348. Escudeiro A, Ferreira D, Mendes-da-Silva A, Heslop-Harrison JS, Adega F, Chaves R. 2019. Bovine satellite DNAs–a history of the evolution of complexity and its impact in the Bovidae family. European Zoological Journal. 2019 Jan 1 86(1):20-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2018.1558294 (Open access) Despite the many questions regarding satellite DNA sequences and their cellular roles, the evolutionary history of…
Category: Collaborators
People and organizations we collaborate with in the Molecular Cytogenetics group.
Postdoctoral PDA RA positions in South China Botanical Gardens Plant Genome Evolution Research Group
Two post-doctoral positions, one MSc and one PhD position are currently open in the newly established “Plant Genome Evolution Research Group”, Principal Investigator JS (Pat) Heslop-Harrison, at the South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou. I’m very happy to be starting this new lab with distinctive research projects. We have developed…
Obituary for Dr Mark Goodwin
I am so saddened to write about the sudden death of my good friend, colleague and co-project leader, Mark Goodwin. We had very extensive common interests in the application and delivery of research for developing countries, research ethics, and in the role and importance of tertiary education and pedagogy. His inputs to my thinking about…
Herbert Macgregor 1933-2018: a personal tribute
My Tribute to Professor Herbert Macgregor (22nd April 1933 – 22nd July 2018) delivered at his Thanksgiving Service on 13th August 2018 I am humbled to be here today to pay tribute to the wonderful scientist, leader and mentor, Herbert Macgregor. As a fellow cytogeneticist, Herbert has been right at the top of my field,…
Repetitive DNA in the catfish genome- rDNA, microsatellites, and Tc1-mariner transposon sequences in Imparfinis
339. Gouveia JG, Wolf IR, Vilas-Boas LA, Heslop-Harrison JS, Schwarzacher T, Dias AL. 2017. Repetitive DNA in the catfish genome: rDNA, microsatellites, and Tc1-mariner transposon sequences in Imparfinis species (Siluriformes, Heptapteridae). Journal of Heredity 108(6): 650-657. Journal link: https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esx065 Author PHHGouveia_CatfishRepeatsAuthorVersion Physical mapping of repetitive DNA families in the karyotypes of fish is important to understand the organization and evolution…
New Project on Molecular Cytogenetics and Genomics of Ensete banana
We have a research project starting in 2017 on Ethiopian banana, Ensete ventricosum, for 18 months, in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Dr Paul Wilkin) and University of Addis Ababa (Professor Sebsebe Demissew). There is a post-doctoral position working with the project (closed 7 August 2017). The project “Modelling and genomics resources to enhance…
The agriculture-nutrition-health nexus at the cost of water availability
332. Noorka IR, Taufiqullah, Heslop-Harrison JS, Schwarzacher T. 2017. The agriculture-nutrition-health nexus at the cost of water availability in maize diverse genotypes to ensure food security. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments 6(2): 242-251, 2017 ISSN 2079-7079 publisher site: https://psipw.org/attachments/article/401/13e.pdf Originally published as: 2016. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Water Resources and the Arid Environments (ICWRAE…
Chromosomal evolution in Brachiaria forage grasses with Fabiola Carvalho Santos
Fabiola Santos from University of Londrina, Brazil, is working on the Chromosomal evolution and the organization of repetitive DNA sequences in diploid and polyploid Brachiaria forage grasses in the molecular cytogenetics group in Leicester. Brachiaria is most important cultivated forage grass genus in Brazil (with billion-dollar production), and the genus includes diploid and polyploid species with similar…
George Fraser (1955-2014) Professor of Detector Physics and his biology
My colleagues and I were devastated by the news of the untimely death of our collaborator and friend George Fraser (22 July 1955 — 18 March 2014). George had a unique combination of vision of the applications of detector physics, knowledge from space research, optics, and electronics which is a huge loss to the whole…
Sugar cane and characterization of Saccharum hybrids by molecular cytogenetics with Natalia Melloni
Natália Melloni from UNESP and IAC, Brazil, has been characterizing Saccharum sugar cane hybrids in a collaboration with the molecular cytogenetics group. The title of the project is “Characterization of interspecific hybrids (Saccharum spp x Saccharum spontaneum) by molecular cytogenetics” or “Caracterização de híbridos interespecíficos (Saccharum spp x Saccharum spontaneum ) por citogenética molecular”, and…
Crocus and the origin of Saffron
305. Alsayied N, Schwarzacher T, Heslop-Harrison P. 2014. Crocus: research into the origin of saffron. Botanic Garden Newsletter 5: 3. Link to scan of Crocus and the origin of saffron article. The genus Crocus has nearly 100 species, each with unique characters of colour, flowering time or geographical distribution. We are aiming to understand the relationships of the different species, the diversity within species,…
Faisal Nouroz : Collaborator from Hazara University, Pakistan on genome organization
Dr Faisal Nouroz completed his PhD at the University of Leicester in 2012, working on mobile element evolution in two contrasting crop groups, Musa and Brassica. Dr. Faisal Nouroz held a Ph.D scholarship from the Higher Education Commission and Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan and joined the Molecular Cytogenetics Lab, Department of Biology, University of Leicester…
Wheat-Thinopyrum introgression work wins prize for Niaz Ali, Hazara, Pakistan
Dr Niaz Ali, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan works on the introgression of characters from alien species into wheat, having completed his PhD in Leicester in 2012 with Dr Trude Schwarzacher. He presented his PhD work at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB http://www.sebiology.org/meetings /Valencia/Programmes.html) in the session on Exploiting genetic diversity for…
Preserving genetic resources in agriculture: saffron and other EU projects
Maintaining and developing sustainable uses for agricultural genetic resources is essential for ensuring food security in a sustainable manner. In this report, the outcomes of 17 EU projects on genetic resources in animals, arable crops, forest trees and “fruits, vegetables and spices” is discussed. We were involved with the project on the Saffron Crocus, reported on pages…
Dr Ijaz Rasool Noorka – Collaborator from University of Sargodha, Pakistan and Visiting Research Fellow
Dr Ijaz Rasool Noorka has broad interests in the development of productive and sustainable agriculture for Pakistan and developing countries. His interests complement those of the Molecular Cytogenetics Group, and have enabled us to extend our consideration of the outcomes and impact of our work on exploitation of biodiversity by chromosome engineering. Ijaz has been…
Molecular cytogenetics and genome evolution 