How plants erase memories of winterProf Caroline Dean’s research group, working with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, uncovered how plants erase ‘memories’ of winter, so that each generation of seedlings must feel winter before they can flower. This is achieved by production of a protein that acts as a brake to flowering. Epigenetic reprogramming that prevents transgenerational inheritance of the vernalized state. doi:10.1038/nature13722. Nature.

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An Arabidopsis plant flowering in Sweden just after the snow has gone in March An Arabidopsis thaliana plant growing in January on a brick wall in Norwich

Wild relative gene exchange

The genetic mechanism controlling wheat breeding has been uncovered by a team of scientists led by Prof Graham Moore. The team discovered how the Ph1 region of the wheat genome controls genetic exchange. By reducing the activity of proteins which bind to the sections of the chromosomes where the DNA exchange occurs. This discovery could lead to ways for breeders to temporari-ly ‘turn off’ Ph1.Licensing MLH1 sites for crossover during meiosis.

doi:10.1038/ncomms5580. Nature Communications.

Scientists mine plant genomes for valuable chemicals

Plant scientists in Norwich have scoured the genome sequences of 17 plant species to find genes that could help produce high-value chemicals on a large scale. Professor Anne Osbourn led colleagues from the John Innes Centre in the ambitious project, working with scientists in Russia and the US.Many terpenes have important uses in industry and medicine, including widely prescribed cancer drugs and anti-malarials. In the future this may lead to significantly cheaper production of these important compounds. Investigation of terpene diversification across multiple sequenced

plant genomes. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1419547112. PNAS.

Science SpotlightsProgress toward sustainable biological nitrogen fixation

Professor Ray Dixon has been working with Chinese scientists to genetically engineer bacteria that could provide a biologically sustainable source of nitrogen (N) for crops and reduce farmers’ reliance on industrial N fertilisers.The goal of this research is to engineer an artificial iron-dependent nitrogen-fixing system in Escherichia coli. This research marks a first step towards new N-fixing bacteria that could be used in synthetic microbial-plant symbioses. This could provide a biologically sustainable source of N for crops, particularly in areas of the world where soils are deficient in molybdenum. Reconstruction and minimal gene requirements for the alternative iron-only nitrogenase in Escherichia coli. doi:10.1073/pnas.1411185111. PNAS.

Sporulation mystery solved

Scientists in Prof Mark Buttner’s group studying how Streptomyces bacteria produce spores identified the mystery signalling molecule that orchestrates the process of sporulation and also the unique way in which it works.Dr Natalia Tschowri discovered that c-di-GMP regulates bacterial sporulation by controlling the activity of a transcription factor called BldD.This research also shows that c-di-GMP is an important but previously unknown regulator of sporulation in filamentous sporulating bacteria. Tetrameric c-di-GMP Mediates Effective Transcription Factor Dimerization to Control Streptomyces Development . doi:10.1016/j.cell.2014.07.022.

Cell.

Wild grass targets for wheat and barley breeding research

Plant scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich have made a breakthrough that could lead to new, high-yielding, disease-resistant crop varieties.New research suggests that the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon is an ideal model for studying disease resistance traits in wheat and barley, as it acts as a host to many of those crops’ fungal pathogens. Rachel Goddard, Lead Co-Author, said: “Hopefully, by working with this model, scientists can assist plant breeders to identify new target genes to breed even higher yielding crops.”Enhanced Disease Resistance Caused byBRI1 Mutation Is Conserved Between Brachypodium distachyon and Barley (Hordeum vulgare).

doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-03-14-0069-R. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions.

New research offers clue for ‘the abominable mystery’

Professor Lars Østergaard and Dr Laila Moubayidin have discovered an unusual and novel role for the plant hormone auxin in the development of the female organs of the flower.The structures of many organisms begin development as a ball of similar cells with radial symmetry, which then develop bilateral symmetry as the cells differentiate. This unusual transition is controlled by two genes directly affecting auxin distribution. This change is crucial for effective fertilisation. Dynamic Control of Auxin Distribution Imposes a Bilateral-to-Radial Symmetry Switch During Gynoecium Development. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.09.080. Current Biology.

Sporulation mystery solved - The Project Team. Left to Right: Professor Mark Buttner, Dr Susan Schlimpert and Dr Natalia Tschowri, John Innes Centre. Professor Maria Schumacher and Professor Richard Brennan, Duke University.

John Innes Centre PhD student and lead author Rachel Goddard

PeopleNew Project Leader announcements

Geraldine Platten appointed as Communications Manager for JIC and TSL

Geraldine joins the External Relations team with significant experience in press and strategic communications. Her background includes communicating science on behalf of Defra, the Department for International Development, and the Department for Education and Skills. Her experience includes communicating the UK’s policy on Africa and the media handling of GM issues.

Dr Christine Faulkner – Crop Genetics Christine’s research focuses on intercellular communication, addressing questions of how plant cells communicate when under attack from a pathogen.

Dr Yiliang Ding – Cell and Developmental Biology

Yiliang’s research focuses include the role of RNA structure in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and exploring how RNA structures alter in response to environmental changes.

Dr Xiaoqi Feng – Cell and Developmental Biology

Xiaoqi will aim to dissect the mechanisms by which genetic and epigenetic factors shape the function and fate determination of the male sexual lineage.

Dr Steven Penfield – Crop Genetics Steve is using molecular, genetic and computational approaches to understand the role of seed behaviour in seasonal life history generation.

Dr Brande Wulff – Crop Genetics

Brande is studying various structured populations of wheat to identify genes restricting the causal agents of wheat stem rust and Septoria tritici blotch, two major fungal diseases of wheat.

Funding and InvestmentsJIC-led studentship programme receives £12.5m investment

The JIC led a successful bid resulting in a £12.5m BBSRC award for the Norwich Bioscience Institutes Doctoral Training Programme. In addition to the £12.5M announced, the partners—The John Innes Centre which led the bid, The Sainsbury Laboratory, The Genome Analysis Centre, the Institute of Food Research and the University of East Anglia—have themselves contributed £3M to the five year programme, increasing the total number of PhD students being trained from 125 up to 156.

Collaboration with Indian institutes with BBSRC funding

The BBSRC have awarded grants for two projects for JIC scientists to collaborate with researchers in India. One will look at grass pea toxicity and the other at disease in potatoes and wheat. Professors Cathie Martin and Trevor Wang will lead a project on grass peas to develop varieties with reduced toxicity. Dr Brande Wulff, with colleagues at the adjoining Sainsbury Laboratory, will lead a project on potato and wheat disease. The projects are designed to enhance and safeguard food production overseas and in the UK.

JIC and Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborate on new Centre of Excellence

Scientific partnerships between the UK and China are being strengthened with the establishment of a £12m centre for plant science and microbiology spanning the two countries.The Centre of Excellence will enhance research to support the agricultural technology and microbial genetics agendas of both countries.This new agreement is the most advanced partnership between the UK and China of its kind and was developed with support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Enterprise funding for barley beer brewing

Scientists are developing a new business concept based on expertise in growing heritage lines of barley for brewing quality beers.Crop geneticist Dr Sarah de Vos was awarded a BBSRC/Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship to develop the idea.

3 iCASE studentships awarded

Tony Miller, Paul Nicholson, and Rob Field were awarded industrially sponsored postgraduate research studentships, to commence in Autumn 2015. Tony Miller will be working on strategies to improve nitrogen use in forage crops; Paul Nicholson will be working on eliminating Fusarium head blight susceptibility in wheat; and Rob Field will be working on controlling anti-bacterial action spectrum with sugars.

Aerial view of the Norwich Research Park. Image courtesy of HexCam. Enterprise funding for barley beer brewingL-R Dr Paul Nicholson, Dr Sarah de Vos and Dr Chris Ridout outside the Centrum building at the John Innes Centre.

Public engagementScience for Africa

The John Innes Centre is running a new fundraising campaign to pay for a student from sub-Saharan Africa to study at the JIC. The student will complete a PhD at the JIC on Yellow Rust, a disease of agricultural importance in sub-Saharan Africa. If you would like to help or know more, see www.scienceforafrica.com

14 year old students identify poisonous mushroom new to Norfolk

School students attending the John Innes Centre Year 10 Science Camp identified a species of a poisonous mushroom never before found in Norfolk using advanced genetic analysis techniques.Phoebe Ellwood and Sophie Royal received acknowledgement in Anne Edwards and Tony Leech’s paper when the results were published in Field Mycology in October.Agaricus Bresadolanus - A Toxic Mushroom. doi:10.1016/j.fldmyc.2014.09.004. Field Mycology.

A-Level students get to grips with genetics

Nine A-level students from Norfolk worked alongside world-leading scientists from the John Innes Centre for a month, contributing to research in crop genetics, nutrition, plant disease resistance and growth patterns.The students were part of a Nuffield Research Placement, which gives students studying science, technology, engineering and maths the chance to see research in action.

JIC preserves vital research thanks to oral history project

A collection of audio cassettes and tapes, containing interviews and vital research from key scientists and various former employees of the John Innes Centre and the Plant Breeding Institute, have been digitised and preserved.These new digitised recordings are now accessible through the Searchroom at the Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, and information is available at www.collections.jic.ac.uk

David Widdick’s BBSRC 20th Anniversary Images with Impact photo shortlisted

For more information, and the full stories, please visit our website at www.jic.ac.uk

Sophie Royal (L) and Phoebe Ellwood (R) taking part in Year 10 Science Camp 2014 A-Level students get to grips with genetics

Antibiotics scientist Dr David Widdick, of the John Innes Centre, has had one of his images shortlisted in the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC’s) 20th anniversary Images with Impact competition.His close-up photograph of colonies of soil bacteria, called Actinomyces, was one of just six shortlisted images representing how life sciences are changing the world in food, farming, bioenergy, biotech, industry and health. His image can be viewed at http://bbsrc2014.picturk.com

AwardsDr Anne Edwards is awarded a British Empire Medal

Dr Edwards was named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for services to the environment and the public understanding of science. Dr Edwards confirmed ash die back disease had reached the UK’s wild ash tree population in September 2012. Following the discovery Dr Edwards worked with Professor Allan Downie to set up the Nornex consortium, which has already led to a better understanding of how the fungus works.

Professor Caroline Dean receives a BBSRC Award for Excellence in Bioscience

The award recognises Professor Dean’s illustrious plant science career. In particular, she is celebrated for her pioneering role in the uptake and development of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model species for plant research, and in using this small garden weed to advance understanding in the field of epigenetics.

Professor George Lomonossoff is awarded the 2015 Colworth Prize Lecture

This prestigious award is presented every two years to a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to translational microbiology. Professor Lomonossoff is recognised for his work on developing the ‘hyper-translatable’ Cowpea Mosaic Virus expression system, or CPMV-HT for short. This technology, which exploits a modified version of part of a plant virus genome, turns plants into ‘factories’ capable of producing commercially important proteins on an industrial scale.

Highly cited scientists

Seven scientists from the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich have been named in the top 1% of highly cited scientists across the world. The study by Thomson Reuters is a measure of the exceptional impact the scientists are making globally.

The scientists from the John Innes Centre are Professor Alison Smith, Professor Caroline Dean, and Professor Giles Oldroyd. The scientists from The Sainsbury Laboratory are Professor Cyril Zipfel, Professor Sophien Kamoun, Professor Jonathan Jones, and Dr Joe Win.

This magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper (NAPM) certified which is fully chlorine free, totally recyclable and bio-degradable.

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Dr Anne Edwards