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…
Category: News
News from the Molecular Cytogenetics group, University of Leicester UK about repetitive DNA, genome evolution, chromosomes, hybridization and more.
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,…
Domestication, polyploidy and genomics of crops and weeds PAGXXV
Plant and Animal Genome Conference in San Diego #PAGXXV each January is the chance to join 3500 people working in genomics. I presented a talk on the molecular cytogenetics group’s work, starting with consideration of early stages of crop domestication, and then thinking about how we can make agriculture more sustainable. I also considered weeds,…
Molecular Cytogenetics Group – an infographic of what we do
Infographic: what we do in the Molecular Cytogenetics Research Group
Regulation should follow robust scientific assessments not opinions
University of Leicester scientist in battle to ‘stem onslaught of pseudoscience’ Geneticist at European Commission alarmed at impact of ‘dogma’ in regulation and the negative impact on the environment and European industry A University of Leicester scientist has joined leading scientists from across Europe in raising an alarm over the ‘pseudoscience’ concerning regulation of compounds used…
Scientists ready to stem the onslaught of pseudoscience in the EU
BRUSSELS, May 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ A meeting was held between Dr Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner of Health & Food Safety and well established and respected scientists (Prof. Sir Colin Berry, Prof. Alan Boobis, Prof. Wolfgang Dekant, Prof. Daniel Dietrich, Prof. Helmut Greim, Prof. Pat Heslop-Harrison and Prof. Richard Sharpe) in the fields of human risk assessment and…
Saffron crocus, cooking and Iran on the radio
The spice Saffron is valued worldwide for its flavor, aroma and color. I’ve just broadcast an interview with Robin Young produced by Jill Ryan for NPR’s Here and Now program which let me tell you something about my enjoyment of saffron both as a consumer and scientist. Saffron is unusual in that it is equally…
Diversity and characters in Ethiopian linseed Linum #PAGXXIII Negash Worku
Many people have talked about Orphan crops – those where there has been little genetic or other research – and the characterization, evaluation and exploitation of germplasm at the #PAGXXIII Plant and Animal Genome Conference this week. Today, I am talking about work by Negash Worku on the Diversity and Characters in Ethiopian Linseed Accessions….
Needs for understanding water and food security
“The earth’s land surface receives about 110,000 km3 of rainfall annually. More than half of this water is evapotranspired (transmitted from soils and through plants to the air); about 20,000 km3 falls on land that is cultivated in some form; and about 40,000 km3 becomes available in dams, lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers for human…
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…
Animal Cytogenetics, Gene Mapping and Chromosome Research – The 21st Colloquium Ischia, Naples, Italy
Cytogenetics of animals is moving forward rapidly with the integration of sequencing and robust phylogenies with methods of chromosome analysis. The 21st International Colloquium on Animal Cytogenetics and Gene Mapping held June 2014 covered a range of topics in comparative, molecular, veterinary and environmental cytogenetics, as well as a session on cytogenetics of non-mammalian vertebrates and…
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…
The origin of an old, resource-efficient crop, Broomcorn millet or Panicum miliaceum
307. Hunt HV, Badakshi F, Romanova O, Howe CJ, Jones M, Heslop-Harrison JS. 2014. Reticulate evolution in Panicum (Poaceae): the origin of tetraploid broomcorn millet, P. miliaceum. Journal of Experimental Botany 65 (12), 3165-3175. DOI:10.1093/jxb/eru161 . (Link to local copy J. Exp. Bot.-2014-Hunt-3165-75) Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet) is a tetraploid cereal which was among the first domesticated crops, but is now a minor…
In situ hybridization: a course on FISH and ChIp
In situ hybridization – a course on FISH and ChIp In situ hybridization, now largely with fluorescent detection so ‘fluorescent in situ hybridization’ or FISH, is a key method for localizing DNA sequences along chromosomes and occassionally within interphase nuclei. RNA in situ hybridization (not discussed here) is used for locating gene transcripts within nuclei….
Molecular cytogenetics and genome evolution 