Frans Maathuis

Frans Maathuis is a Professor of Biology, holding former affiliations including Reader, Senior Research Associate, and Principal Research Associate in Biology. His research focuses on plant physiology, membrane transport, potassium nutrition, and stress responses to salinity, abiotic stressors, and arsenic. He leads projects funded by the BBSRC, including trials on silicon mitigating salinity in rice and sodium fertiliser development. Maathuis has received the Best Plant Physiology paper award (2001) and served as a visiting professor (2006). He holds editorial roles at Plant Physiology and FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY, and is an advisor to the Royal Society of Biology. His work spans over 100 publications and emphasizes crop resilience under environmental stress.

Research interests: plant stress biology, ion transport mechanisms, and crop improvement through nutrient management. Key projects include enhancing salinity and drought tolerance in rice and wheat, and exploring microbial and silicon-based solutions for stress mitigation.

Grants and collaborations: Principal investigator for BBSRC-funded projects (2016–2022), focusing on rice field trials and sodium fertiliser innovation. Activities include peer review, editorial work, and international collaborations on stress biology and plant physiology.