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| Current Projects | Deparmental Information | COMMINANDES Homepage |
www.ucc.ie/acad/departments/zeps
+353 21 4904553
The
main responsibilities of Plant Science, UCC in the COMMINANDES
project are:
Identification
of soil isolates
Characterisation
of suitable isolates for exploitation
Production of Inoculum
The Department of Plant Science at the National University of Ireland Cork relocated from campus to a state-of-the-art new building in October, 2000. Shortly afterward the department merged with Zoology and Ecology to form the Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science Dept. (ZEPS). Links to the new departmental website will be set up as soon as the website comes online.
The Plant Science building has:
Dedicated laboratories for molecular biology, radiation research, plant pathology, plant tissue culture, an image analysis laboratory and general plant science research laboratory
There are also extensive growthroom facilities for heterotrophic and autotrophic plant tissue culture.
The equipment includes
Thermal recyclers and gel rigs for genetic fingerprinting
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for proteomics
A flow cytometer
HPLC and GLC
Black and white and grey scale image analysis
Chlorophyll meters and PAM chlorophyll fluorescence apparatus
IRGA and photo fluorescence microscope
Standard culture cabinets
Incubators, -86, -40 and –20oc freezers
Centrifuges, spectrophotometer
ELISA plate reader
New glasshouses approved for GMO trials and a small phytotron for plant growth studies
Plant Science
Plant and Microbial Biotechnology (in collaboration with the Department of Microbiology)
Partner in the Genetics and Environmental Sciences Degrees.
The Department hosts international conferences regularly. The most recent were published as:
Cassells, A. C. (Ed.). (1997) Pathogen and Microbial Contamination Management in Micropropagation. Kluwer, Dordrecht.
Cassells, A. C., Doyle, B.M. and Curry, R. F.
(Eds.) (2000)
Methods and Markers for Quality Assurance in Micropropagation. Acta
Hortic. 530.
Partner: Development and validation
of broad spectrum molecular diagnostics (EC FAIR 3889, completed 2001).
Joint Coordinator:
Undergraduate-Postgraduate Curriculum Development University of Katowice
(EU-TEMPUS JEP-12037-97, completed 2001).
Manager: Development of Quality Control System for Pineapple based on Genomics etc.
(Enterprise-Ireland, Industrial Grant Scheme completed). Vice President:
COST 843 (EU, on-going)
Member of Management Committee:
COST 838 (EU, on-going).
Coordinator:
Risk Assessment: bacterial contamination of raw salad vegetables by human
pathogenic bacteria (DAFF-EU, completed 2001).
Coordinator:
Mutation Breeding of Pineapple (Enterprise Ireland – Fyffes Plc.
2002-2004).
Partner: PLANTS Enabling Mixed Societies of Communicating Plants and Artefacts (IST-2001-38900)
Alan C Cassells MSc, PhD, MRIA,
Diploma
in Industrial Microbiology; BSc, MSc (NUI); PhD (Wales) Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of Warwick; Postdoctoral Fellowship University of Oxford, 1970-73;
Junior Research Fellowship, Wolfson College, Oxford; Lecturer, University of
London (Wye College); Professor of Botany and Head of the Department of Plant
Science, University College, Cork, 1979- (extant); Managing Director, Plant
Biotechnology (UCC) Ltd 1985 to 1995. Elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy,
1993. Invited and conference lectures: USA, Canada, Austria, UK, France,
Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Norway, Finland, Italy,
Sweden, Switzerland, Chile, Romania, Iran, Hungary, Uruguay, Poland, Turkey. Elected
to Committee, Genetic Manipulation in Plant Breeding Section of EUCARPIA, 1986,
elected Chairman, 1990 Member
International Society for Horticultural Science: Chairman, Working Group on
Quality Management in Micropropagation.
Associate Editor Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 1990-to date.
Publications: approx. 100 peer-reviewed publications
Contract research for major national and international companies including
Pfizer, Pelagonian Fischer, Nickerson RPB, Greencore, Yves Rocher, Universal
Foods, Waterford Foods, Dairy Gold, A L Tozer. Member, Scientific Advisory
board, Universal Foods Corporation, Milwaukee, USA. Consultant: UN FAO/IAEA;
Expert and consultant for EU Plant Biotechnology programme; consultant to
Monsanto Co.
John
O Sullivan holds an honors degree in Plant and Microbial Biotechnology (2001).
During his final graduate year he carried out research on acid resistance
E. coli 0157:H45 in the Department of Microbiology.
He is currently researching a PhD on gene flow between Bacillus
species.
Dr. Rafferty-McArdle holds an honours degree in Microbiology (Microbiology Dept., UCC, 1994) and a Ph.D. (Plant Science Dept., UCC, 2001) on biological control and safety of use of organic amendments in agriculture/horticulture. In parallel with her Ph.D., she carried out research for the Department of Agriculture and Food over 3 years on the survival of food poisoning organisms in salad vegetables. This project was carried out in conjunction with Trinity College and St. James hospital, Dublin. She worked as Chief Researcher on the PLANTS project developing plant chemical signal sensors and actuators. Currently she is examing new varities of fruits using proteomics to look for differences in allergens and antinutritionals. She has equipped the laboratory in Cork to carry out 2D electrophoresis to contribute to this analysis. She has a keen interest in the interactions between microbes and plant defence mechanisms. Skills held include soil enzyme analyses, plant tissue culture, MALDI-TOF and GC mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D gel electophoresis, PFGE and immunohistochemistry. Dr. Rafferty-McArdle designs and manages the webpage for the COMMINANDES project.