Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton

Active

• Activity dependent control of adult neural hippocampal stem cells in 3D cell culture
  Neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus is necessary for hippocampal dependent learning and mood control, and there is strong evidence that increased neurogenesis is an important mechanism by which antidepressants elevate mood.
• Acute brain injury
  Acute injury to a tissue results in activation of a rapid innate inflammatory response. This response is dominated by local changes in the vasculature, and the recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes from the blood to the site of injury.
• Adaptive differences in response to flooding in Populus alba and Populus tremula
  Utilising Populus to assess the flood tolerance mechanisms in repeated anoxic flooding events.
• An integrated approach to CNS inflammation: cooperation between antibodies and CD8 T cells
  Using novel cell-labelling techniques and functionalised nanoparticles, we track macrophages and T cell recruitment to the brain and assess the role of cell mediated and humoral immunity in the initiation and/or progression of CNS inflammation.
• Antimicrobial copper: Biocidal efficacy and killing mechanism of copper and copper alloy dry surfaces against bacterial and viral pathogens
  
• Antimicrobial Tolerance in Bacterial Biofilms: An Inter-Disciplinary Approach
  Persisters are dormant bacterial cells capable of surviving antibiotic treatment. Subpopulations of persister cells are present within bacterial biofilm communities. This inter-disciplinary project uses population ecology theory to understand the phenomenon of persister cells in bacterial populations.
• Biofouling control for in-situ lab-on-a-chip environmental sensors
  Using microscopy and molecular community analysis techniques, the effects of antifouling methods will be assessed.
• Biofouling control for in-situ lab-on-a-chip environmental sensors
  Using microscopy and molecular community analysis techniques, the effects of antifouling methods will be assessed.
• BioliSME II: Demonstration, validation and preliminary promotion of a commercial prototype speedy system for sampling and detecting Listeria monocytogenes
  
• BioliSME - Speedy system for sampling and detecting Listeria monocytogenes in agri-food and related European industries
  The objective of the work developed by the partner University of Southampton is to firstly optimize the formation of L. monocytogenes biofilms and then conduct experiments to calculate the detachment forces required to remove L. monocytogenes biofilms.
• Biology of DNA triplex formation in C. elegans and Drosophila
  Defining the function of genes requires specific and potent methods for regulating their expression both temporally and in a tissue specific manner.
• Calcium ATPases - role in calcium homeostasis and signalling
  
• Calcium Pump Targeting
  We are currently investigating the way in which calcium pumps and their modulators, phospholamban and sarcolipin, are targeted to the relevant organelles in cells.
• Calcium Pumps and Thermogenesis
  We are investigating the mechanism by which uncoupling of calcium transport is achieved. In addition, we are examining sarcolipin levels in muscle tissue.
• CarboBioCrop
  Understanding processes determining soil carbon balances under perennial bioenergy crops.
• Causes and consequences of microglial priming in the ageing brain
  This project addresses two different areas of neuroimmunology; neuron-glia communication and communication between the peripheral immune system and the brain, two areas that have been little investigated in the context of ageing.
• Characterisation of cue-dependent behaviour in plant parasitic nematodes: the neurobiology of host plant invasion
  The neurobiology of plant parasitic nematodes.
• Characterisation of glycosyltransferases functioning during the synthesis of the secondary cell wall hemicellulose glucuronoxylan
  
• CleanWeb - the Web as an enabler of environmental sustainability
  
• Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) for the decontamination of reusable surgical instruments
  To evaluate the potential of Cold Atmospheric Plasma as a tool for the decontamination of reusable surgical instruments and endoscopes, thus significantly reducing the risk of iatrogenic infections with prions and potentially other resilient agents.
• Commercialization of PKB antisense oligonucleotides as anti-cancer drugs
  Developing new and improved cancer treatment therapies is of crucial importance.
• Consequences of early embryo environment
  Maternal nutrient restriction exclusive to the preimplantation period has a pronounced influence on fetal and postnatal growth and organ development, as well as postnatal physiology.
• Control of adult neurogenesis during chronic neurodegeneration
  Neurogenesis is increased during acute and chronic neurodegeneration, with the potential to replace damaged neurons at the sites of neuronal loss.
• Control of fruitflies in Malaysian fruit crops
  Sulaiman Zulkifly (sponsored by MARDI), is looking at the formulation of naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungi that have the potential to infect and kill fruitfly pests, as an alternative control strategy.
• Development of anti-fouling strategies for long-term deployed in situ sensors in marine environments
  Analysis of biofilms in the marine environment and of the effectiveness of antifouling strategies
• Development of endoscope decontamination procedures
  
• Development of novel methods to assess the viability and infectivity of pathogens in biofilms found in drinking water supply systems.
  Using novel methods, the infectivity of sub-lethally stressed bacterial pathogens such as those in drinking water biofilms is being assessed and monitored.
• Developmental function of the RGII component of pectin in plants
  
• Diet and immune responses in Drosophila melanogaster
  Investigating the effect of nutrition on immunity, using Drosophila melanogaster, its parasites and its pathogens as a model system.
• Differentiation therapy and cancer
  Many childhood cancers are caused by a failure to differentiate for instance neuroblastoma a childhood cancer of sympathetic nervous system arises when neural crest cells fail to differentiate.
• Digital life
  Computational methods can shed light on evolutionary processes in a way which is not feasible using actual living organsisms.
• Dispersal of Biofilm in Cystic Fibrosis using Low Dose Nitric Oxide
  Using low dose nitric oxide to disperse bacterial biofilms in cystic fibrosis and improve antibiotic efficacy.
• Dissecting pathways involved in Manganese homeostasis and stress in higher plant cells
  
• DNA quadruplexes and their interaction with ligands
  We are studying the structure of DNA quadruplexes in linear and supercoiled DNA and are examining their effects on gene expression when they are located in promoters.
• DNA sequence recognition by small molecules
  We are using the footprinting technique with natural and synthetic DNA substrates to study the sequence selectivity of novel DNA binding small molecules.
• DNA sequence recognition by triple helix formation
  One means of achieving precise DNA sequence recognition over several base pairs involves the formation of intermolecular DNA triple helices.
• Dysregulation of the redox-homeostasis in protein misfolding diseases
  Chronic neurodegeneration associated with protein misfolding/aggregation generates an abnormal redox homeostasis in the brain that is severe in Alzheimers- and Parkinson’s Disease and more moderate in Huntington’ Disease.
• Ecosystem Canaries: biodiversity measures as early warning signals
  
• Effects of electric fields on animal behaviour
  Animals show species-specific behavioural responses to electrical fields that are dependent upon the type of electric field and species involved
• Elucidation of insulin signalling pathways
  Insulin has many effects on cells. These range from stimulating cells to take up glucose from the blood, thereby lowering blood glucose, to affecting metabolism inside the cell and controlling events within the nucleus of the cell, which determines whether specific proteins are produced.
• ENERGYPOPLAR
  Traits for poplar for bioenergy applications.
• ENERGYPOPLAR: Understanding traits for bioenergy in poplar
  Traits for poplar for bioenergy applications
• Environmental Healthcare Unit Consultancy
  Our Consultancy Service has dealt with a wide range of projects in collaboration with both small and large multinational companies.We offer a range of testing services using up-to-date microbiological methods and the latest techniques in specialised microscopy.
• Environmental impact of transgenic (GM) plants
  This is a very exciting area of research which is of great scientific and political importance. It illustrates how adopting both proximate and adaptive approaches to science provides dividends.
• Epigenetic mechanisms and the developmental origins of health and disease
  Epidemiological studies show that a poor intra-uterine environment induced by restricted maternal diet, placental insufficiency or endocrine factors induces a phenotype in the offspring which in humans is associated with increased risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases.
• EuroChar: Development of technologies for long-term carbon sequestration
  Investigating Biochar application as a potential solution to climate change - quantifying the carbon sequester capacity  and its effect on plant yield. It has been suggested that biochar could offset up to 12 % of GHG emissions, thus reducing global climate change, but there is limited evidence base on which to make generalisation and EUROCHAR addresses these gaps.
• Evaluation of the role of bacterial biofilms in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis
  To identify species-specific bacterial biofilms on the mucosa of patients suffering with chronic rhinosinusitis and to evaluate the role of nitric oxide as a novel adjunctive therapy to antibiotics aimed at their eradication. 
• EVOLTREE
  The Evolution of Trees as drivers of terrestrial biodiversity
• Evolution of cooperation in microbial biofilms
  Bacteria often occur in structured communities in nature, called biofilms, in which they form microcolonies.
• Evolutionary aspects of ant-fungus interactions in leaf-cutting ants
  There have been a number of researchers looking at Leaf-cutting ants. Projects have ranged from studying the ecological and evolutionary role of the symbiotic fungus in manipulating ant foraging behaviour to the potential of using entomopathogenic fungi for controlling this pest.
• Exploiting C. elegans to provide insight into neural substrates of human alcohol dependence
  Changes in the pattern of behavior with increasing alcohol intake in humans reflect its complex effects on the brain.
• Exploring the influence of the plant lateral root gravitropic set point angle on architecture in soils using X-Ray Computed Tomography
  X-Ray Computed Tomography imaging of plant root systems growing in soils.  
• Extending the boundaries of nucleic acid chemistry
  We are part of this BBSRC-funded sLoLa project, led by Prof Tom Brown (Chemistry), and are using click-chemistry to generate unusual DNA structures and examine their biological properties.
• Extra-Cellular Superoxide Dismutase
  Exploring the connection to lifespan extension by dietary restriction and stress.
• Genetic diversification in a multi-species bacterial biofilm community
  Using a multispecies biofilm model to understand how interactions between bacteria during biofilm development can influence bacterial diversification.
• Glial-neuronal cell interactions and extra/intracellular protein misfolding
  Glial cells such as oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and microglia play a crucial role in normal neuronal homeostasis and are predicted to significantly impact on neuronal degeneration during protein misfolding diseases.
• Global transcriptomic responses to parasitism
  Comparison of genome-wide gene expression of parasitised and unparasitised larvae focuses on genes which play a role in the actual immune response.
• Grant - Charting Intercellular Space
  The principal aim of this project is to demonstrate sensing in the extracellular/intercellular space using functionalized quantum dots. Spatial and temporal information on intercellular concentrations will allow us to study how analyte concentrations in the EICS are linked to physiological status.
• Harnessing the Genetic Diversity of Watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) for Improved Morphology and Anti-cancer Benefits: Underpinning Data for Molecular Breeding.
  Establish a collection of watercress sourced from around the world and breed watercress that not only has a reduced stem length but is also nutritionally beneficial therefore breed an ‘ideal' watercress cultivar.
• Identification of novel crustacean pathogen receptor proteins
  Combining bioinformatics and molecular biology to identify novel pathogen receptor proteins in marine crustaceans.
• Immune Mediated Brain Injury
  Multiple Sclerosis is often described as an inflammatory demyelinating disease with relative sparing of axons. However, we have shown that the T-cells and macrophages recruited to the sites of inflammation damage axons and that this axon damage occurs early in the disease.
• Immune-to-brain communication in immune-mediated lung inflammation; studies of neuronal mechanisms and the impact of immunomodulators
  Using immunocytochemistry, molecular biology and formal behavioural testing techniques we investigate the biological nature of immune-to-brain communication elicited by immune-mediated lung disease.
• Immunity, neurodegeneration and ageing
  Knowing exactly how the nervous system degenerates and becomes more vulnerable with age would further our understanding of how ageing occurs and how to prevent the debilitating neurological effects of ageing.
• Immunonutrients
  L-arginine is a pre-cursor for nitric oxide (NO), which is known to play a key role in insect immunity. Part of our research project is aimed at the temporal and spatial dynamics of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) gene.
• Implications of drought conditions for microbial soil ecology: a metagenomic approach
  Using NGS technology and bioinformatics techniques to better understand the implications of drought for soil microbe communities.  
• Improving immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s diseases by modulating FcR interaction: an antibody engineering approach.
  This MRC funded CASE studenship aims to understanding the role of FcγR in immunotherapy for neurodegenerative diseases. This work is done in collaboration with Lundbeck.
• Improving solar conversion efficiency in marine microalgae
  
• Improving the sustainability of water use in baby leaf salad crops
  Using quantitative genetics and infra-red imaging to improve the sustainability of water use in baby leaf salad agriculture.
• Inflammation in chronic neurodegeneration and the contribution of systemic inflammation
  We are investigating the microglia activation in a model of prion disease, mouse scrapie.
• Integrated in silico prediction of protein-protein interaction motifs
  Integrating leading computational techniques to predict novel protiein-protein interaction moitfs.
• Interactome-wide prediction of short linear protein interaction motifs in humans
  Large-scale prediction of functionally important protein-protein interaction motifs.
• Investigating Novel Genes in Poplar for Improved Cell Wall Disassembly
  Improving the properties of Poplar as a raw material for bioethanol production.
• Investigating the role of membranes on protein aggregation and neurotoxicity of the huntingtin protein.
  
• In-Vivo Imaging of Soil, Roots and Root Hairs for Improved Understanding of Phosphate Uptake by Plants
  Improving understanding of the uptake of phosphate by plants from soils by imaging root systems using X-Ray Computed Tomography.
• Kin-Selected Conflict and the Evolution of Lifespan and Ageing
  The conventional view of the evolution of ageing is incomplete, because it omits social effects. In a population made up of groups of relatives, death of one individual benefits its related group-mates.
• Light regulation of amino acid uptake in marine cyanobacteria
  
• Light regulation of chloroplast development
  
• Linking the immune system to the central nervous system: a role for antibodies and Fcγ receptors in neuronal damage.
  Using immunocytochemistry, molecular biology and formal behavioural testing techniques we investigate antibody-mediated neuronal damage in lupus.
• Mammalian Neurodegeneration
  
• Mapping the supply and demand of bioenergy in Great Britain to 2050
  This project explores the potential use of bioenergy crops across GB, looking at feasibility, sustainability implications, and constraints on production opportunities, in relation to current and future demand for energy.
• Maternal mechanisms induced by diet regulating embryo developmental plasticity affecting life-long health
  Discovering the maternal mechanisms induced by diet which act through embryo developmental plasticity to alter later health.
• ME7 Synaptopathy model: a protein aggregation disease to model Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic neurodegeneration
  We are using a mouse model of prion disease which like Alzheimer’s is associated with the extracellular deposition of misfolded protein and an accompanying loss of synapses.
• Mechanism for delayed senescence in Populus in a high CO2 world
  
• Metabotropic Glutamate receptors (mGluRs) models to investigate synaptic organization
  Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlurs) are important determinants of glutamatergic transmission.
• mGluRs model for genes to behaviour
  These receptors are evolutionary conserved and we have been able to investigate how these molecules control simple behaviours in the 302 neuronal cell (aprox 6000 synapse) simple nervous system of C.elegans.
• Microbial interactions in multi-species drinking water biofilm community
  Using the model organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa to investigate mechanisms by which drinking water biofilms harbour important pathogenic microorganism and how these interactions within multi-species biofilms can enhance genetic adaptation and evolution of microbial pathogens.
• Modelling neural responses
  Insects are able to produce precise movements of their limbs even though the numbers of neurones present are many orders of magnitude less than in mammals.
• Modifying nucleic acid nanostructures by triplex formation
  We are exploiting the formation of DNA triplexes as a means for generating new DNA nanostructures.
• Modifying Uracil DNA Glycosylase
  We are generating mutants of this DNA repair enzyme, which have altered recognition properties, and are using these as tools in biotechnological applications.
• Molecular breeding for quality and health benefits in lettuce
  Developing nutritionally enhanced lettuce with improved disease prevention potential.
• Molecular control of apoptosis
  Protein kinase B has recently been implicated as a key regulator protein that controls apoptosis.
• Molecular mechanisms controlling heart cells proteins synthesis and cardiac hypertrophy
  Cardiac hypertrophy involves growth of the cells of the heart muscle and entails increased rates of protein synthesis. We are studying the signalling processes involved in this. We are also studying the mechanisms involved in the control of heart protein synthesis in response to hormones and stresses such as hypoxia.
• Molecular mechanisms underlying the communication between the peripheral immune system and the brain
  We are exploring if and how the brain adapts to chronic, repeated inflammatory challenges, and found that while the peripheral immune system becomes tolerant to repeated immune challenges, the brain continues to respond.
• Multitrophic interactions - inducted plant resistance and plant S.O.S. signalling
  The importance of considering interactions from a multitrophic perspective has become increasingly realised in the last decade. The majority of research in this area has been focussed on crop plants, insect pest herbivores and predators/parasitoids.
• NanoScope
  
• Neuronal information processing and network modelling
  
• Neuroprotection by chemical chaperones in Alzheimer’s and Polyglutamine Disease
  Chemical chaperones are low molecular compounds that function as cellular osmolytes, associate with proteins and are able to stabilize the folded state of proteins and/or reduce their misfolding (e.g. trimethylamine-N-oxide).
• Neuroprotective actions of MAPKinases
  Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate critical steps during neuronal survival and death.
• Nutrient stress in plants in relation to biofortification and phytoremediation
  
• Optical activation of a C. elegans neural circuit underpinning feeding behaviour
  Many of the drugs used to treat neurodegenerative disorders act to improve synaptic communication to ameliorate the symptoms of the disease. However often these drugs are fairly 'blunt instruments'.
• OtoAcoustic Biometrics
  
• Physiological function of the GTG/GPHRs, a highly conserved family of eukaryotic membrane proteins
  
• Physiological role of sucrose and amino acid permeases in higher plants
  
• Physiology, genetics and evolution of predictive adaptive responses in Drosophila
  Predictive adaptive responses (PARs) are long-term phenotypic plastic responses, made during development in anticipation of the future adult environment.
• Physiology, genetics and genomics of drought adaptation in Populus
  Using physiology and genetics to investigate adaptation to drought in two populations of Populus.
• Plasticity of behaviour for good and bad
  We have established facets of worm behaviour that can be readily measured in response to food withdrawal, a mimic of a starvation response.
• Plasticity through scaffolding molecules
  The classic model used to study long-term changes is long-term potentiation (LTP), in the hippocampus. It is thought that the molecular changes that occur to bring about LTP are important for learning and memory.
• Plastid-to-nucleus signalling in plants
  
• Preimplantation development
  We are addressing questions such as biogenesis of epithelia and junctions, as well as the origin of lineage diversification in development
• Protein misfolding and the neuroprotective role of molecular chaperones
  Molecular chaperones such as heat shock proteins (HSPs) regulate protein folding, misfolding, protein degradation and signalling pathways involved in neuronal death and survival.
• Rapid assessment of surface contamination and decontamination efficacy
  Development of rapid, sensitive, advanced EDIC/EF light microscopy based protocols to assess the efficacy of current bio-decontamination systems.
• RATNO – Reducing Antibiotic Tolerance in Cystic Fibrosis Using Nitric Oxide
  A phase 2 pilot study (clinical trial) to examine the efficacy of nitric oxide in overcoming biofilm-associated antibiotic tolerance in cystic fibrosis patients.
• Reducing the Burden of intravenous drug/nutrition delivery system infections using novel anti-biofilm strategies.
  
• Regulation of chlorophyll synthesis and the tetrapyrrole pathway
  
• Regulation of microglial proliferation during chronic neurodegeneration
  An important aspect of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and prion disease, is the generation of an innate inflammatory response within the central nervous system (CNS).
• Regulation of ribosome biogenesis
  Ribosome production is essential for cell growth and proliferation, and is activated in cancer cells. This is a complex and expensive process for the cell, and must be tightly regulated. We are studying the control mechanisms involved in regulating thr production of ribosomal RNA and proteins.
• Relative importance of innate, conditioned and learnt behaviours
  Hymenoptera (parasitoids and bees) provide the ideal model to study how genetic, "developmentally conditioned" and learnt behaviours determine adult behaviour.
• Role of antibody-mediated immune responses in the CNS
  We have made exciting and interesting observations on antibody mediated responses in the CNS which are particularly relevant for novel immunotherapeutic strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease) or autoimmune diseases (lupus and MS).
• Role of autophagy during polyglutamine aggregation
  In collaboration with A.M. Tolkovsky (Dept of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK) we are studying how autophagy regulates the degradation of proteins that are prone to aggregation.
• Role of electrostatics in entomology
  we have established that insects walking on dielectric surfaces accumulate electrostatic charges and have developed a model to explain the relationship between insect movement and charge accumulation for a variety of surfaces.
• Role of hypoxia and DNA mismatch repair in tumorigenesis
  Using a multicellular tumour spheroid model to investigate the role of hypoxia and DNA mismatch repair on the fundamental processes of importance in tumour development
• Role of membrane transporters in light-regulated seedling development
  
• Role of Pax-3 in sensory neurogenesis
  Pax-3 is a member of a family of evolutionary conserved transcription factors which contain a conserved DNA binding domain of 128 aa, known as the paired domain.
• Role of protein kinase B in signalling cancer
  Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is increasing in both the developed and developing countries.
• Roles of the Mnks (MAP kinase-activated protein kinases) in cell physiology
  The Mnks link MAP kinase signalling to the control of protein synthesis and other key cellular processes. We are investigating how they regulate cell function, especially in relation to cancer, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry.
• SecurEau – Security and decontamination of drinking water distribution systems following a deliberate contamination event.
  This work aims to design novel methodologies for the detection of low levels of contaminants, model the distribution of contaminants throughout a network and identify the point of origin, develop the use of sensors for surveillance and provide decontamination protocols for polluted networks and installations, including the neutralisation of contaminated water and residues.
• Structural basis of the elongation factor 2 kinase (EF2K) activation by Calcium/Calmodulin
  Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) is a calcium/calmodulin (Ca2+/CaM)-dependent protein kinase, which phosphorylates and inactivates the translation elongation factor eEF2, thereby slowing down the rate of translation elongation.
• Structure and Function of Membrane Proteins
  Although significant advances have been made in obtaining crystal structures of membrane proteins, very few membrane proteins have been crystallised. Certain parts of the structure still remain elusive.
• Structure, function and regulation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K)
  eEF2 kinase controls the rate of translation elongation. eEF2K is tightly regulated by many pathways; we are exploring its role oin normal physiology, e.g., in learning and memory and in the cardiovascular system, and in diseases such as cancers.
• Structure, function and regulation of eukaryotic initiation factor eIF2B
  eIF2B plays a key role in regulating protein synthesis. We are studying its structure and regulation, and why defects in this protein lead to the neurological disease vanishing white matter.
• Sustainable urban planning decision support for urban planning BRIDGE
  Modeling the green spaces in two European cities to determine how vegetation can be managed for optium polution mitigation.
• Taste coding and modulation in the locust
  Understanding how tastes are encoded by networks of neurones in insects not only provides us with a greater understanding of sensory processing and integration in the central nervous system, but also an understanding of how pest species select food and avoid noxious chemicals.
• The impact of systemic bacterial and viral infections on innate immune responses in the brain
  Using immunocytochemistry, cell biology, imaging and formal behavioural testing techniques we investigate how systemic infections impact on the brain.
• The role of IgG Fc receptors in the pathogenesis of age related macular degeneration and its implications for therapeutic intervention.
  Using novel models for AMD, we will investigate the functional role of antibodies in disease onset and progression.
• The role of nitric oxide in the control of biofilm and zoonotic pathogen colonisation of the salad phylloplane
  Investigating the use of the signalling molecule nitric oxide for microbial control at the phylloplane
• Transcriptome-wide prediction of eukaryotic translation initiation
  Combining bioinformatics searches with experimental data to broaden our knowledge of eukaryotic translation initiation.
• Tsetse fly control
  Tsetse fly are responsible for transmitting a variety of Trypanosoma protozoal parasites that cause sickness in humans and cattle.
• Understanding the role of lipid-protein interactions in the intracellular localisation of proteins and its role in muscular dystrophy.
  Using a range of biophysical techniques we are investigating how the lipid composition of the intracellular compartments affects protein structure and the role this may play of intracellular localisation.
• Understanding the role of serum amyloid-P component in the stabilization of amyloid deposits
  Using a combination of liquid and solid-state NMR spectroscopy we aim to understand how serum amyloid-P component recognises amyloid fibrils and the role this plays in their stabilization.
• Using Next Generation Sequencing to understand acclimation and adaption of Plantago lanceolata to a changing environment
  Using NGS to investigate novel acclimations and adaptions to elevated atmosphere CO2 in Plantago lanceolata to help explain what the future environment holds for plants.
• Vitacress Research Unit: Improving the quality and healthy-giving benefits of baby salad leaves
  Includes identification of the genetic basis of shelf life and understanding the role of cell wall loosening and cell biophysical characteristics in determining shelf life.
• Wildlife corridors for large mammals in Belize
  Creation of a natural corridor for wildlife to connect the two largest areas of protected rainforest in Belize.

Dormant

• Bioinformatic identification and physiological analysis of ethanol-related genes in C. elegans
  Using the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, to investigate the broad molecular, cellular and systems level impacts of acute and chronic ethanol treatment.
• Food-refuge interactions in periwinkles
  A field-experimental study of the effects on periwinkle populations of clumping their limiting food and refuge resources.
• Popyomics
  Linking physiology, molecular genetics and genomics to understand and manipulate yield and disease resistance in Populus for biomass and timber across Europe
• TSEC-BIOSYS (2006-2009) A whole systems approach to bioenergy demand and supply in the UK
  
• UKERC (2004-2009) – The UK Energy Research Centre