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Profile
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My research interests concern the metabolic regulation of lipids, storage products and secondary metabolites in micro-algae and plants. Currently I am using genomic and physiological approaches to understand how algae accumulate oil in response to environmental stresses. This should lead to a better understanding of how micro-algae can be exploited for biofuels and high-value products.
I work for the BioMara project and am a member of the Department of Microbial and Molecular Biology.
Career / education
2009-present
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Postdoctoral Fellow, SAMS
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2003-2008
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Postdoctoral Fellow, University of York
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2000-2003
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Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Leeds
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1997-2000
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Max-Planck Institute, Cologne, Germany
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1993-1997
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Postdoctoral Fellow, IACR-Long Ashton, Bristol
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1989-1993
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Postdoctoral Fellow, John Innes Centre, Norwich
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1986-1989
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PhD, Department of Botany, University of Leicester
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1983-1986
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BSc (Hons) Biochemistry/Genetics, University of Leeds
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Research
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BioMara – Sustainable fuels from marine biomass (2009-2012)
Theme: microalgal strains and yields (Dr Stephen Slocombe, Ms Avril Anderson)
Plants and algae have been exploited for centuries for food production but are also a source of renewable alternatives to petroleum. Micro-algae have the potential for large-scale production of biofuels and other high value industrials. Furthermore, the broad diversity of micro-algae favours screening for novel products and for strains that can be genetically manipulated to accumulate these at high levels.
The main objectives of the project are to screen the micro-algal culture collection at CCAP for high-oil producers; take a genomics approach to understand the regulatory factors responsible for oil accumulation and finally to produce better strains through mutagenesis.
To date (August 2010) we have focused on Nannochloropsis oculata (CCAP 849/1) and Isoschrysis galbana (CCAP 927/1) as model high-oil producing marine strains. Key lipid synthesis genes have been examined by real-time PCR to monitor changes in expression during batch culture. This is a prelude to large-scale transcriptomic analysis which will be carried out in the next three months including genome sequencing for both strains.
Erasmus student project (1-7-2010 to 30-9-2010)
Micro-algal screening for oil yields (Ms Angela Lapresa)
The CCAP collection contains over 2000 micro-algal strains and more than 500 of these can grow in saline conditions. These marine strains from the CCAP collection are being screened for positive growth characteristics and oil yield determined by GC-FID. Analysis of fatty acid composition will determine optimal biodiesel characteristics and should identify new model species for further study.
Voluntary project (14-4-2010 to 14-8-2010)
Algal DNA transformation (Ms Qian Yi Zhang)
DNA transformation is an important tool for testing gene function by over-expression or gene knockout. Agrobacterium-mediated and electroporation transformation methods are being tested using a range of vectors with marine algal strains.
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Publications
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- Oil accumulation in leaves directed by modification of fatty acid breakdown and lipid synthesis pathways (2009). Slocombe S.P., Cornah, J., Pinfield-Wells, H., Soady, K., QianYi Zhang, Gilday, A., Dyer, J., Graham, I.A. Plant Biotech Journal 7: 694-703.
- Divergent regulation of terpenoid metabolism in the trichomes of wild and cultivated tomato species (2009). Besser K., Harper A., Welsby N., Schauvinhold I., Slocombe S., Li Y., Dixon R.A., Broun P. Plant Physiology 149: 499-514.
- Transcriptomic and reverse genetic analyses of branched-chain fatty acid and acyl sugar production in Solanum pennellii and Nicotiana benthamiana (2008). Slocombe S.P., Besser K., Schauvinhold I., Welsby N., Harper A.L., Aziz N., Li Y, Larson T.R., Broun P., Dixon R.A. Plant Physiology 148: 1830-1846.
- The Arabidopsis thaliana multifunctional protein gene (MFP2) of peroxisomal beta-oxidation is essential for seedling establishment (2006). Rylott E.L., Eastmond P.J., Gilday A.D., Slocombe S.P., Larson T.R., Baker A., Graham I.A.
Plant Journal 45:930-41. - Jasmonic acid levels are reduced in COMATOSE ATP-binding cassette transporter mutants. Implications for transport of jasmonate precursors into peroxisomes (2005). Theodoulou F.L., Job K., Slocombe S.P., Footitt S., Holdsworth M., Baker A., Larson T.R., Graham I.A. Plant Physiology 137:835-40.
- Control of germination and lipid mobilization by COMATOSE, the Arabidopsis homologue of human ALDP (2002). Footitt S., Slocombe S.P.*, Larner V., Kurup S., Wu Y., Larson T.R., Graham I.A., Baker A., Holdsworth M. EMBO Journal 21: 2912-22. *Joint first authorship.
For a full list of Steve Slocombe's publications, please use the search function on the right.
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Other
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Invited lectures
Invited to speak at the International Symposium on Plant Lipids at Cairns (July 2010)
Professional memberships
Member of the British Phycological Society
Students/teaching
- Ms Angela Lapresa (Erasmus student
- Ms Qian YiZhang (Volunteer)
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Dr Steve Slocombe
E: stephen.slocombe@sams.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1631 559 353
F: +44 (0)1631 559 001
Scottish Marine Institute
Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA, UK
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