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'Old News' from the Molecular Cytogenetics Research GroupGenomics, Molecular Cytogenetics, Chromosomes |
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| Previous News Items - removed from homepage 17 April 2012 | |||||||||
We have made two YouTube Videos for University Practical Classes in the BS1003 Cell and Developmental Biology. The related part of the course booklet is here. The first video shows sterile tissue cultures of tobacco leaves and carrot roots.
The second shows control of pigment production by phytochrome involving reception of red and far red light
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6th September 2011: Talk at Plant Genome Evolution, Amsterdam (6Mb PDF) Follow on Twitter with #PGE11 or Pathh1 1st September 2011: Talk at International Chromosome Conference Manchester ICC18 |
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A discussion and more pictures related to the interview of Pat Heslop-Harrison by Jay Rayner is posted on www.AoBBlog.com. This site also encourages comments and questions about the article. Pictures of banana diseases and the banana genome are shown in a recent lecture here - sorry for the large PDF download. This website, www.molcyt.com, gives technical information about our research projects, including links to the primary publications which are used by other scientists, plant breeders and policy makers, as well as by students studying these areas. |
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All biological systems involve complex networks with genes and regulatory interactions. In this manuscript with the lab of Kwang-Hyun Cho, KAIST, Korea, we develop an algorithm that systematically removes redundant verticies and nodes from a complete network, leaving a simplified "kernel" that is functionally and dynamically equivalent to the original complex network. The full paper is at 10.1126/scisignal.2001390. The paper was chosen for an Editor's Summary here and the concept is illustrated on the cover of the issue. J.-R. Kim, J. Kim, Y.-K. Kwon, H.-Y. Lee, P. Heslop-Harrison, K.-H. Cho, Reduction of Complex Signaling Networks to a Representative Kernel. Sci. Signal. 4, ra35 (2011). | |||||||||
| Pat Heslop-Harrison presented a talk "Adventures, Bananas, Cytogenetics, Diversity and Evolution" to the Association of Clinical Cytogeneticists ACC Spring Meeting in Durham in April 2011. (Sorry, thats a link to a large PDF - it will take up to 5 min to download). The title sounds rather contrived but actually jumped out from a (deadly!) bullet point list of the main points when I was outling the talk. It was quite a challenge - a very welcome one - to talk to this expert audience and excite them about the range of our work and its implications. In March, Pat Heslop-Harrison has made presentations on molecular cytogenetics at the European Cytogeneticists Association training course and at a graduate level course in Leicester. A version of the slides from these courses are linked here: in both cases, I left in several blocks of slides which enabled me to alter the focus depending on discussions. | |||||||||
Plant and Animal Genome Conference, San Diego 2011 - Pat Heslop-Harrison made two presentations
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ECA course in Nimes 2010 - Plant Molecular Cytogenetics slides here (11MB large PDF - wait for download). A paper on "Biology and Engineering: Coming Together in Systems Biology" was presented in Korea (link on title opens 8MB PDF of my talk). Video-on-demand VOD of my talk is at http://www.eimbl.org/club.intro.seminar.list.screen?p_cate=35 A paper on Genomics, Economics and Bananas was presented at the OECD meeting on Tropical Fruits in (indirect link). Xuerong Mao organized and exciting workshop on The Stochastic Modelling of Biological Networks in September 2010 at the University of Strathclyde. Pat Heslop-Harrison's lecture overviewed current systems biology work in collaborations with Jongrae Kim (University of Glasgow), Declan Bates (University of Exeter) and Kwang-Hyun Cho (KAIST, Korea). The PDF of the lecture (with a few deletions, as well as the extra slides skipped when I ran out of time) is here. Key points included the critical nature of noise in inducing and maintaining oscillations that are important to control, the costs of control and feedback loops to a cell, and the synchronization of oscillations.
Focus on the crocus - Leicester's internationally acclaimed genetics research involved in European project into saffron production. Details are presented in our news story - Focus on the Crocus Photographs of posters and gardens are here: Richard Gornall (Centre_ and Pat Heslop-Harrison (Right) Discussing Crocus Origins With David Watkin (left, Chair of the Friends of the Botanic Garden) SEB Presidents Commentary on Communications May 2010 Biomass Gene Locations (QTLs) Identified in Ryegrass April 2010 |
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Synchronization of Oscillations
See the work with colleagues from Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Journal of Cell Science Kim J-R, Shin D, Jung SH, Heslop-Harrison P, Cho K-H. 2010. A design principle underlying the synchronization of oscillations in cellular systems. Journal of Cell Science doi: 10.1242/jcs.060061 (password for this link only) A movie film shows the induction of synchronization by the interactions. Lecture to the BSBI June 2010 DNA extraction Pat Heslop-Harrison talked about DNA and Chromosomal Evolution to the Botanical Society of the British Isles at their Annual General Meeting. The lecture slides are linked here (4.5MB PDF). DNA extraction was as follows: Pour into a coffee filter and allow to drip through for 15 min Add 25 ml ice cold alcohol/ethanol - UK standard 40% vodka will not work well; I used Irish Poteen at 60%; strong rum is also suitable; or rubbing alcohol) Wait 2 to 10 min, and the DNA will precipitate out as white, sticky, fibrous strands. (If you want to purify further, you can pour off the alcohol/water/protein/salt/detergent liquid, rinse the DNA with more alcohol, and redissolve the DNA in water, then reprecipitate). The shampoo gently disolves the cell membranes and proteins, leaving the DNA intact, the EDTA stabilises the DNA from enzyme attack, and the salt-sodium citrate is a weak buffer. DNA is soluble in salt solutions but not in dilute ethanol, unlike most other cellular components which are insoluble (filtered out) or remain dissolved.
We are all involved with the dissemination of the science we Full SEB Bulletin March 2010 here.
(first link needs password, second needs subscription)
DNA Satellite Evolution Guto Kuhn reports for the first time interspersion between non-homologous satellite DNA repeats in Drosophila. The article features on the Heredity website for May 2009
This work also revealed satDNA monomers organized as higher-order repeats – a rarely reported feature in the Drosophila genus. (Link here our other work on Drosophila satellite DNA.) See full paper at: Kuhn GCS, Teo CH, Schwarzacher T, Heslop-Harrison JS. 2009. Evolutionary dynamics and sites of illegitimate re-combination revealed in the interspersion and sequence junctions of two nonhomologous satellite DNAs in cactophilic Drosophila species. Heredity 102: 453-464. doi: 10.1038/hdy.2009.9.
In an exciting meeting focussing on Darwin, evolution and cytogenetics, Pat Heslop-Harrison presented a talk on "What the chromosomes say about evolution", (link to PDF click here - quite large file) starting with quotations from Darwin and then showing how experimental work with crop species shows chromosome evolution in action. This information is used for crop improvement. European Cytogeneticists Association - 7th European Cytogenetics Conference, Stockholm, 4-7 July 2009
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From the cover: Feb. 2009 Times Higher Education on our joint letter about saving research from red tape
Link to letter in THE. Associated Editorial is important with comments from readers. Many blogs, eg here, now discuss this article. |
LATEST PAPER MAY 2009 Guto Kuhn reports for the first time interspersion between non-homologous satellite DNA repeats in Drosophila. The article features on the Heredity website for May 2009
This work also revealed satDNA monomers organized as higher-order repeats – a rarely reported feature in the Drosophila genus. (Link here our other work on Drosophila satellite DNA.) See full paper at: Kuhn GCS, Teo CH, Schwarzacher T, Heslop-Harrison JS. 2009. Evolutionary dynamics and sites of illegitimate re-combination revealed in the interspersion and sequence junctions of two nonhomologous satellite DNAs in cactophilic Drosophila species. Heredity 102: 453-464. doi: 10.1038/hdy.2009.9. |
PLANT - POLLINATOR SPECIAL ISSUE - Click for link to Annals of Botany ContentSnapshots 2009: The Chief Editor of Annals of Botany is based in the Molecular Cytogenetics Group. The background cover picture for 2009 shows Rosa canina from Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve. |
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A talk on Banana: Past Present and Future was presented to the Warwickshire Womens Institute. ECA course in Nimes 2009 - Plant Molecular Cytogenetics slides here (11MB large PDF - wait for download). A paper on "Biology and Engineering: Coming Together in Systems Biology" was presented in Korea (link on title opens 8MB PDF of my talk). Video-on-demand VOD of my talk is at http://www.eimbl.org/club.intro.seminar.list.screen?p_cate=35 A paper on Genomics, Economics and Bananas was presented at the OECD meeting on Tropical Fruits in November 2008 (indirect link). Related websites: www.SBLab.org for our Systems Biology work. Link to PubMed database and paper downloads (click on 'page' icon next to title).
www.molcyt.com - index.htm |
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Yes, we have no bananas ... 
An algorithm to reduce complexity but maintain dynamic properties of networks
Genomic divergence outside genes
Networks, Noise and Nodes
The EU Project Crocusbank was highlighted at the University of Leicester Botanic Gardens Crocus Days.
New work published in February 2010 shows that weak coupling between cellular oscillators can lead to rapid synchronization. With such a strong effect, there is often no need for cellular processes to be connected to any centralized or controlling clock.
Olli Anhalt, who completed her PhD working with Susanne Barth at TEAGASC, Ireland, and in Leicester, has identified a major
QTL for fresh and dry weight which explains around 30% of the phenotypic
26th Conference on the Theme of Genetics and Breeding: University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil, October 2009
Pat Heslop-Harrison presented a plenary lecture on 
