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Research group

Plants and Food Security

Dragonfly on green crops.

We study the response of plants to the environment at the molecular, whole plant and ecological levels. This includes interactions with nematodes, insects and microbes.

Part of Biological sciences

About

Within the group there are 4 main areas of research:

  • Plant molecular biology: we research a wide range of crops from wheat, barley and rice, to crops that are currently underutilised, but have future potential as staple foods.
     
  • Agricultural ecology: we study the interaction of plants and other organisms in the context of agricultural ecosystems.
     
  • Crop pests and pollinators: we focus on the interaction of crops with both beneficial insects such as pollinators, as well as a range of important agricultural pests.
     
  • Human nutrition: we look into the consequences of altered nutrition on human health and development including epigenetic control of gene expression.

Research highlights

Person picking cocoa plant in forest

Securing food for the future

Environment, sustainability and clean growth
Health and wellbeing
Future societies and communities
Our researchers are finding ways to provide food security for the future.

People, projects and publications

People

Professor Charles Keevil

Professor In Environmental Health Care
Connect with Charles

Email: C.W.Keevil@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 23 8059 4726

ORCID

Dr Daniel Stabler

Lecturer in Plant-Organism Interactions

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Daniel

Email: D.Stabler@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 23 8059 7064

Dr Herman Wijnen Drs, PhD, FHEA

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Control of Daily Rhythms by Circadian Clocks and the Environment
  • Genetics, Behaviour and Neuroscience of the fruit fly Drosophila
  • Chronophysiology of Invertebrates in Association with Global Environmental Change and Food Security

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Herman

Email: H.Wijnen@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 23 8059 4336

Google Scholar
ORCID
LinkedIn
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Dr Jan Janouskovec PhD

Lecturer in Ecology

Research interests

  • Marine phytoplankton and parasites
  • Symbiotic interactions
  • Biodiversity, evolution, genomics

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Jan

Email: J.Janouskovec@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 2380 590 258

Google Scholar
ORCID

Miss Kathryn De Abreu

Connect with Kathryn

Email: kda1g11@soton.ac.uk

ORCID

Professor Lindy Holden-Dye BSc, MSc, PhD, FRSB, FBPhS

PROFESSOR OF NEUROSCIENCES

Research interests

  • Neuropharmacology
  • Invertebrate neuroscience
  • Nematode neurobiology

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Lindy

Email: L.M.Holden-Dye@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 23 8059 9006

ORCID
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Professor Mark Chapman

Professor

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Mark

Email: M.Chapman@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 23 8059 4396

ORCID

Professor Matthew Terry

Professor of Molecular Plant Biology

Research interests

  • Chloroplast development and retrograde signalling to the nucleus
  • Light regulation of wheat growth and development
  • Improving algal photosynthesis

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Matthew

Email: mjt@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 23 8059 2030

ORCID

Dr Negusse Kitaba

Senior Research Fellow

Research interests

  • My current research mainly involves working with DNA methylation data to identify epigenetic marks for periconceptional paternal smoking exposure across generations. This Epigenome Wide Association Study is part of the Rhinessa multicentre population project. My expertise includes integrating multi-omic data such as SNP, transcriptome, methylation and interactome (PPI) at the system level to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the origins of complex diseases. In my former position, I worked on the epigenetic effects of Maternal Gestation Diabetes (GDM) using the UPBEAT Offspring data supported by Diabetes UK.
Connect with Negusse

Email: N.T.Kitaba@soton.ac.uk

Tel: +44 2381208783

ORCID

Dr Richard Meek

Senior Research Fellow

Research interests

  • Eukaryotic Glycobiology
  • Carbohydrate-active Enzymes
  • Post-translational Modifications

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Richard

Email: R.W.Meek@soton.ac.uk

ORCID