pre-breeding to support sustainable farming of carrot and onion, with Dr Gary Bending / Life Sciences Dr John Clarkson / Crop Centre Dr Charlotte Allender / Crop Centre, Funded by: Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Project Start Date: 01/04/2009 Project End Date: 31/12/2012
  • VeGIN IF0158 Carrots and Onions: Prebreding research to support sustainable farming of carrot and onion (prev D Pink), Funded by: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Project Start Date: 01/03/2011 Project End Date: 31/12/2012

    View all Research Projects

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS


  • Breeze, E., Harrison, E., McHattie, S., Hughes, L., Hickman, R.D.G., Hill, C., Kiddle, S.J., Kim, Y.-S., Penfold, C.A., Jenkins, D.J., Zhang, C., Morris, K., Jenner, C.E., Jackson, S.D., Thomas, B., Tabrett, A., Legaie, R., Moore, J.D., Wild, D.L., Ott, S., Rand, D.A., Beynon, J., Denby, K.J., Mead, A. and Buchanan-Wollaston, V.(2011) 'High resolution temporal profiling of transcripts during Arabidopsis leaf senescence reveals a distinct chronology of processes and regulation' The Plant Cell 23 (3), 873 - 894 (1040-4651) [article]
  • Morris, K., Thornber, S., Codrai, L., Richardson, C., Craig, A., Sadanandom, A., Thomas, B. and Jackson, S.(2010) 'Day Neutral Flowering represses Constans to prevent Arabidopsis flowering early in short days' The Plant Cell 22 (4), 1118 - 1128 (1040-4651) [article]
  • Andrew Taylor, A., Massiah, A. and Thomas, B.(2010) 'Conservation of Arabidopsis thaliana photoperiodic flowering time genes in onion (Allium cepa L.)' Plant and Cell Physiology 51 (10), 1638 - 1647 (0032-0781) [article]
  • Collier, R., Fellows, J. R., Adams, S., Semenov, M. and Thomas, B.(2008) 'Vulnerability of horticultural crop production to extreme weather events' Aspects of Applied Biology 88 3 - 14 (0265-1491) [article]
  • Thomas B(2006) 'Light signals and flowering' Journal Of Experimental Botany 13 3387 - 3393 (0022-0957)

View all Publications

RESEARCH DEGREES SUPERVISED

  • Environmental and genetic regulation of juvenility in Antirrhinum majus , Date of Completion: 2013
Update My Profile on the Warwick eRA Portal My Profile last updated: 13/01/2012