Newcastle University

Background

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Roles and Responsibilities

Member of Faculty GM Safety Committee
Spearheading the International Biotechnology Summer School
Maintenance of School Plant GM containment facility
Supervision of PhD students - Primary supervisor to Pier Paoli, investigating the potential uses for parasitoid wasps as sources of natural insecticidal molecules

Qualifications

1998-2001
PhD, University of Durham “Enhancing Resistance of Horticultural Crops Towards Vine Weevil Through Plant Genetic Engineering”. The basis of the project is to identify the major digestive proteases used by the vine weevil, and then target these with plant derived protein inhibitors which can be introduced into susceptible crops via plant genetic engineering.
Awarded 2003.

1997-1998
MSc in Biomedical Sciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Pass with Merit. This twelve-month course consisted of six months of lectures covering the principles of molecular genetics, protein engineering and microbiology. The second part of the course involved a laboratory based project in which I investigated the relationship between alternately spliced transcripts of the mdm2 gene and the severity of breast carcinoma, in the Department of Pathology at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

1994-1997
BSc(Hons) in Genetics, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Classification 2ii. This undergraduate degree course contained the usual intensive lecture courses, along with a ten week laboratory research project which gave me sound basis in many molecular biological techniques.

Research Interests

Expression of novel enzymes in bioreactor systems, and optimising their expression levels
Utilization of plant expression machinery as bio-factories
To identify the differential regulation of plant genes in response to biotic and abiotic stress
Ectopic expression of endogenous defense genes to increase a crops resistance to insect attack
Identification of novel insecticidal proteins for the use in crop protection strategies
Combining and comparing marker assisted breeding and traditional plant breeding strategies with GM technology

Other Expertise

The work that I have been involved in throughout my studies and recent research post have open the door to the world of molecular biology. Initially I learnt many of the classic and everyday techniques needed to carry out traditional molecular biology such as; RNA/DNA extraction, PCR analysis and cloning, protein purification and analysis, radiolabelled and non-radiolabelled hybridisation techniques. My current position as a Post Doctoral Research has allowed my to take these skills forward in keeping with the fast paced advances we are currently enjoying in the post genomic era.

My PhD has also allowed me to develop some more intricate techniques, for example; generation of a cDNA library from the guts of larval vine weevils, 5’ RACE to confirm the extreme 5’ ends of cDNA clones and agrobacteria mediated transformation to introduce novel gene products into a plants species of interest, and their subsequent analysis.

Current Work

2004-Present
A founding member of the Molecular Agriculture unit in the School of Biology. Within this project we aim to use modern molecular biological techniques to investigate and understand the factors effecting the growth, development and yield of common crop species. The understanding that we hope to gain will be used to design intuitive regimes to develop “low input” agricultural practices as an aid to sustainable agricultural systems. Our aim is that this strategy will be acceptable to both organic and conventional farming regimes, allowing the selective breeding of crops that are ideally suited to their designated local environment.
2001-2004
Post Doctoral research post at the University of Newcastle supported by the BBSRC through it’s ongoing gene flow consortium. The project utilizes novel transgene fusion constructs to expand and extend the species targeted by and effectiveness of the Bt toxin Cry1Ac in two commercially important UK crops (Oilseed rape and Wheat). The project also focuses on the molecular responses of the crops to pest attack from chewing and sucking pest and how these responses and the phenotypic outcome may change in plants that have been genetically modified to express the fusion constructs.

Postgraduate Supervision

MSc Project Supervision

2002 - Generation of insecticidal fusion proteins using GNA as a delivery mechanism
2003 - Biochemical analysis of a cellulase of insect origin using recombinant expression systems
2004 - Studying differentially expressed genes in genetically modified wheat
2005 - Investigating the host killing range of S.florentina venom using Pichia based heterologous expression systems
2006 - Are endogenous defense mechanisms compromised in GM plants?
2007 - Identification of Bt receptors in Asian Corn Borer

Esteem Indicators

2007 - Requested to lead the initiation of an International Summer School between several Indian Universities and the School of Biology
2007 - Invited to contribute a chapter discussing the Environmental Benefits of GM crops to the forthcoming book "Environmental Impact of Genetically Modified/Novel Crops" (N. Ferry, A. Gatehouse. CABI 2008)

Funding

2004 - YAS consumables grant
2005 - YAS consumables grant

Projects

• Molecular Responses of Plants to Sap-Sucking Insects to Enhance Pest Control
  Project Leader(s): Tahsin Shoala

Undergraduate Teaching

Stage 2:
Biotechnology I (BIO2015), 5 lectures, 2 practicals
Biology Research Communication (BIO2001)
Stage 3:
Social Impact of Biology (BIO3015)

Postgraduate Teaching

Fundamentals of Cell and Molecular Biology (BIO8009), 6 lectures
Gene Technology (BIO8017), 2 lectures
Genetically Modified Organisms: Food and Agriculture (BIO8016), 1 practical

• Tétard-Jones C, Edwards MG, Rempelos L, Gatehouse AMR, Eyre M, Wilcockson SJ, Leifert C. Effects of previous crop management, fertilization regime and watersupply on potato tuber proteome and yield. Agronomy 2013. In Press.
• Gatehouse AMR, Edwards MG, Ferry N, Owen MDK. Environmental Impact of Transgenic Crops. In: Meyers, R.A, ed. Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Dordrecht: Springer Science, 2012. In Press.
• Gatehouse AMR, Ferry N, Edwards MG, Bell HA. Insect-resistant biotech crops and their impacts on beneficial arthropods. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2011, 366(1569), 1438-1452.
• Edwards MG, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AMR. Molecular and biochemical characterisation of a dual proteolytic system in vine weevil larvae (Otiorhynchus sulcatus Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2010, 40(11), 785-791.
• Edwards MG, Poppy GM. Environmental Benefits of Genetically Modified Crops. In: Ferry, N., Gatehouse, A.M.R, ed. Environmental Impact of Genetically Modified Crops. Wallingford, UK: CAB International, 2009, pp.23-41.
• Edwards MG, Gatehouse AMR. Biotechnology in crop protection: Towards sustainable insect control. In: Vurro, M, Gressel, J, ed. Novel Biotechnologies for Biocontrol Agent Enhancement and Management. Netherlands: Springer, 2007, pp.1-23.
• Ferry N, Edwards MG, Gatehouse J, Capell T, Christou P, Gatehouse AMR. Transgenic plants for insect pest control: A forward looking scientific perspective. Transgenic Research 2006, 15(1), 13-19.
• Ferry N, Edwards MG, Mulligan EA, Emami K, Petrova AS, Frantescu M, Davison GM, Gatehouse AMR. Engineering resistance to insect pests. In: Christou, P; Klee, H, ed. Handbook of Plant Biotechnology. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2004, pp.373-394.
• Fitches E, Edwards MG, Mee C, Grishin E, Gatehouse AMR, Edwards JP, Gatehouse JA. Fusion proteins containing insect-specific toxins as pest control agents: Snowdrop lectin delivers fused insecticidal spider venom toxin to insect haemolymph following oral ingestion. Journal of Insect Physiology 2004, 50(1), 61-71.
• Ferry N, Edwards MG, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AMR. Plant-insect interactions: Molecular approaches to insect resistance. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2004, 15(2), 155-161.
• Ferry N, Edwards MG, Gatehouse JA, Gatehouse AMR. Plant–insect interactions: molecular approaches to insect resistance. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2004, 15(2), 155-161.
• Edwards MG, Ferry N, Mulligan EA, Emami K, Petrova AS, Frantescu M, Davison GM, Gatehouse AMR. The Role of Biotechnology in Crop Protection:Current Status and Future Perspectives. In: Atti dell'Accademia Nazionale Italiana di Entomologia Rendiconti. Florence: Accademia Nazionale Italiana di Entomologia, 2004, pp.133-152.
• Foissac X, Edwards MG, Du JP, Gatehouse AMR, Gatehouse JA. Putative protein digestion in a sap-sucking homopteran plant pest (rice brown plant hopper; Nilaparvata lugens: Delphacidae) - identification of trypsin-like and cathepsin B-like proteases. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2002, 32(9), 967-978.