News
August 2024 – published!
Origin and evolution of the bread wheat D genome - Nature
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07808-z
Lots of Aegilops tauschii genomes!
awesome collaboration as part of the Open Wild Wheat Consortium (OWWC)
July 2024 – published!
Identifying genomic regions associated with C4 photosynthetic activity and leaf anatomy in Alloteropsis semialata - New Phytologist
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19933
We Identify leaf anatomy and metabolic regulators that are responsible for C4 evolution. This includes a known homolog to one of the only two C4 anatomy loci that have been previously described in maize, highlighting that independent C4 origins may repeatedly recruit members of the same family of transcription factors.
May 2024 – published!
A new species of Vallisneria L. for Western Australia and recircumscription of V. triptera SWL Jacobs & K. Frank - Telopea
https://doi.org/10.7751/telopea17993
A new species of Vallisneria from the swamps of the Kimberley, Western Australia
April 2024 – published!
C4 photosynthesis provided an immediate demographic advantage to populations of the grass Alloteropsis semialata - New Phytologist
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19606
C4 is an advantage in the game of life!
March 2024 – FUNDED
Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) has funded an interdisciplinary collaboration with Dr Valérie Reijers (Utrecht University) and Dr Meagan Wengrove (Oregon State University) to investigate how molecular variation translates into whole landscape modifications using dune building grasses as a model - 'Genes to Geoengineering'.
February 2024 – published!
Morphological and genetic evidence suggest gene flow among native and naturalized mint species - American Journal of Botany
October 2023 – published!
Wild plants may edit their genomes in the same way we make GM crops – and it could be crucial to evolution - The Conversation
Pop-science article on out recent paper in New Physiologist, read it here
October 2023 – published!
Lateral gene transfer generates accessory genes that accumulate at different rates within a grass lineage - New Phytologist
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19272
Estimating the rate of LGT - one every 35,000 years! is that a lot 🤷
August 2023 – Accepted!
Lateral gene transfer generates accessory genes that accumulate at different rates within a grass lineage
Pauline's work looking at the rate of gains and losses of laterally acquired genes has been accepted in New Phytologist and will be out very soon!!
July 2023 – Published
Commentary: Extrachromosomal circular DNA as a vehicle to gene transfer in plants
Lara's commentary Plant Physiology link out work on LGT with eccDNA work in Amaranthus - exciting stuff! o
July 2023 – Conference
Great to attend the SMBE conference in Ferrara (Italy) with Noah, Cat & George - was a little too hot!!
July 2023 – Published
Review: Alloteropsis semialata as a study system for C4 evolution in grasses
Lara's review in Annals of Botany on everybodys favourite grass - Alloteropsis semialata! details all the previous work on this remarkable grass, and what still needs to be done.
May 2023 – Fieldwork in Australia
Awesome trip to Australia to collect grasses from the subtribe Anthistiriinae (Andropogoneae, Poaceae) for a recent national Taxonomy Research Grant Program (NTRGP) in collarboartion with Dr Richard Jobson (National Herbarium of New South Wales). Great trip, although i will be happy to not see any snakes for a while!
May 2023 – Published
Leaf anatomy explains the strength of C4 activity within the grass species Alloteropsis semialata
Ahmed's first paper from his PhD published in Plant, Cell and Environment! Ahmed links anatomical variation and C4 activity. Increased investment in bundle sheath boosts the strength of the intercellular C4 pump and shifts the balance of carbon acquisition towards the C4 cycle. Carbon isotope ratios indicating a stronger C4 pathway are associated with warmer, drier environments, suggesting that incremental anatomical alterations can lead to the emergence of C4 physiology during local adaptation within metapopulations.
January 2023 – Published
Genetic assimilation of ancestral plasticity during parallel adaptation to zinc contamination in Silene uniflora
Paper looking at Genetic assimilation of ancestral plasticity during parallel adaptation to zinc contamination in Silene uniflora has been accepted for publication in Nature Ecology and Evolution. This study was led by researchers from the University of Bangor and involved researchers from the University of Sheffield, University of Exeter, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB), Montpellier.
January 2023 – Fieldwork in Tanzania
A great trip to Tanzania to collect more Alloteropsis for Cat Collin's PhD project. Lots of samples, transects and wildlife. Also it was great to work with Dr Canisius Kayombo from the Forestry Training Institute (FTI) Olmotonyi again.
12 December 2022 – Published
Lara has published a fantastic review looking at the mechanisms underpinning lateral gene trasnfer between grasses in the journal Plants, People and Plannet. In this review, Lara shows that transformation techniques used to genetically modify organisms could occur in the wild and be responsible for the frequently observed grass-to-grass LGTs. The distinction between natural evolutionary processes and genetic engineering might be arbitrary, and its validity will be further debated as agricultural biotechnology becomes more widely used and examples of “natural genetic engineering” through LGT increase.
12 December 2022 – Accepted
Paper looking at Genetic assimilation of ancestral plasticity during parallel adaptation to zinc contamination in Silene uniflora has been accepted for publication in Nature Ecology and Evolution. This study was led by researchers from the University of Bangor and involved researchers from the University of Sheffield, University of Exeter, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB), Montpellier.
6 December 2022 – Funded
Congratulations to Cat Collins for being awarded a Genetics Society Heredity Training Grant. This means Cat will be able to head to Jon Houseley's lab at the Babraham Institute to learn about isolating and sequencing large eccDNA molecules!
PhD Project - Come work with us!
Fully funded PhD Project on "Evolution in the shifting sands: understanding how beach grasses have adapted to life on the coast" for more details check our the advert or contact us!
PhD Project - Come work with us!
Fully funded PhD Project on "The evolution of plant chemical defence" for more details check our the advert or contact us!
PhD Project - Come work with us!
Fully funded PhD Project on "unravelling the mechanics of lateral gene transfer between grasses". for more details check our the advert or contact us!
9 September 2022 – Accepted
Paper looking at the origin of Themeda Triandra ecotypes in Australia has been accepted for publication in the journal Molecular Ecology. This study was led by researchers from the University of Sheffield in collaboration with researcher from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the University of Bangor, Copenhagen, Queensland and Pretoria.
5 August 2022 – Funded
Congratulations to Cat Collins for being awarded a Genetics Society Heredity Fieldwork Grant. This means Cat will be able to head to Tanzania and Zambia to collect Alloteropsis in January 2023!
27 July 2022 – Awarded
The 2021 Stebbins medal was awarded to Luke Dunning by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) president Patrick Herendeen at the Botany 2022 conference in Anchorage, Alsaska. For more details of the award read here.
30 March 2022 – Funded
Australian Government’s national Taxonomy Research Grant Program (NTRGP) has funded a collaboration with Richard Jobson (Australian Institute of Botanical Science) to investigate the Generic and species-level resolution in Subtribe Anthistiriinae (Andropogoneae, Poaceae using whole-genome sequencing
22 November 2021 – Accepted
Paper looking at intraspecific hybrids between different photosynthetic types in Alloteropsis semialata and their C4 characteristics. Collaboration led by Matheus Bianconi and involving several other researchers from the University of Sheffield. Out soon in Plant, Cell & Environment.
5 October 2021 – Welcome
Cat Collins joins us for her MRes project investigating the molecular mechanisms behind adaptation of Marram grass to coastal dunes.
26 July 2020 – Funded
We will be sequencing the Marram grass genome thanks to the NEOF de novo genome pilot competition to establish Ammophila arenaria as a study system to investigate rapid environmental adaptation.
24 May 2021 – Welcome
Lara Garcia joins us as a postdoctoral research associate working on the NERC project to investigate the comparative phylogenomics of lateral gene transfer among grasses.
5 January 2021 – Published
Paper investigating the rapid parallel adaptation of Silene uniflora to anthropogenic heavy metal pollution published in Molecular Biology and Evolution. This study was led by the Papadopulos Lab at Bangor University and involved researchers from the University of Exeter, Sheffield, Southampton, Western Australia, Royal Holloway, FRB-CESAB and RBG Kew. View paper
26 April 2021 – Welcome
Barbara Dobrin joins us as a postdoctoral research associate working on the NERC project to investigate the comparative phylogenomics of lateral gene transfer among grasses.
23 April 2021 – Published
Sam’s first paper from his PhD is published in New Phytologist. The paper was well received and mentioned in numerous media outlets including:
3 April 2021 – Awarded the 2021 Stebbins Medal
The Stebbins Medal is awarded for an outstanding publication in phylogenetic systematics and evolution biennially by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT). We received the 2021 medal for our 2019 PNAS paper titled 'Lateral transfers of large DNA fragments spread functional genes among grasses'.
26 February 2021 – Accepted twice!
The first paper led by Samuel Hibdige shows LGT is widespread in grasses (including crops) and was accepted for publication in New Phytologist. The second paper led by Jill Olofsson looks at how photosynthetic diversity in the grass Alloteropsis semialata is maintained despite gene flow and habitat overlap. This collaboration involved numerous researchers from the University of Sheffield, RBG Kew and the University of Zambia, and will be appearing shortly in Molecular Ecology.
8 January 2021 – Accepted
Paper looking in detail at the taxonomic relationships of Themeda and Heteropogon grass (Andropogoneae), including lots of new chloroplast trees and nuclear data! Collaboration led by researchers at RBG Kew involving researchers from the University of Alabama, Reading, Sheffield, Toulouse, RBG Edinburgh and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Out soon in The Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.
20 October 2020 – Accepted
Paper accepted in Proceedings of the Royal Society B showing discordant nuclear/chloroplast evolutionary histories and how his relates to physiological diversification in the grass Alloteropsis. Great collaboration with researchers from the University of Sheffield, RBG Kew and the University of Toulouse.
6 October 2020 – Recruiting
Apply for a three-year postdoc position with Dr Luke Dunning and Dr Pascal-Antoine Christin, closing date 15/11/2020.
6 October 2020 – Funded
Dr Luke Dunning and Dr Pascal-Antoine Christin have been awarded a NERC Standard Grant to investigate the comparative phylogenomics of lateral gene transfer among grasses. Recruiting two postdoctoral research associates as part of the project.
1 October 2020 – Day one of the Dunning Lab!
I have officially started my NERC Independent Research Fellowship in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. Recruiting soon.