Professor Andrew Leitch
Professor of Plant Genetics
- Room: 5.17, Fogg building
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7882 5294
- Email: a.r.leitch("at" sign)qmul.ac.uk
Research interests:
Research website: http://webspace.qmul.ac.uk/arleitch/
My group is taking an evolutionary perspective to understand the structure, function and diversity of plant chromosomes. Our approach is distinctive in that we use molecular cytogenetics, particular fluorescent in situ hybridization, as a primary tool in our research. We have particular interests in:
- The role of polyploidy in plant evolution. We are especially interested in the evolution of rDNA, satellite, dispersed sequences and the karyotype subsequent to polyploidy. We attempt to assimilate our understanding within frameworks established by robust phylogenetic trees. Much recent research has focused on synthetic and natural polyploids of Nicotiana, but we have also published data on polyploid evolution in Triticum, Rubus, Rosa and Iris in recent years.
- The evolution, structure and function of plant telomeres. We are especially interested in plants with unusual telomeres. We discovered two groups of plants, one in family Solanaceae (includes the genus Cestrum) and another in order Asparagales, that lack the expected Arabidopsis-type of telomeric motif. In the Asparagales many of the plants acquired a motif more typical of human telomeres. We are working towards discovering the biological significance of switches in telomere motif to the activity of the telomere.
Research group
Postgraduate supervision:
Day, Peter; p.d.day ("at" sign) qmul.ac.uk;
Renny-Byfield, Simon; s.byfield ("at" sign) qmul.ac.uk;