Newcastle University

Introduction

I first joined the University as a research associate in 1987 and held a personal NERC fellowship from 1990-1994. I was appointed as Lecturer in Plant Biochemistry in 1998 and was awarded a personal readership in 2003.

Roles and Responsibilities

Director Moorbank Botanic Gardens
Chair staff-student committee Biology Division
Coordinator of Research Seminars Biology Division

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Botany, University of Glasgow
PhD University College North Wales

Previous Positions

NERC Fellow 1990-1994
Visiting Lecturer, University Sunderland

Memberships

Society of Experimental Biology
Association of Applied Biologists

Research Interests

Understanding how plants adjust their physiology and metabolism in response to environmental perturbations is crucial for developing effective strategies to enhance growth and productivity in potentially limiting and unpredictable environments and for predicting the possible impacts of climate change on plant performance. The overarching aims of my research are to identify genes and proteins that underpin the acclimation of photosynthetic metabolism to extreme environments (in terms of drought, salinity, oxidative stress).

A focus for my research is the study of crassulacean acid metabolism. CAM is a relatively widespread adaptation to drought stress which has evolved in up to 7% of higher plants and permits the uptake of CO2 at night. Since expression of the pathway is readily modulated by the environment, CAM serves as a model system for establishing the functional significance of genes and enzymes that optimize physiological performance in arid, resource-limited habitats. Moreover, the day/night separation of carboxylation processes in the photosynthetic cells of CAM plants, poses fundamental questions in terms of metabolic control and synchronization of metabolism. We are exploiting CAM as a means of investigating the workings and evolutionary significance of circadian clocks in plants.

Research Personnel

 Tahar Taybi (NERC-Research associate) Molecular basis of photosynthetic plasticity in the genus Clusia
 Jane Delahunty (PhD student) Limitations to CAM expression in pineapple
 Simon Fraser (PhD student) The role of sorbitol in mediating acclimation to ozone and drought in Plantago major. Co-supervisor Jeremy Barnes
 Stewart Elliott (PhD student) Responses to oxidative stress in the facultative CAM plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Co-supervisor Jeremy Barnes
 Viki Hawker (PhD student) Mechanisms underlying ozone tolerance. Co-supervisor with Jeremy Barnes
 Beata Pater (Marie-Curie fellow) Antioxidative responses in the C3-CAM intermediate, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Co-supervisors Jeremy Barnes, Z. Miszalski (Polish Academy Sciences)

Publications 2002-2003

Cushman JC, Borland, AM (2002) Induction of crassulacean acid metabolism by water limitation. Plant, Cell and Environment 25, 297-312

Dodd AN, Borland AM, Haslam RP, Griffiths H, Maxwell K (2002) Crassulacean acid metabolism: Plastic, fantastic. Journal of Experimental Botany, 53, 569-580

Borland AM, Dodd AN (2002) Carbohydrate partitioning in CAM plants: reconciling potential conflicts of interest. Functional Plant Biology, 29, 707-716

Taybi T, Cushman JC, Borland AM (2002) Environmental, hormonal and circadian regulation of crassulacean acid metabolism expression. Functional Plant Biology, 29, 669-678

Griffiths H, Helliker B, Roberts A, Haslam RP, Girnus J, Robe WE, Borland AM, Maxwell K (2002) Regulation of Rubisco activity in CAM plants: better late than never. Functional Plant Biology, 29, 689-696

Haslam R, Borland A, Griffiths H (2002) Short-term plasticity of crassulacean acid metabolism expression in the epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia usneoides L. Functional Plant Biology, 29, 749-756

Dodd AN, Griffiths H, Taybi T, Cushman JC, Borland AM (2003) Integrating diel starch metabolism with the circadian and environmental regulation of CAM in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Planta, 216, 789-797

Esteem Indicators

 Member board of Editors Annals Applied Biology
 Co vice chair for next Gordon Research Conference ‘CO2 fixation and metabolism in green plants’
 Coordinator (with J Barnes) for EU Marie Curie training site in Plant-environment interactions
Member of NERC Peer Review College

Projects

• Improvement of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) plant growth and reduced cadmium toxicity by cadmium-resistant bacteria
  Project Leader(s): Phatthanawan Promnim

Undergraduate Teaching

Stage 1: Plant Biology 1(BIO106 Module leader)

Stage 2: Biodiversity and conservation
Plant Biology 2
Biology Communication Skills

Stage 3: Comparative ecology of photosynthesis (AES311 Module leader)
Biology Field course (BNS376)
Laboratory and bioinformation projects for Biology and Ecology

• Haider MS, Barnes JD, Cushman JC, Borland AM. A CAM- and starch-deficient mutant of the facultative CAM species Mesembryanthemum crystallinum reconciles sink demands by repartitioning carbon during acclimation to salinity. Journal of Experimental Botany 2012, 63(5), 1985-1996.
• Ceusters J, Borland AM, Godts C, Londers E, Croonenborghs S, Van Goethem D, De Proft MP. Crassulacean acid metabolism under severe light limitation: a matter of plasticity in the shadows?. Journal of Experimental Botany 2011, 62(1), 283-291.
• Tzortzakis N, Taybi T, Roberts R, Singleton I, Borland A, Barnes J. Low-level atmospheric ozone enrichment induces latent protection against Botrytis cinerea in tomato. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2011, 61(2-3), 152.
• Tzortzakis N, Taybi T, Roberts R, Singleton I, Borland A, Barnes J. Low-level atmospheric ozone exposure induces protection against Botrytis cinerea with down-regulation of ethylene-, jasmonate- and pathogenesis-related genes in tomato fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2011, 61(2-3), 152-159.
• Borland AM, Zambrano VAB, Ceusters J, Shorrock K. The photosynthetic plasticity of crassulacean acid metabolism: an evolutionary innovation for sustainable productivity in a changing world. New Phytologist 2011, 191(3), 619-633.
• Goumenaki E, Taybi T, Borland A, Barnes J. Mechanisms underlying the impacts of ozone on photosynthetic performance. Environmental and Experimental Botany 2010, 69(3), 259-266.
• Ceusters J, Borland AM, Ceusters N, Verdoodt V, Godts C, De Proft MP. Seasonal influences on carbohydrate metabolism in the CAM bromeliad Aechmea 'Maya': consequences for carbohydrate partitioning and growth. Annals of Botany 2010, 105(2), 301-309.
• Ceusters J, Borland AM, Londers E, Verdoodt V, Godts C, De Proft MP. Differential usage of storage carbohydrates in the CAM bromeliad Aechmea 'Maya' during acclimation to drought and recovery from dehydration. Physiologia Plantarum 2009, 135(2), 174-184.
• Ceusters J, Borland AM, De Proft MP. Drought adaptation in plants with crassulacean acid metabolism involves the flexible use of different storage carbohydrate pools. Plant Signaling and Behavior 2009, 4(3), 212-214.
• Borland AM, Griffiths H, Hartwell J, Smith JAC. Exploiting the potential of plants with crassulacean acid metabolism for bioenergy production on marginal lands. In: Journal of Experimental Botany: Workshop on Plant Biomass for Food and Energy. 2009, Baeza, Spain: Oxford University Press.
• Antony E, Taybi T, Courbot M, Mugford ST, Smith JAC, Borland AM. Cloning, localization and expression analysis of vacuolar sugar transporters in the CAM plant Ananas comosus (pineapple). In: Journal of Experimental Botany: 14th International Congress of Photosynthesis. 2008, Glasgow, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Ceusters J, Borland AM, Londers E, Verdoodt V, Godts C, De Proft MP. Diel shifts in carboxylation pathway and metabolite dynamics in the CAM bromeliad Aechmea 'Maya' in response to elevated CO2. Annals of Botany 2008, 102(3), 389-397.
• Cushman JC, Agarie S, Albion RL, Elliot SM, Taybi T, Borland AM. Isolation and characterization of mutants of common ice plant deficient in Crassulacean acid metabolism. Plant Physiology 2008, 147(1), 228-238.
• Antony E, Borland AM. The role and regulation of sugar transporters in plants with Crassulacean acid metabolism. In: U. Luttge, W. Beyschlag, J. Murata, ed. Progress in Botany. Germany: Springer, 2008, pp.127–143.
• Niewiadomska E, Borland AM. Crassulacean acid metabolism: a cause or consequence of oxidative stress in planta?. In: Luttge, UE; Beyschlag, W; Murata, J, ed. Progress in Botany. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer, 2007, pp.247-266.
• Tzortzakis N, Borland A, Singleton I, Barnes J. Impact of atmospheric ozone-enrichment on quality-related attributes of tomato fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2007, 45(3), 317-325.
• Borland A, Elliott S, Patterson S, Taybi T, Cushman J, Pater B, Barnes J. Are the metabolic components of crassulacean acid metabolism up-regulated in response to an increase in oxidative burden?. In: Meeting on Phenotypic Plasticity and the Changing Environment held at the Society for Experimental Biology Plant Frontiers Meeting. 2006, Sheffield: Journal of Experimental Botany, Oxford University Press.
• Hale ML, Borland AM, Wolff K. High degree of conservation of nuclear microsatellite loci in the genus Clusia. Genome 2005, 48(5), 946-950.
• Hale ML, Borland AM, Gustafsson MHG, Wolff K. Causes of Size Homoplasy Among Chloroplast Microsatellites in Closely Related Clusia Species. Journal of Molecular Evolution 2004, 58(2), 182- 190.
• Taybi T, Nimmo HG, Borland AM. Expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase genes. Implications for genotypic capacity and phenotypic plasticity in the expression of crassulacean acid metabolism. Plant Physiology 2004, 135(1), 587-598.
• Borland AM, Taybi T. Synchronization of metabolic processes in plants with Crassulacean acid metabolism. Journal of Experimental Botany 2004, 55(400), 1255-1265.
• Dodd AN, Griffiths H, Taybi T, Cushman JC, Borland AM. Integrating diel starch metabolism with the circadian and environmental regulation of Crassulacean acid metabolism in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Planta 2003, 216(5), 789-797.
• Haslam R, Borland A, Maxwell K, Griffiths H. Physiological responses of the CAM epiphyte Tillandsia usneoides L. (Bromeliaceae) to variations in light and water supply. Journal of Plant Physiology 2003, 160(6), 627-634.
• Borland AM, Dodd AN. Carbohydrate partitioning in crassulacean acid metabolism plants: Reconciling potential conflicts of interest. Functional Plant Biology 2002, 29(6), 707-716.
• Dodd AN, Borland AM, Haslam RP, Griffiths H, Maxwell K. Crassulacean acid metabolism: plastic, fantastic. Journal of Experimental Botany 2002, 53(369), 569-580.
• Taybi T, Cushman JC, Borland AM. Environmental, hormonal and circadian regulation of crassulacean acid metabolism expression. In: 3rd International Congress on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. 2002, Coconut Beach, Australia: Functional Plant Biology, CSIRO Publishing.
• Cushman JC, Borland AM. Induction of Crassulacean acid metabolism by water limitation. Plant, Cell and Environment 2002, 25(2), 295-310.
• Hale ML, Squirrell J, Borland AM, Wolff K. Isolation of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the genus Clusia (Clusiaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 2002, 2(4), 506-508.
• Griffiths H, Helliker B, Roberts A, Haslam RP, Girnus J, Robe WE, Borland AM, Maxwell K. Regulation of Rubisco activity in crassulacean acid metabolism plants: better late than never. In: Functional Plant Biology: 3rd International Congress on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. 2002, Coconut Beach, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.
• Haslam RP, Borland AM, Griffiths H. Short-term plasticity of crassulacean acid metabolism expression in the epiphytic bromeliad, Tillandsia usneoides. In: Functional Plant Biology: 3rd International Congress on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. 2002, Coconut Beach, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.
• Gehrig HH, Winter K, Cushman J, Borland A, Taybi T. An Improved RNA Isolation Method for Succulent Plant Species Rich in Polyphenols and Polysaccharides. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 2000, 18(4), 369-376.
• Barnes J, Bender J, Lyons T, Borland A. Natural and man-made selection for air pollution resistance. Journal of Experimental Botany 1999, 50(338), 1423-1435.