Research Overview

Professor

Jane is a plant biologist with a particular interest in cell signalling. Cell signalling is the mechanism by which plants translate the information they gain from the environment, and turn it into a change in cellular processes and gene expression, so that they can positively adapt to their environment. In an era of climate change and extreme weather events it has never been more important to understand how plants respond to and cope with such events if we are to secure plant and crop production to feed an ever-growing global population. Jane is particularly interested in how plants protect themselves against pests and diseases and how we can harness the knowledge of natural plant defence systems to develop novel ways to protect crop plants.

Published research

With a career spanning nearly three decades Jane has a diverse publication record that charts her changing scientific interests over that time frame. Subjects covered include: abscission, the process by which plants shed organs; cell signalling processes that underpin stomatal guard cell function; and more lately the role of the signalling compound, Jasmonic Acid, in the resistance by plants to pest attack.

Jane has received funding for her research from a range of funding bodies including:

• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Biological and Biotechnological Science Research Council (BBSRC)
• Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Research Councils UK (RCUK)

Current Research

Jane’s is part of the Plant and Crop Science Research Group at the Lancaster Environment Centre. Her current research projects are focussed in two areas:

• Priming of plant defence
• Control of growth of Japanese Knotweed

Roles

At Lancaster University Jane is the University Dean for Academic Quality, and Director of the Institute for Curriculum Enhancement (ICE) (65%), and a member of Senate. Within the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) Jane is Deputy Director, and Director of the Graduate School for the Environment (35%).

Jane is currently a member of the following external organisations

• New Phytologist Board of Advisors
• Education Committee of the Linnean Society
• Society for Experimental Biology

Teaching

Jane's teaching is currently restricted to delivery of a Masters module on Crop Protection as part of an online professional development programme, co-designed and supported by Waitrose, entitled 'Food Challenges for the 21st Century'.