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Molecular mechanisms of plant developmental plasticity

Molecular mechanisms of plant developmental plasticity
Lab lead: Prof. Miriam Gifford

Projects

- Legume microbiome recruitment dependence on effectiveness of nitrogen fixation.

- Circadian regulation of legume nodulation and relevance of NCRs. For more information check this paper.Link opens in a new window

- Root adaptations to environmental stimuli. For more information check this paperLink opens in a new window, this paperLink opens in a new window or this paperLink opens in a new window.

- Unravelling microbial responses in plant roots. For more information check this paperLink opens in a new window, this paperLink opens in a new window and this paperLink opens in a new window.

Gifford lab members standing on School of Life Sciences campus

Join our team

We are an inclusive, family-friendly, enthusiastic bunch.

Check the opportunities to join our team hereLink opens in a new window.

News

READ First publication from BBSRC 'Nfix in time' grant with Prof. Isabelle Carré (coI Warwick) and Postdoc Dr. Beatriz Lagunas is now published in the Journal for Experimental Botany: read it hereLink opens in a new window !

WATCH our JOVE cell sortingLink opens in a new window video!

Nodulation

Coordination in space and time. Unlike most plants, legumes (such as peas and beans) are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen (nodulation), so break the agricultural dependency on expensive and environmentally costly nitrogen fertilisers. If we understand the molecular regulation of nodulation, this could substantially improve food security, a major priority for UK research councils (UKRI). We are pursuing his by investigating the control over nodulation imparted by the plant's clock (time) and the control that nodulation has over the microbiome in the endosphere and rhizosphere (space).

Cell Type

We use Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) combined with genomics to measure the gene expression of all regulatory pathways and interpret them in the context of root phenotypes. This is critical since nodules develop from a specific root cell type and root environmental responses have a high degree of cell specificity. We also want to investigate how rhizobial responses (nodulation) intersect with responses to other mutualists in the rhizosphere to improve plant productivity.

Synthetic Biology

Application of cell type analysis can help distinguish genes that act in specific locations and under specific conditions. We can use this to predict which promoters and genes could be engineered to enable new functions, including altered plant disease responses and altered mutualistic responses.

Gifford group members at work in the lab

See lab members for more information

Prof Miriam GiffordLink opens in a new window

Group Leader

Miriam.Gifford@warwick.ac.uk

Dr Liam Walker

Postdoctoral researcher

L.Walker.6@warwick.ac.uk

Dr Beatriz LagunasLink opens in a new window

Associated researcher and teaching fellow

B.Lagunas-Castan@warwick.ac.uk

Dr Emma Picot

Associated researcher and teaching fellow

E.Picot@warwick.ac.uk

Jamie Burgess

MIBTP Life Sciences PhD student

J.Burgess.4@warwick.ac.uk

Alice Coppock MIBTP Life Sciences PhD student Alice.Coppock@warwick.ac.uk
Suzanna Dickson

MIBTP Life Sciences PhD student

Suzanna.Dickson@warwick.ac.uk

Zhipeng (Jack) Guo

China Scholarship Council visiting researcher

Zhipeng.Guo@warwick.ac.uk

Clare Hurst

MIBTP Life Sciences PhD student

Clare.A.F.Hurst@warwick.ac.uk

Matthew Jolly

MIBTP Life Sciences PhD student

Matthew.Jolly@warwick.ac.uk

Hazel Marsden Warwick Industrial Fellowship - joint PhD with James Hutton Institute Hazel.Marsden@hutton.ac.uk

Monique Rowson

MIBTP Life Sciences PhD student

M.Rowson@warwick.ac.uk

Cara Wharton

CASE PhD studentship: MIBTP with Harper Adams and Syngenta

Cara.Wharton@warwick.ac.uk

Louis Gough

MBio student Louis.Gough@warwick.ac.uk
Piolo Montemayor MBio student Piolo.Montemayor@warwick.ac.uk
Research in Plant and Agricultural BioscienceLink opens in a new window, Environment and EcologyLink opens in a new window, Quantitative Systems and Engineering BiologyLink opens in a new window

Lab Alumni:

PhDs:

Dr Tim Coker (Data Research Assistant, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; now at CRUK)

Dr Roxanna Bonyadi (Chancellor's International Scholarship PhD student)

Dr Anthony Carter (Statistician in the UK Civil Service)

Dr Jo Hulsmans (Cypress Diagnostics, Belgium)

Dr Matt Teft (Public Science Engagement, now Postdoctoral fellow, Sena Lab Imperial College UK)

Dr Mingkee Achom (Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, USA)

Dr Peter Morrison (Technology and Management consultant, Actica Consulting, UK)

Dr Proyash Roy (Senior Scientist (R&D), Absolute Antibody, UK)

Dr Cantug Bar (Research assistant, Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Cancer Research, Cambridge, UK)

Dr Daire Carroll (Postdoctoral Researcher studying grey seals in the Baltic sea, Göteborg, Sweden)

Dr Helen Wilkinson (Postdoctoral Researcher with Prof. Lorenzo Frigerio, University of Warwick)

Dr Bethany Richmond (Trainee Clinical Scientist in Genomics)

Research staff:

Dr Zennia Paniwynk (Defra Post-doc) - Scientist at Quanta Fluid Solutions (UK)

Dr Jesper Grønlund (BBSRC Post-doc) - Gene Discovery Manager at Advanced Technologies Cambridge (BAT, UK)

Dr Sajjad Awan (Defra Post-doc) - Post-doc with Prof. Bill Finch-Savage (Life Sciences, Warwick, UK)

Sanjeev Kumar (BBSRC Research technician) - Technician with Prof. David Twell (Leicester, UK), now at VWR

Dr Sally Adams (Post-doc) - Post-doc with Dr Andre Pires da Silva (Life Sciences, Warwick, UK)

Dr Ying Wang (BBSRC Post-doc) - Post-doc (Germany)

Dr. Dhaval Patel (BBSRC Post-doc) - Scientist at Azotic Technologies Ltd (Nottingham, UK)

Dr. Dafyd Jenkins (BBSRC Post-doc) - Data scientist at TATA (Coventry, UK)

Dr. Fraz Hussain (BBSRC Senior Technician) - Technician with Prof. Murray Grant (Warwick, UK)