Current research areas:
Long-term priming of plant defence responses
- Mechanisms and applications of long-term priming of plant
resistance to stress, including;
- Stress-induced epigenetic regulation of immunity
- Maternal effects and trans-generational phenotypic plasticity.
Sustainable approaches to improved plant biotic and abiotic stress
resistance
- Novel seed treatments which provide long-lasting increases in
resistance against disease and insect pests in crop plants.
- The isolation of natural plant products from
agricultural/horticultural and food wastes that have applications in
improving stress resistance.
Effects of the environment on plant stress responses
- Interactions between light signalling and wound/herbivore
responses in Arabidopsis.
- Ozone signalling
- Effects of climate change (elevated temperature and CO2
levels) on plant-insect interactions.
These projects have been supported by over £2 million external
funding, including grants from BBSRC, Defra, NERC and industry.