Professor Andrew Fleming
School of Biosciences
Chair in Plant Science
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+44 114 222 4830
Full contact details
School of Biosciences
D57
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
- Profile
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- Deputy Head of Department, Department of Animal and Plant Science, University of Sheffield (2015-present)
- Professor of Plant Science, University of Sheffield (2004-present)
- Group Leader, ETH-Zurich, Switzerland (1998-2004)
- Senior Assistant, University of Bern, Switzerland (1997-8)
- Habilitation, University of Bern, Switzerland (1996)
- Assistant, University of Bern, Switzerland (1989-1997)
- Postdoctorate, ETH-Zurich, Switzerland (1988)
- PhD Cambridge (1988)
- BA Cambridge (1984)
- Research interests
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Our research is focused on understanding the mechanism of leaf development. In particular, we are interested in the interplay of cell growth and division, how these parameters are integrated into the developmental program controlling leaf structure, and the impact the resultant internal cellular architecture has on leaf function- particularly photosynthesis and water-use efficiency.
We take an integrated systems approach, using experimental data derived from advanced imaging, biochemistry and physiology to inform computational models, which we then use to develop testable hypotheses on how structure relates to function, utilising a range of genetic and experimental approaches to alter specific elements of the modelled system.
Over recent years we have developed a keen interest in guard cells, working closely with Julie Gray to investigate how cell wall structure sets the limits for stomatal function and, thus, gas exchange in leaves. This work extends to seeking to understand how stomatal and mesophyll differentiation are co-ordinated, how mesophyll air space is formed, and the control of mesophyll cell shape and separation.
We have a long-standing interest in the earliest phases of leaf initiation and development, including the link between metabolism and development, leading us to projects aimed at elucidating the mechanism underpinning the switch from quiescence to growth in dormant buds.
These projects have allowed us to form valuable collaborations with colleagues around the globe, notably on rice leaf development, as well as the potential translation of our research into agriculture via commercial breeders and UK levy boards.
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Mesophyll porosity is modulated by the presence of functional stomata. Nature Communications, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
- Models and Mechanisms of Stomatal Mechanics. Trends in Plant Science, 23(9), 822-832. View this article in WRRO
- Cell density and airspace patterning in the leaf can be manipulated to increase leaf photosynthetic capacity. The Plant Journal, 92(6), 981-994. View this article in WRRO
- Stomatal Opening Involves Polar, Not Radial, Stiffening Of Guard Cells. Current Biology, 27(19), 2974-2983.e2. View this article in WRRO
- Origin and function of stomata in the moss Physcomitrella patens.. Nature Plants, 2. View this article in WRRO
- Stomatal Function Requires Pectin De-methyl-esterification of the Guard Cell Wall. Current Biology, 26(21), 2899-2906. View this article in WRRO
All publications
Journal articles
- Altering arabinans increases Arabidopsis guard cell flexibility and stomatal opening. Current Biology.
- Regulatory NADH dehydrogenase‐like complex optimizes C4 photosynthetic carbon flow and cellular redox in maize. New Phytologist, 241(1), 82-101.
- Conserved cellular patterning in the mesophyll of rice leaves. Plant Direct, 7(12).
- Grasses exploit geometry to achieve improved guard cell dynamics.. Curr Biol.
- Elevated CO2 Priming as a Sustainable Approach to Increasing Rice Tiller Number and Yield Potential. Rice, 16(1).
- Defining the scope for altering rice leaf anatomy to improve photosynthesis: a modelling approach. New Phytologist.
- Altering arabinans increases Arabidopsis guard cell flexibility and stomatal opening.. Curr Biol.
- Ploidy influences wheat mesophyll cell geometry, packing and leaf function.. Plant Direct, 5(4), e00314.
- Stomata and sporophytes of the model moss physcomitrium patens. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11. View this article in WRRO
- Cellular perspectives for improving mesophyll conductance. The Plant Journal. View this article in WRRO
- The developmental relationship between stomata and mesophyll airspace. New Phytologist, 225(3), 1120-1126.
- Mesophyll porosity is modulated by the presence of functional stomata. Nature Communications, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
- Reduced stomatal density in bread wheat leads to increased water-use efficiency. Journal of Experimental Botany, 70(18), 4737-4748.
- Investigating the microstructure of plant leaves in 3D with lab-based X-ray computed tomography. Plant Methods, 14(1). View this article in WRRO
- Models and Mechanisms of Stomatal Mechanics. Trends in Plant Science, 23(9), 822-832. View this article in WRRO
- Cell density and airspace patterning in the leaf can be manipulated to increase leaf photosynthetic capacity. The Plant Journal, 92(6), 981-994. View this article in WRRO
- Shape Control: Cell Growth Hits the Mechanical Buffers. Current Biology, 27(22), R1231-R1233. View this article in WRRO
- Stomatal Opening Involves Polar, Not Radial, Stiffening Of Guard Cells. Current Biology, 27(19), 2974-2983.e2. View this article in WRRO
- Formation of the Stomatal Outer Cuticular Ledge Requires a Guard Cell Wall Proline-Rich Protein. Plant Physiology, 174(2), 689-699. View this article in WRRO
- Origins and evolution of stomatal development. Plant physiology, 147(2). View this article in WRRO
- Origin and function of stomata in the moss Physcomitrella patens.. Nature Plants, 2. View this article in WRRO
- Stomatal Function Requires Pectin De-methyl-esterification of the Guard Cell Wall. Current Biology, 26(21), 2899-2906. View this article in WRRO
- An ancestral stomatal patterning module revealed in the non-vascular land plant Physcomitrella patens.. Development, 143, 3306-3314. View this article in WRRO
- Combined Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies the P3/P4 Transition as a Key Stage in Rice Leaf Photosynthetic Development. Plant Physiology, 170(3), 1655-1674. View this article in WRRO
- Auxin influx importers modulate serration along the leaf margin. The Plant Journal, 83(4), 705-718. View this article in WRRO
- Sweet size control in tomato. Nature Genetics, 47(7), 698-699.
- Conservation ofMale Sterility 2function during spore and pollen wall development supports an evolutionarily early recruitment of a core component in the sporopollenin biosynthetic pathway. New Phytologist, 205(1), 390-401.
- Variable expansin expression in Arabidopsis leads to different growth responses.. J Plant Physiol, 171(3-4), 329-339.
- Increased leaf mesophyll porosity following transient retinoblastoma- related protein silencing is revealed by microcomputed tomography imaging and leads to a system-level physiological response to the altered cell division pattern. Plant Journal, 76(6), 914-929. View this article in WRRO
- Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of the sporophyte of the moss Physcomitrella patens.. J Exp Bot, 64(12), 3567-3581. View this article in WRRO
- Seeing space: Visualization and quantification of plant leaf structure using X-ray micro-computed tomography. Journal of Experimental Botany, 64(2), 385-390.
- 552 How plants conquered the land : An EvoDevo analysis of the spore wall. 日本花粉学会会誌, 58(Special), 249.
- Inducible repression of multiple expansin genes leads to growth suppression during leaf development.. Plant Physiol, 159(4), 1759-1770.
- Gall formation in clubroot-infected Arabidopsis results from an increase in existing meristematic activities of the host but is not essential for the completion of the pathogen life cycle.. Plant J, 71(2), 226-238.
- Gall formation in clubroot-infected Arabidopsis results from an increase in existing meristematic activities of the host but is not essential for the completion of the pathogen life cycle. Plant Journal, 71(2), 226-238.
- Morphogenesis: forcing the tissue.. Curr Biol, 21(20), R840-R841.
- A shift toward smaller cell size via manipulation of cell cycle gene expression acts to smoothen Arabidopsis leaf shape.. Plant Physiol, 156(4), 2196-2206.
- Targeted manipulation of leaf form via local growth repression.. Plant J, 66(6), 941-952.
- Evolutionary development of the plant and spore wall.. AoB Plants, 2011, plr027. View this article in WRRO
- Regulatory mechanism controlling stomatal behavior conserved across 400 million years of land plant evolution.. Curr Biol, 21(12), 1025-1029.
- From molecule to model, from environment to evolution: an integrated view of growth and development. CURR OPIN PLANT BIOL, 13(1), 1-4.
- LEAFPROCESSOR: a new leaf phenotyping tool using contour bending energy and shape cluster analysis., 187(1), 251-261.
- Phased control of expansin activity during leaf development identifies a sensitivity window for expansin-mediated induction of leaf growth.. Plant Physiol, 151(4), 1844-1854.
- Differential expression of the CBF pathway and cell cycle-related genes in Arabidopsis accessions in response to chronic low-temperature exposure. PLANT BIOLOGY, 11(3), 273-283.
- Conditional Repression of AUXIN BINDING PROTEIN1 Reveals That It Coordinates Cell Division and Cell Expansion during Postembryonic Shoot Development in Arabidopsis and Tobacco. PLANT CELL, 20(10), 2746-2762.
- Restoration of DWF4 expression to the leaf margin of a dwf4 mutant is sufficient to restore leaf shape but not size: the role of the margin in leaf development.. Plant J, 52(6), 1094-1104.
- Zimmermann's telome theory of megaphyll leaf evolution: a molecular and cellular critique.. Curr Opin Plant Biol, 10(1), 4-12.
- Induction of differentiation in the shoot apical meristem by transient overexpression of a retinoblastoma-related protein. PLANT PHYSIOL, 141(4), 1338-1348.
- Plant signalling: the inexorable rise of auxin.. Trends Cell Biol, 16(8), 397-402.
- Leaf initiation: the integration of growth and cell division.. Plant Mol Biol, 60(6), 905-914.
- The co-ordination of cell division, differentiation and morphogenesis in the shoot apical meristem: a perspective.. J Exp Bot, 57(1), 25-32.
- Producing patterns in plants.. New Phytol, 170(4), 639-641.
- The integration of cell proliferation and growth in leaf morphogenesis.. J Plant Res, 119(1), 31-36.
- Metabolic aspects of organogenesis in the shoot apical meristem.. J Exp Bot, 57(9), 1863-1870.
- The control of leaf development.. New Phytol, 166(1), 9-20.
- Formation of primordia and phyllotaxy.. Curr Opin Plant Biol, 8(1), 53-58.
- Cell division pattern influences gene expression in the shoot apical meristem.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 100(9), 5561-5566.
- The mechanism of leaf morphogenesis.. Planta, 216(1), 17-22.
- Plant mathematics and Fibonacci's flowers. NATURE, 418(6899), 723-723.
- The ABC transporter SpTUR2 confers resistance to the antifungal diterpene sclareol.. Plant J, 30(6), 649-662.
- Plant expansins are a complex multigene family with an ancient evolutionary origin. PLANT PHYSIOL, 128(3), 854-864.
- Sucrose synthase expression pattern in young maize leaves: implications for phloem transport.. Planta, 214(2), 326-329.
- Differential expression of XET‐related genes in the leaf elongation zone of F. pratensis. Journal of Experimental Botany, 52(364), 2243-2243.
- Local expression of expansin induces the entire process of leaf development and modifies leaf shape.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 98(20), 11812-11817.
- Differential expression of XET-related genes in the leaf elongation zone of F. pratensis.. J Exp Bot, 52(362), 1847-1856.
- Differential expression of alpha- and beta-expansin genes in the elongating leaf of Festuca pratensis.. Plant Mol Biol, 46(4), 491-504.
- Novel marker genes for early leaf development indicate spatial regulation of carbohydrate metabolism within the apical meristem.. Plant J, 25(6), 663-674.
- Induction of leaf primordia by the cell wall protein expansion. SCIENCE, 276(5317), 1415-1418.
- Tissue-specific expression and promoter analysis of the tobacco Itp1 gene.. Plant Physiol, 112(2), 513-524.
- Fluorescent imaging of GUS activity and RT-PCR analysis of gene expression in the shoot apical meristem.. Plant J, 10(4), 745-754.
- Hormonal and environmental regulation of a plant PDR5-like ABC transporter.. J Biol Chem, 271(32), 19351-19357.
- Definition of constitutive gene expression in plants: the translation initiation factor 4A gene as a model.. Plant Mol Biol, 29(5), 995-1004.
- The Physiological Role of Abscisic Acid in Eliciting Turion Morphogenesis.. Plant Physiol, 108(2), 623-632.
- ORGAN-SPECIFIC DIFFERENTIAL REGULATION OF A PROMOTER SUBFAMILY FOR THE RIBULOSE-1,5-BIPHOSPHATE CARBOXYLASE OXYGENASE SMALL-SUBUNIT GENES IN TOMATO. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, 107(4), 1105-1118.
- Activation of Basal Cells of the Apical Meristem during Sepal Formation in Tomato.. Plant Cell, 6(6), 789-798.
- A plant gene with homology to D-myo-inositol-3-phosphate synthase is rapidly and spatially up-regulated during an abscisic-acid-induced morphogenic response in Spirodela polyrrhiza.. Plant J, 4(2), 279-293.
- The patterns of gene expression in the tomato shoot apical meristem.. Plant Cell, 5(3), 297-309.
- The Level of Abscisic Acid in the Root Tip of Runner Bean Seedlings: Implications for the ABA-Uptake Carrier. Journal of Plant Physiology, 138(6), 717-721.
- Synthesis and import of GDP‐
l ‐fucose into the Golgi affect plant–water relations. New Phytologist. - Estimating Uncertainty: a Bayesian Approach to Modelling Photosynthesis in
C3
Leaves. Plant, Cell & Environment.
- Rice leaves undergo a rapid metabolic reconfiguration during a specific stage of primordium development.
Chapters
- Regulation of Plant Morphogenesis: Generation of Anisotropy at Cellular and Tissue Levels (pp. 1141-1176). Wiley
- The Plant Extracellular Matrix and Signalling (pp. 85-108). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
- Cell Cycle Control during Leaf Development (pp. 203-226). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
- Cellular Architecture: Regulation of Cell Size, Cell Shape and Organ Initiation (pp. 1-22). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
- Cell Cycle Control During Leaf Development, Cell Cycle Control and Plant Development (pp. 203-226). Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Conference proceedings papers
- Deciphering the rules relating cell division and leaf form. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, Vol. 153A(2) (pp S175-S175)
- Manipulation of Arabidopsis leaf shape by chemically inducible AtCYCD3.1 expression. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, Vol. 153A(2) (pp S181-S181)
- Leaf morphogenesis: A combined computational and molecular analysis. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, Vol. 150(3) (pp S142-S142)
Preprints
- A regulatory circuit involving the NADH dehydrogenase-like complex balances C4photosynthetic carbon flow and cellular redox in maize, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Stomatal density affects rice mesophyll cell size and shape and modulates a conserved pattern of cells through the leaf, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Genetic screen to saturate guard cell signaling network reveals a role of GDP-L-fucose metabolism in stomatal closure, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
- Mesophyll porosity is modulated by the presence of functional stomata. Nature Communications, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Research Fellows
- Sam Amsbury (BBSRC Discovery Fellow) Untangling the Plant Cell Wall
Postdoctoral Researchers
- Matthew Wilson (BBSRC) - Shape Shifting Stomata: The Role of Geometry in Plant Cell Function
- Jen Sloan (Royal Society)- Breeding Rice Resilient to a High CO2 Future
Research Technicians
- Marion Bauch (Research Lab Manager): Shape Shifting Stomata
- Jodie Armand (Research Technician): Shape Shifting Stomata
PhD students
- Sarah Carroll (BBSRC-DTP) - Shifting shape with cell walls: imaging the dynamics of guard cell movement (co-supervisor Julie Gray)
- Shiv Gangarparsad (Leverhulme CABM) Spatiotemporal modelling of air channel network function and optimisation (co-supervisors Visakan Kadirkamana & Bryn Jones)
- Shauni McGregor (BBSRC-DTP) Investigating the structure of grass stomatal cell walls (co-supervisor Julie Gray)
- Tom Grand (BBSRC CASE with AHDB) The mechanism of cell cycle repression by sprouting inhibitors (co-supervisor Lisa Smith)
- Saranrat Im-Chai (Thai Government) Using metabolite imaging to test a 3D spatial model of photosynthesis
- James Pitman (BBSRC CASE with AHDB) From metabolic markers to growth suppression in potato (co-supervisor Heather Walker)
- Shanshan Wang Improving photosynthesis and water-use efficiency in rice
- Emma White (BBSRC CASE with RAGT Seeds) Improving water-use efficiency in wheat by modulating leaf structure
MRes and MBiol Sci students
- Alexander Williams
- Inesh Amaranth
- Qi Ngai
- Grants
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- BBSRC Newton Trust, A 3-D model of photosynthesis to Inform breeding for improved rice performance in a changing climate (2016-2019)
- Wolfson Foundation, Plant Phenotyping Platform (2016-2017)
- BBSRC-iCASE Award, Engineering the rice leaf for improved photosynthesis (2016-2020)
- BBSRC-iCASE Award, Imaging Metabolism in Plants (2016-2019)
- BBSRC-iCASE Award, Engineering a better wheat leaf (2015-2019)
- BBSRC-CASE award, Developmental metabolomics of the meristem (2014-2018)
- Gatsby Foundation, Optimising leaf structure for photosynthesis (2013-2017)
- BBSRC-CASE award, Optimisation of crop leaf form for improved photosynthesis (2012-2016)
- BBSRC, Optimising photosynthetic efficiency via leaf structure (2012-2015)
- BBSRC Industrial Partnership Award, Atomic Force Microscopy analysis of plant tissue (2010-2014)
- Leverhulme Trust, Molecular analysis of club root infection in Arabidopsis (Co-PI) (2009-2012)
- Yorkshire Forward, Optimising fibre quality in renewable energy crops (2009-2011)
- European Union, Marie Curie Award, MolCalm (2009-2011)
- BBSRC Industrial Partnership Award, Imaging metabolism in the meristem (2008-2012)
- Teaching activities
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I am a developmental biologist. This involves the study of how something apparently simple (a cell) becomes something incredibly complicated (a mature, multicellular organism) in a robust and reproducible fashion. My interest is in plant development, but one of the lessons of the past decades has been how developmental concepts can be applied across the whole of biology, and it is understanding these unifying (and yet distinctive) approaches to solving common developmental problems that underpin my teaching (and my research).
I currently teach on the following modules:
- APS137 Plant Physiology, Reproduction & Growth (module co-ordinator)
- APS135 Level 1 Tutorials
- APS222 Level 2 Tutorials
- APS355 Future Plants: From laboratory to field
- APS331 Level 3 Dissertations
- APS345 Level 3 Projects
- APS402 Level 4 Dissertations
- APS406 Level 4 Projects
- APS6602 MRes Literature Reviews
- APS609 MRes Research Projects
- APS6623 Special issues in Global Food Security
- APS6624 Crop science, biotechnology & breeding (module co-ordinator)
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Gatsby Plant Science Mentor
- Advisory Board “New Phytologist”
- White Rose BBSRC DTP Management Board
- Advisor to the Commonwealth Scholarship Committee (2014-present)
- Treasurer of the British Society for Developmental Biology (2009-2014
- BBSRC PMS committee/committee B core member (2007-2011)
- British Society for Developmental Biology, Committee member (2004-2014)
- Invited Co-Editor for Current Opinion in Plant Biology (2010)
- Associate Editor of Plant Molecular Biology (2009-2013)
- The Society for Experimental Biology, Plant Gene Structure and Function Co-Convenor (2006-2010)
- Referee for various international journals and funding agencies (2004-present)
- Honours and awards
- Leverhulme Research Fellow, Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University (2015-16)
- Visiting Fellowship, Clare Hall (2015-16)
- Director of the Robert Hill Institute (2013-present)
- Swiss National Science Foundation START Fellowship (1998-2004)
- EMBO Fellowship, University of Wageningen, The Netherlands (1990)
- Bye-Fellowship Magdalene College (1986)
- Scholarship Magdalene College (1982-1984)