معرفی
Professor Jennifer Topping is a Professor in the Department of Biosciences at Durham University. Her research focuses on plant development, particularly Arabidopsis genetics, hormonal regulation of root growth, and systems biology approaches to model plant responses to environmental stresses. She has pioneered techniques like Promoter Trapping to identify developmental genes and investigates how epidermal sterol biosynthesis influences root patterning.
Educational Background:
- BSc Molecular Biology, University of Glasgow
- PhD in Plant Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh (supervised by Prof. Chris Leaver)
Research Interests: Professor Topping’s work spans plant embryogenesis, root development, and hormonal signaling networks. Key areas include:
- Role of sterols in auxin transport and developmental patterning
- Genetic regulation of root meristem maintenance (e.g., MDF protein’s role in RNA splicing)
- Modeling ethylene-mediated hormonal interactions in root growth
- Environmental stress responses (drought, nutrient deprivation)
Teaching: Leads modules on Biological Enterprise and Science Enterprise, fostering student innovation in addressing global challenges like climate change. Appointed Durham’s Academic Champion for Student and Graduate Enterprise to build a university-wide Enterprise Ecosystem.
Supervision: Advises PhD students Alice Fidell, Jialei Sun, and Ola Abdou. Her team collaborates on projects involving laser capture microdissection and transcriptomics to study plant development.
