Plant Biochemistry and Physiology

Our research focuses on plant metabolism, in particular the biochemistry and physiology behind vitamin biosynthesis and degradation and how these processes interact with other aspects of general primary plant metabolism. We also address aspects of stress physiology and how alteration of vitamin metabolism affects the response to abiotic stress responses. We use bacteria, yeast and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and a range of multi-disciplinary biological and chemical techniques as part of our research program.

• The Pseudoenzyme PDX1.2 Sustains Vitamin B-6 Biosynthesis as a Function of Heat Stress 
  Dell'Aglio, Elisa; Boycheva, Svetlana; Fitzpatrick, Teresa B. 
  PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 174 (4): 2098-2112 10.1104/pp.17.00531  AUG 2017
• Vitamin B-1 diversity and characterization of biosynthesis genes in cassava 
  Mangel, Nathalie; Fudge, Jared B.; Fitzpatrick, Teresa B.; Gruissem, Wilhelm; Vanderschuren, Herve
  JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY, 68 (13): 3351-3363  10.1093/jxb/erx196 JUN 15 2017
• Editorial overview: Biofortification of crops: achievements, future challenges, socio-economic, health and ethical aspects 
  Van Der Straeten, Dominique; Fitzpatrick, Teresa B.; De Steur, Hans 
  CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, 44: VII-X  10.1016/j.copbio.2017.03.007 APR 2017
• Rationalising vitamin B-6 biofortification in crop plants 
  Fudge, Jared; Mangel, Nathalie; Gruissem, Wilhelm; Vanderschuren, Herve; Fitzpatrick, Teresa B
  CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, 44: 130-137 APR 2017 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2016.12.004
• Structural definition of the lysine swing in Arabidopsis thaliana PDX1: Intermediate channeling facilitating vitamin B-6 biosynthesis 
  Robinson, Graham C.; Kaufmann, Markus; Roux, Celine; Fitzpatrick, Teresa B.
  PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 113 (40): E5821-E5829 10.1073/pnas.1608125113 OCT 4 2016

• Vitamin metabolism
• Abiotic stress
• Transport processes
• Enzyme mechanisms
• Protein chemistry

• Plant physiology and biochemistry
• Genetics
• Genomics, proteomics and metabolomics
• Cell biology