Staff
Julia Foreman
Project Co-ordinator
E: Julia.Foreman@ed.ac.uk T: 0131 650 5318
Julia graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of East Anglia. She gained her PhD at the John Innes Centre with Liam Dolan in 2002, using molecular and genetic approaches to understand the processes involved in root hair elongation in Arabidopsis. She continued her research as a post-doc with Peter Doerner at the University of Edinburgh studying the role of A- and B- type cyclins in cell division and growth. This was followed by a brief post-doc with Andrew Millar working on a systems biology project to model the transition to flowering. Since 2005, Julia has been working with Karen Halliday, studying the effect of temperature on light signalling pathways.
Jayne Griffiths
Postdoc (Experimental)
E: jgriffi1@staffmail.ed.ac.uk T: 0131 650 5316
Jayne graduated in 2002 with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology from the University of Bath, a year of this degree was spent working in the Jodrell Laboratory at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. From here she went on to gain an MSc (Distinction) in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology from the University of East Anglia and John Innes Centre. Jayne was awarded her PhD in 2007 from the University of Nottingham after studying genes regulated by the plant hormone gibberellin with Peter Hedden at Rothamsted Research. Her first post-doc was with Frank Gubler at CSIRO, Australia investigating molecular mechanisms behind dormancy. This was followed by a further post-doc at Rothamsted Research identifying downstream targets of DELLA proteins in the gibberellin signalling pathway.Jayne is working with Karen Halliday on the ROBuST systems biology project. She is working on the Regulation of Biological Signalling by Temperature at both the transcript and protein levels.
Tomasz Zielinski
Postdoc (Theoretical)
E: tzielins@staffmail.ed.ac.uk
Tomasz is a proficient Java programmer, who has sound knowledge of both experimental and theoretical methods used in systems biology. He has been involved in many multidisciplinary projects, recently in ROBuST a BBSRC systems biology grant, previously in Revcat a Marie Curie Research Training Network in combinatorial catalysis and various EU founded research projects in economy.
As a software developer for ROBuST project, Tomasz established the biological data repository (BioDare), which became part of the CSBE software infrastructure. BioDare assists both experimentalists and theoreticians in data sharing, processing and analysis. Tomasz is pursuing his interests in metadata capturing and processing as well as in timeseries analysis. He is using elements of Java EE framework (like: JAX-WS, JPA, JAXB, JMS) to develop tools that facilitates these processes.
Kelly Stewart
Technician
Kelly completed her PhD in plant pathology at the University of Edinburgh in 2007 and has been working with Karen Halliday on the ROBuST project since it began in 2008. Her main role in the lab is to make marker lines to look at the expression of temperature stable or temperature sensitive genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. She also assists in the setting up and sampling of large scale time-course experiments (with different light and temperature
regimes) and uses CSBE's KPF facility to carry out high-throughput RNA extraction and qPCR. Kelly also maintains the labs controlled growth room facilities and seed stocks. Other things that Kelly specialises in within the lab are LUC imaging and analysis and leaf movement imaging and period analysis using BRASS software.
Gavin Steel
Technician
Gavin joined the ROBuST project in September 2009 as a research technician.
He graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 1999 with a BSc(Hons) in Biochem/Biotech. Gavin has 12 years of lab experience, mainly in molecular biology and microbiology, gained from post graduate study and working in industry. Gavin is responsible for implementing a crossing program to create circadian clock mutant A.thaliana lines, helping to set up time course experiments to investigate the RNA expression profile of clock genes under various light and temperature conditions, and general lab housekeeping.
Valerie Clark
Administration Assistant
E: valerie.clark@ed.ac.uk T: 0131 651 9064
Valerie joined ROBuST in April 2010 working with Dr Karen Halliday, lead Principle Investigator on the ROBuST Project (Regulation of Biological Signalling by Temperature). Valerie is an experienced office and events manager with over 15 years experience in the voluntary sector working with some of societies most vulnerable people. Her degree is in management and is qualified in accounts and administration.
Joe Hemsted
PhD Student BBSRC funded
I studied Natural Sciences at the University of Durham before joining the Systems Biology DTC at the University of Warwick. This was in collaboration with Edinburgh to prepare for a PhD in Systems Biology, covering Mathematics, Computing and Biological Techniques. For my project I am interested in the interaction of the photoreceptor Phytochrome B and the Phytochrome Interacting Factors, particularly PIF3. This is in collaboration with Christian Fleck's Group at the University of Freiburg, where I spent some time modelling the system. Back in Edinburgh I am continuing with the computational modelling but running alongside lab work to test theories that have arisen in the computer lab.
Robert Smith
PhD Student BBSRC funded
Training: Mathematics MMath (Newcastle University), Systems Biology MSc (University of Warwick). Funding: BBSRC – Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Research: This project is looking into the processes that control the rhythmic growth of plant stems. The rhythmic expression of two genes, PIF4 and PIF5, has been shown to be crucial for stem development by combining light (yellow) and temperature (red) effects with the circadian clock, which acts as the
plants internal pacemaker. A similar system has previously been studied in relation to the time taken for plants to flower. To discover whether anything is missing from this system, mathematical models will be built that test the current biological knowledge of stem growth. The hypotheses determined from this model will help direct the future experimental research of this system.
Henrik Johansson
PhD Student BBSRC and Sulsa funded
Academic background: MSc, Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg
One of the plant's responses to light is the inhibition of the hypocotyl elongation, and the more light the plant perceives the stronger this inhibition. On the other hand, it has been shown that in high light conditions, increasing temperatures promote hypocotyl elongation. The same is not observed in dark grown seedlings, suggesting that light and temperature signalling is closely linked.
My work aims to dissect the molecular framework underlying this apparent interaction of light and temperature perception.
Yin Hoon Chew
PhD Student Darwin Trust of Edinburgh funded
Academic background:
1. Chemical Engineering (Bioprocess), BEng- University Teknologi Malaysia
2. Bioprocess Engineering, MEng- University Teknologi Malaysia.
Interest and current research: I am interested in modelling of plants at different levels and scales. My current research focuses on developing a mathematical model of plant growth and development to flowering, with Arabidopsis as the model species. This study adopts a combination of theoretical and experimental approaches, and utilises information at the molecular level up to the whole-plant level.
Plants are very much affected by environmental factors such as light and temperature. In the light of global warming, predicting and visualizing plant growth will be fundamentally important. This project aims to develop a mathematical model that simulates Arabidopsis plant growth and development to flowering under different conditions, using a combination of theoretical and experimental approaches. This model will consider the interaction between external signalling (i.e. light and temperature) and internal clock regulation. Such a model could be instructive in experimental design, as well as serving as an educational tool.