Plant Genome and Chromosome Biology

Who we are and what we do

Members of PGCB undertake varied research into the biology of grasses, cereals and legumes. The focus of our research is on applying genomic, cytogenetic and bioinformatic analyses in the generation and analysis of novel crop plant phenotypes.

Within PGCB we have particular interests in:

• The genetics and genomics of the forage grasses Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) and Festuca pratensis (meadow fescue).
• The genetics and genomics of cultivated hexaploid oats (Avena sativa) and the development of experimental resources using tetraploid (A. barbata) and diploid  (A. atlantica, A. strigosa) relatives.
• The molecular phylogenetics of Avena and Brachypodium spp.
• The molecular cytogenetics of meiotic recombination and genome constitution in ryegrasses, fescues, rye and barley.
• The analysis of the evolutionary origins and consequences of polyploidy in Trifolium spp.
• The development of ‘bioinformatics for breeding’ tools and resources which integrate the results of genotypic and phenotypic investigations.

Group Members

Dr Ian Armstead, Dr Narcis Fernandez-Fuentes, Dr Glyn Jenkins, Dr Tim Langdon, Dr Adriana Ravagnani, Mr Alan Gay, Dr Lin Huang, Dr Leif Skøt, Dr Dylan Phillips, Ms Ann Thomas, Mr John Harper, Mrs Caron James, 

Dr Dagmara Gasior, Mr Simon Betts, Mrs Charlotte Jones, Maciej Bisaga.

Facilities

The National Plant Phenomics Centre (NPPC)