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esearch, Carnegie Institution, 1938, reprinted in [8]) is anspiring piece that articulates the importance of studyinge diversity of plant form evolution in light of their envir-nments and biochemical functions. Some of the areas heentioned have emerged as new fields such as ecologicalhysiology and evo-devo. These papers have influenced thepproach in my research, particularly the desire to combineethods and concepts from different disciplines in formu-ting and addressing scientific problems.

hindsight, what in your research career has givenou the most pleasure?

all the environmental signals to change the physiology anddevelopment at molecular, cellular, and organismal levels.In particular, I am interested in understanding how gen-omes are structured in three dimensions and modifiedin response to stress in plants and how the structuralmodifications and spatial organization of the genomes inthe nucleus can affect gene expression and evolution ofpathways and networks.

What is the best advice you have been given and whatadvice would you give?

The importance of communication in science is some-

cientific Life: TrendsTalk Trends in Plant Science April 2014, Vol. 19, No. 4

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Positive and synergistic interactions with other scien-sts, particularly with the students and postdoctorates iny laboratory, have been the most fun aspects of mysearch career. Recruiting and advising people have beene most challenging yet rewarding part of being a groupader. I find that the most creative and unexpected ideasme from talking with other people, especially those withifferent backgrounds, levels of training, and areas ofxpertise. Scientific research is often a solitary journeyhether it is conducting experiments or interpreting thesults. The depth of intellectual exploration is often filledith self-doubt and skepticism. Communicating my ideasnd results with others has often led to insights that wouldot have come up by simply reading or thinking hard aboute problems in solitude. I find that the most creativelutions have come from talking with people and thatnergism is what makes being a scientist fun.

hat big questions interest you in the long term?I hope to combine different approaches and concepts in

arious fields such as plant physiology, evolution, genetics,mputer science, engineering, and statistics to betternderstand the evolutionary and molecular mechanismsf adaptation in plants. I am interested in understandinghat the various traits and forces are that need to bealanced to adapt to fluctuating environments. I wouldlso like to understand how plants perceive and integrate

pecial Issue: Systems Biology

nterview with Alisdair R. F

lisdair R. Fernie

ax-Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Muhlen

ermany

lisdair Fernie was born outside of Cambridge, UK, butrew up in a small town to the west of London. He studiediochemistry and molecular biology as an undergraduate

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60-1385/$ – see front matter

2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2014.01.004

orresponding author: Fernie, A.R. (Fernie@mpimp-golm.mpg.de).

ing I wish I had learned earlier in my career. For too long,thought that the most important thing in science was toork on interesting and important problems, plan andnduct experiments well, and produce good results. Laterrealized that these are necessary but not sufficient to beccessful in science. It is important to communicate one’sience to others effectively in light of the recipient’serspective. When writing a manuscript, it is important

first consider the reader, when giving a talk, to firstnsider the audience, when writing a proposal, to considere peer reviewer, and when talking to a non-scientist, tonsider what the person values.

eferencesWaddington, C. (1957) The Strategy of the Genes: A Discussion of SomeAspects of Theoretical Biology, George Allen & UnwinLazebnik, Y. (2002) Can a biologist fix a radio? – Or, what I learned whilestudying apoptosis. Cancer Cell 2, 179–182McClintock, B. (1984) The significance of responses of the genome tochallenge. Science 226, 792–801Stebbins, G.L. (1999) A brief summary of my ideas on evolution. Am. J.Bot. 86, 1207–1208Johnson, W.H. and Steere, W.C., eds (1962) This is Life: Essays inModern Biology, Holt, Rinehart, and WinstonArnon, D.I. (1982) Sunlight, Earth Life: the grand design ofphotosynthesis. Science 22, 22Jones, D.F. (ed.) (1932) Proceedings of the Sixth International Congressof Genetics, Genetics Society of AmericaHaskins, C. (ed.) (1967) Search for Understanding, Carnegie Institutionof Washington

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t the University of Sheffield (BSc 1995) and went on tomplete a PhD at the Department of Plant Sciences ate University of Oxford (1998). Following working as aostdoc in the laboratory of Lothar Willmitzer at theax Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology,otsdam-Golm, Alisdair started his own research group

the Institute. Since 2003, he has been running theentral Metabolism group at the Institute, where he

a tenured research scientist. Although his researchterests span genetics, metabolism, and physiology, they

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ing their subsequent achievements.

Scientific Life: TrendsTalk Trends in Plant Science April 2014, Vol. 19, No. 4

largely focus on the regulation of metabolism and itimpact on other processes, with his research group developing and applying techniques for high-resolution metabolite and flux profiling from both spatial and temporaaspects. His current interests include systems approacheto understanding the regulation and co-ordination of primary and intermediary metabolism.

What influenced your path into plant biology?No singular event. I enjoyed the few plant biochemistrylectures I received during my BSc studies at Sheffield andhad experienced practical aspects of plant biology during ashort work-experience placement at what is now Syngentaat Jealott’s Hill as a 16-year old. To be frank, I chosebiochemistry because I was unsure which of my favoritschool subjects (biology or chemistry) to continue with and

felt this may offer a middle-way. However, despite thebiomedical leanings of my education, I felt considerablymore attracted to study plant as opposed to mammalianmetabolism; therefore, when the chance arose to researchheterotrophic carbon metabolism in plants at the Universityof Oxford, I made the switch.

How did you decide on your current research topics?They are a convergence of what interests me deeply andwhat is currently tractable to address. For example, analysis of metabolic flux has been a longstanding interest omine since my DPhil project at the University of Oxfordhowever, it was only recently that we were able to applymethods to resolve carbon fluxes in the illuminated leaand to study the interface between primary and secondarymetabolism. Similarly, communal understanding of quantitative genetics has greatly accelerated our ability toidentify cardinal genes underlying important agronomitraits. Two of the more recent topics we have embarked on(those concerning autophagy and UV-B tolerance mechanisms) were proposed by research fellows who joined the laband are proving very successful.

What would you be if you were not a plant biologist?

especially interested in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA)

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tance. Additionally, Andrew Benson’s story of succeeding

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in the face of adversity, as revealed in his homely interviewwith Bob Buchanan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfQQJ2vR_xE), is highly inspiring.

What is the best advice that you have been given?As an undergraduate I did a summer project in thelaboratory of David Hornby on ‘Trimethylamine protection of lactate dehydrogenase during chronic renal failure’. After 10 weeks, I handed in a report that he told mehe was very happy with but requested that I went to thelibrary and read two papers that had been published5 years before. On reading these, I discovered that all theexperiments I had performed and, hence, my entirereport, were already published. I guess this was a lessonrather than advice per se, but it was a very valuable oneand one that I think it is increasingly relevant given thedisappearance of traditional libraries in many researchfacilities.

What advice would you give?When I was looking for a postdoc position many, manypeople told me that I should change fields because thiwould afford me richer experiences. Suffice to say, I ignoredthis advice. I think the most important thing is to studysomething that you are deeply passionate about; learningdifferent methods and laboratory skills is important buonly so far as in what they allow you to address.

In hindsight, what in your research career has givenyou the most pleasure?I think that scientific research contains, as well amany anxieties, many pleasures. A few highlights of mineinclude the submission of my DPhil thesis during the earlystages of my career and obtaining major grants and positions on editorial boards of distinguished journals, as welas receiving awards that reflect recognition from my peersLately, my greatest pleasure comes when PhD studentand postdocs of the lab obtain good positions and in follow

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Laughs. When Muhammad Ali was asked the analogousquestion (i.e., What would you be if you were not a boxer?),he answered that he was not sure but he would certainlyhave been the best in the world at it. Myself, I honestlyhave no idea. As a teenager, I always imagined myself as aforest ranger, so I’d probably be a very bad forest ranger.

Do you have a scientific hero?I have several, most of whom are biochemists. As someone

What is your opinion of the second green revolution?It is clearly a massive and essential societal and scientifichallenge. Sadly, though, I am in agreement with manyothers that, despite massive private philanthropic effortsgovernmental investment into searching for a solution tothis falls far short of what it should.

What big questions interest you in the long term?

Finding ways to ensure and improve crop production in

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cycle, two that stand out are Hans Krebs for his discoveryof not one but three cyclic metabolic pathways, and PauSrere for both conceptualizing the metabolon and fogetting so far in demonstrating its occurrence and impor

a changing environment, increasing spatial and kinetiresolution of experimental measurements, and therebybetter deciphering biological processes, defining not onlythe chemical structure, but also the biological roles of themyriad metabolites of the plant kingdom.