Background

Biography

Dr Howard's research group are interested in engineering biology and biology-inspired systems. His group predominantly use cell-free and microbial systems in the laboratory, though often with a plant sciences goal in mind. In addition to core competencies in molecular biology and biochemisty his group employ small-scale laboratory automation (robots), statistical Design of Experiments and mathematical modelling to facilitate their work.

Dr Howard is a keen advocate of research-led teaching, implementing these approaches for both undergraduates and pre-University students. He has successfully supervised Nuffield student scholars and in 2012 Dr Howard led the inaugural University of Exeter entry into the iGEM competition. He has been involved with iGEM at Exeter and Newcastle.

Qualifications: 

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• PhD: Plant Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (University of Sheffield)
• BSc (Hons) in Botany and Zoology (University of Reading)

Roles and Responsibilities:

• BBSRC Pool of Experts (2023 - present)
• Group Lead (2019 - 2023) and Director of Expertise (2022 - 2023) for the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Group.
• Deputy Degree Programme Director: MRes in Biotechnology and Biodesign.
• BBSRC STARS Programme: Using virtual experimentation for better experimental design in biological and biotechnological research, Lead-Organiser (2016 - 2019).
• Learning and Teaching Working Group: Links with Industry, 2017
• UK Plant Sciences Federation Translation Working Group Implementation Plan, 2014 
• Society for Experimental Biology AGM, ‘Synthetic Biology’ Session Co-Organiser, 30 June - 3 July 2015, Clarion Congress Hotel, Prague.
• Society for Experimental Biology, ‘Synthetic Biology’ Co-Organiser, 8 - 10 January 2014, Charles Darwin House, London.

Awards:

Dr Howard was part of the team that was awarded a University of Exeter Impact Award for Outstanding Impact in Technology, and was shortlisted for the BBSRC Innovator of the Year: Most Promising Innovation award in 2014 for work developing petroleum-replica hydrocarbons.

Research

Current Research Staff

• Dr Siji Kavil (BBSRC)

Current PhD students

• Catherine Harrison (IAFRI, 2019 - 2023)
• Alisa Prusokiene (BBSRC, 2018 - 2022)
• Eva Cea Torrescassana (BBSRC, 2020 - 2024)

Former Research Staff

• Dr Christopher Azubuike (BBSRC)
• Dr Alice Banks (EPSRC-dstl)
• Dr Adokiye Berepiki (BBSRC)
• Dr Charlotte Cook (dstl, University of Exeter)
• Dr Alex Laverick (BBSRC)
• Dr Colette Whitfield (EPSRC-dstl)

Former PhD Students

• Dr Christopher Azubuike (Commonwealth Scholarship Commission)
• Dr Steve Brown (Shell, University of Exeter, with Steve Aves)
• Dr Alex Laverick (IAFRI)
• Dr Josh Loh (BBSRC)
• Dr Jamie Gilman (Shell, University of Exeter, with John Love)

Academic Collaborations (External)

• Professor Anastasia Callaghan (University of Portsmouth, Biological Sciences)
• Dr Ángel Goñi Moreno (Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas)
• Professor Jonathan Fieldsend (University of Exeter, Computer Sciences)
• Professor Marc Knight (University of Durham, Biosciences)
• Professor Luning Liu (University of Liverpool, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology)
• Professor John Love (University of Exeter, Biosciences)
• Professor Susan Seal (University of Greenwich, Natural Resources Institute)
• Dr Gonçalo Silva (University of Greenwich, Natural Resources Institute)

Further information:

Google Scholar Profile

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5546-4043

Gateway to Research (UKRI funded projects only).

Teaching

Modules

• Module Lead: Biotechnology: Advanced Topics (BIO8044)
• Academic and Professional Skills for the Biosciences (MST1204)
• Biotechnology: Applications (BIO3042)
• Biological Sciences Research Projects (BIO3199)
• Practical Techniques in Molecular Biology (BIO8043)
• MSc in Industrial and Commercial Biotechnology, Research Dissertation Project (NES8002)
• MRes in Biotechnology and Biodesign, Research Dissertation Project (BIO8198)

Publications

• Articles

  • Kavil S, Laverick A, Whitfield CJ, Banks AM, Howard TP. Methods for Embedding Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Reactions in Macro-Scale Hydrogels. Journal of Visualized Experiments 2023, 196, e65500.
  • Banks AM, Whitfield CJ, Brown SR, Fulton DA, Goodchild SA, Grant C, Love J, Lendrem D, Fieldsend JE, Howard TP. Key reaction components affect the kinetics and performance robustness of cell-free protein synthesis reactions. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 2022, 20, 218-229.
  • Azubuike CC, Gatehouse AMR, Howard TP. pCAT vectors overcome inefficient electroporation of Cupriavidus necator H16. New Biotechnology 2021, 65, 20-30.
  • Whitfield CJ, Banks AM, Dura G, Love J, Fieldsend JE, Goodchild SA, Fulton DA, Howard TP. Cell-free protein synthesis in hydrogel materials. Chemical Communications 2020, 56(52), 7108-7111.
  • Azubuike CC, Edwards MG, Gatehouse AMR, Howard TP. Applying Statistical Design of Experiments (DOE) To Understanding the Effect of Growth Media Components on Cupriavidus necator H16 Growth. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2020, 86(17), e00705-20.
  • Gilman J, Singleton C, Tennant RK, James PBC, Howard TP, Lux T, Parker DA, Love J. Rapid, Heuristic Discovery and Design of Promoter Collections in Non-Model Microbes for Industrial Applications. ACS Synthetic Biology 2019, 8(5), 1175-1186.
  • Fellermann H, Shirt-Ediss B, Kozyra J, Linsley M, Lendrem D, Isaacs J, Howard TP. Design of experiments and the virtual PCR simulator: An online game for pharmaceutical scientists and biotechnologists. Pharmaceutical Statistics 2019, 18(4), 402-406.
  • Brown SR, Staff M, Lee R, Love J, Parker DA, Aves SJ, Howard TP. Design of Experiments Methodology to Build a Multifactorial Statistical Model Describing the Metabolic Interactions of Alcohol Dehydrogenase Isozymes in the Ethanol Biosynthetic Pathway of the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ACS Synthetic Biology 2018, 7(7), 1676-1684.
  • Sambles CM, Salmon DL, Florance H, Howard TP, Smirnoff N, Nielsen LR, McKinney LV, Kjær ED, Buggs RJA, Studholme DJ, Grant M. Ash leaf metabolomes reveal differences between trees tolerant and susceptible to ash dieback disease. Scientific Data 2017, 4, 170190.
  • Howard TP, Fahy B, Leigh F, Howell P, Powell W, Greenland A, Trafford K, Smith AM. Use of advanced recombinant lines to study the impact and potential of mutations affecting starch synthesis in barley. Journal of Cereal Sciences 2014, 59(2), 196-202.
  • Howard TP, Middelhaufe S, Moore K, Edner C, Kolak DM. Synthesis of customized petroleum-replica fuel molecules by targeted modification of fatty free acid pools in Escherichia coli. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2013, 110(19), 7636-7641.
  • Howard TP, Fahy B, Craggs A, Mumford R, Leigh F. Barley mutants with low rates of endosperm starch synthesis have low grain dormancy and high susceptibility to preharvest sprouting. The New Phytologist 2012, 194(1), 158-67.
  • Howard TP, Lloyd JC, Raines CA. Inter-species variation in the oligomeric states of the higher plant Calvin cycle enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoribulokinase. Journal of Experimental Botany 2011, 62(11), 3799-805.
  • Howard T, Rejab NA, Griffiths S, Leigh F, Leverington-Waite M. Identification of a major QTL controlling the content of B-type starch granules in Aegilops. Journal of Experimental Botany 2011, 62(2), 2217-28.
  • Howard TP, Upton GJ, Lloyd JC, Raines CA. Antisense suppression of the small chloroplast protein CP12 in tobacco: a transcriptional viewpoint. Plant Signaling and Behaviour 2011, 6(12), 2026-30.
  • Howard TP, Fryer MJ, Singh P, Metodiev M, Lytovchenko A. Antisense suppression of the small chloroplast protein CP12 in tobacco alters carbon partitioning and severely restricts growth. Plant Physiology 2011, 157(2), 620-31.
  • Howard TP, Metodiev M, Lloyd JC, Raines CA. Thioredoxin-mediated reversible dissociation of a stromal multiprotein complex in response to changes in light availability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2008, 105(10), 4056-4061.
  • Overy SA, Walker HJ, Malone S, Howard TP, Baxter CJ. Application of metabolite profiling to the identification of traits in a population of tomato introgression lines. Journal of Experimental Botany 2005, 54(410), 287-96.

• Book Chapters

  • Brown S, Loh J, Aves SJ, Howard TP. Alkane Biosynthesis in Bacteria. In: Stams, AJM; Sousa, D, ed. Biogenesis of Hydrocarbons. Cham: Springer, 2018, pp.1-20.
  • Howard TP. Engineering Microbial Metabolism for Biofuel Production. In: Love, J; Bryant, JA, ed. Biofuels and Bioenergy. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017, pp.241-260.

• Reviews

  • Azubuike CC, Couceiro F, Robson SC, Piccinni MZ, Watts JEM, Williams JB, Callaghan AJ, Howard TP. Developing Biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater-Based Epidemiology: A Systematic Review of Trends, Limitations and Future Perspectives. Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16761.
  • Silva G, Tomlinson J, Onkokesung N, Sommer S, Mrisho L, Legg J, Adams IP, Gutierrez-Vazquez Y, Howard TP, Laverick A, Hossain O, Wei Q, Gold KM, Boonham N. Plant pest surveillance: from satellites to molecules. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences 2021, 5(2), 275-287.
  • LopezCalcagno PE, Howard TP, Raines CA. The CP12 protein family: a thioredoxin-mediated metabolic switch?. Frontiers in Plant Science 2014, 5, 9.
  • Singleton C, Howard TP, Smirnoff N. Synthetic metabolons for metabolic engineering. Journal of Experimental Botany 2014, 65(8), 1-8.