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School of Biosciences
 

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Erik Murchie

Professor of Applied Plant Physiology, Faculty of Science

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Biography

ORCID ID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7465-845X

2019 -

Professor of Applied Plant Physiology

2006 - 2018

Associate Professor and Lecturer in Crop Science, 糖心原创.

Expertise Summary

I study photosynthesis in crop plants but I have a broad interest in the physiology of photosynthetic organisms. In particular my group is interested in the regulation of photosynthesis in response to environmental factors in all types of cropping systems. Why is this important? It is clear that photosynthesis operates below optimal efficiency in the field and if we could improve this it would have an impact on grain yield. I use crops such as wheat and rice to understand the genetic basis for processes such as photoprotection.

Teaching Summary

I convene the following modules:

Environmental Plant Physiology (BIOS2122) Level 2. This module covers essential aspects of plant biochemistry and physiology as it relates to the fundamental processes of capture of water, minerals and radiation.

Contribute to the following modules

Plants and the Light environment (D224P5)

Field Crops Cereals (D24AO2)

Genetic Improvement of Crop Plants (D23BA7)

The Biosciences and Global Food Security (D211A1)

Plant Science

Research Summary

Optimising photosynthesis in crop canopies

鈥婱y group studies the factors that regulate and limit photosynthesis in crop plants. We examine the fundamental processes in crop plants such as light harvesting, carbon assimilation and energy dissipation and identify targets and strategies for improvement of crops in both optimal and suboptimal (stressful) environments. We also work with novel agricultural systems such as those which are making use of novel lighting technology in horticulture. The rate of leaf and canopy photosynthesis is becoming more important as a target for raising crop yields. We know this from studies that identify total biomass accumulation rate as a limiting factor (Murchie et al, 2009).

The processes of harvesting and converting photosynthetically active radiation in plants are capable of operation with a very high efficiency at the molecular level. However the upscaling of these processes to plants, canopies and agroecosystems involves losses caused by metabolic and environmental factors and we measure this as a reduction in radiation - use efficiency (RUE)*.

Highlighted Funded projects as PI

BBSRC Rapid Response (BB/X00595X/1), Cells to Fields: crop movement characterisation across scales of order.

Newton UK-Mexico partnership BB/S012834/1 'Exploiting night-time traits to improve wheat yield and water use efficiency in the warming climate of North-western Mexico' 2019-2022.

BBSRC responsive mode grant BB/R004633/1 'The 4-dimensional plant: enhanced mechanical canopy excitation for improved crop performance'. 2017-2020 (extended into 2021). .

EU Co-ordinated and Support Action (CSA), 'CropBoosterP', 拢50K, 2018 - 2022

Wider and faster: high-throughout phenotypic exploration of novel genetic variation for breeding high biomass and yield in wheat, International Wheat Yield Partnership and BBSRC. 2016-2019

Measurement of Plant Growth and Health in LED horticulture (MePGHOL), Innovate UK, 2013-2017.

As Co-I:

Indo-UK Centre for the improvement of Nitrogen use Efficiency in Wheat (INEW), BBSRC funded2016-2019

SCPRID, Exploiting wheat alien introgressions for increased photosynthetic productivity, BBSRC, India ministry of science and technology, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2013-2017

Current Lab members

Dr Lorna McAusland

Dr Tanvir Ahammed

YIfan Dong

Jakob Buchreiter

Dr Nikki Walters

Robert Rintoul

Nigel Vermonden

Lab Alumni:

Dr Chuan Ching Foo

Dr Laura Briers

Dr Kellie Smith

Dr Carlos Robles Zazueta

Dr Sophie Cowling

Dr Jordan Robson

Dr Alexandra Burgess

Dr Hayley Smith

Dr Kannan Chinnathambi

Dr Alexandra Burgess (2013)

Dr Tiara Herman

Dr Umar Mohammed

Dr Aryo Feldman

Dr Stanley Noah

Dr Liang Zhao

Dr Rea Antoniou Kourounioti

Dr Mohamed Ahamadeen Mubarak Nagoor

Dr Ajigboye Olubukola

Dr Ian Smillie

Previous funded projects :

Genetic Manipulation of photoprotection and photooxidative stress tolerance in rice (BBSRC Grant BB/G003157/1)

Removing the inefficiencies of 3-dimensional canopy photosynthesis by the manipulation of leaf light response dynamics and architecture (BBSRC grant BB/J003999/1) 2012-2015

What is photoprotection and why is it important for crop photosynthesis ?

Photoprotection refers to a suite of regulatory chloroplast processes which are induced when the amount of light absorbed exceeds that which can be utilized in photosynthesis. They are thought of as 'protective' because they prevent the over-excitation of chlorophyll which increases the likelihood of reactions with molecular oxygen and hence oxygen radical production. They cause a down-regulation of photosynthesis and the quantum yield of CO2. Non-photochemical quenching' or NPQ is integrated closely with photochemical processes and essentially help to regulate the balance between the harvesting of light energy and the harmless dissipation of excitation energy within the chloroplast. Models have shown that delayed recovery of NPQ should result in a reduction of canopy carbon gain of up to 30 %.

Two components of NPQ are the xanthophyll cycle and the thylakoid membrane protein PsbS. Recent work suggests that these regulate different aspects of NPQ , with PsbS responsible for a shift between light-harvesting and dissipative states, and the xanthophyll cycle altering the rate of induction and relaxation of NPQ.

We are analyzing rice plants which have been transformed to possess altered levels of PSBS and xanthophyll cycle pool sizes and hence altered patterns of NPQ. We are quantifying leaf photosynthesis in fluctuating light levels and apply this knowledge to canopy - level studies and test the current models of canopy carbon gain.

Xanthophyll cycle carotenoids such as zeaxanthin are also powerful membrane anti-oxidants and increased pool sizes have been shown to improve tolerance to high light and temperature stress. We will test this effect in rice plants.

Recent Publications

  • MCAUSLAND, LORNA, ATKINSON, JONATHAN A, LAWSON, TRACY and MURCHIE, ERIK H, 2019. Plant methods. 15, 109
  • MOHAMMED, U., CAINE, R. S., ATKINSON, J. A., HARRISON, E. L., WELLS, D., CHATER, C. C., GRAY, J. E., SWARUP, R. and MURCHIE, E. H., 2019. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 9,
  • MOHAMMED, U., CAINE, R. S., ATKINSON, J. A., HARRISON, E. L., WELLS, D., CHATER, C. C., GRAY, J. E., SWARUP, R. and MURCHIE, E. H., 2019. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 9,
  • MCAUSLAND, LORNA, ATKINSON, JONATHAN A., LAWSON, TRACY and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2019. PLANT METHODS. 15(1),
  • GIBBS, JONATHON A., BURGESS, ALEXANDRA J., POUND, MICHAEL P., PRIDMORE, TONY P. and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2019. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. 181(1), 28-42
  • BURGESS, ALEXANDRA J., GIBBS, JONATHON A. and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2019. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY. 70(9), 2371-2380
  • CAINE, ROBERT S., YIN, XIAOJIA, SLOAN, JENNIFER, HARRISON, EMILY L., MOHAMMED, UMAR, FULTON, TIMOTHY, BISWAL, AKSHAYA K., DIONORA, JACQUELINE, CHATER, CASPAR C., COE, ROBERT A., BANDYOPADHYAY, ANINDYA, MURCHIE, ERIK H., SWARUP, RANJAN, QUICK, W. PAUL and GRAY, JULIE E., 2019. NEW PHYTOLOGIST. 221(1), 371-384
  • RETKUTE, R., TOWNSEND, A. J., MURCHIE, E. H., JENSEN, O. E. and PRESTON, S. P., 2018. Annals of Botany. 122(2), 291-302
  • NEHE, A. S., MISRA, S., MURCHIE, E. H., CHINNATHAMBI, K. and FOULKES, M. J., 2018. FIELD CROPS RESEARCH. 225, 152-162
  • HUBBART, STELLA, SMILLIE, IAN R A, HEATLEY, MATTHEW, SWARUP, RANJAN, FOO, CHUAN CHING, ZHAO, LIANG and MURCHIE, ERIK H, 2018. Communications biology. 1, 22
  • HUBBART, STELLA, SMILLIE, IAN R. A., HEATLEY, MATTHEW, SWARUP, RANJAN, FOO, CHUAN CHING, ZHAO, LIANG and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2018. COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. 1,
  • POUND, MICHAEL P., ATKINSON, JONATHAN A., TOWNSEND, ALEXANDRA J., WILSON, MICHAEL H., GRIFFITHS, MARCUS, JACKSON, AARON S., BULAT, ADRIAN, TZIMIROPOULOS, GEORGIOS, WELLS, DARREN M., MURCHIE, ERIK H., PRIDMORE, TONY P. and FRENCH, ANDREW P., 2018. GIGASCIENCE. 7(7),
  • AJIGBOYE, OLUBUKOLA O., RAY, RUMIANA V. and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2018. PHOTOSYNTHESIS: METHODS AND PROTOCOLS. 1770, 95-104
  • MURCHIE, ERIK H., KEFAUVER, SHAWN, LUIS ARAUS, JOSE, MULLER, ONNO, RASCHER, UWE, FLOOD, PADRAIC J. and LAWSON, TRACY, 2018. ANNALS OF BOTANY. 122(2), 207-220
  • TOWNSEND, ALEXANDRA J., RETKUTE, RENATA, CHINNATHAMBI, KANNAN, RANDALL, JAMIE W. P., FOULKES, JOHN, CARMO-SILVA, ELIZABETE and MURCHIEA, ERIK H., 2018. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. 176(2), 1233-1246
  • BURGESS, ALEXANDRA J., RETKUTE, RENATA, POUND, MICHAEL P., MAYES, SEAN and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2017. Annals of Botany. mcw242
  • SMITH, HAYLEY L., MCAUSLAND, LORNA and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2017. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY. 68(9), 2099-2110
  • BURGESS, ALEXANDRA J., RETKUTE, RENATA, HERMAN, TIARA and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2017. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE. 8,
  • MURCHIE EH, 2017. Plant, cell & environment. 40(8), 1239-1242
  • GIBBS, JONATHON A., POUND, MICHAEL, FRENCH, ANDREW P., WELLS, DARREN M., MURCHIE, ERIK and PRIDMORE, TONY, 2017. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY. 44(1), 62-75
  • FELDMAN AB, LEUNG H, BARAOIDAN M, ELMIDO-MABILANGAN A, CANICOSA I, QUICK WP, SHEEHY J and MURCHIE EH, 2017. Frontiers in plant science. 8, 1883
  • TOWNSEND AJ, RETKUTE R, CHINNATHAMBI K, RANDALL JW, FOULKES J, CARMO-SILVA E and MURCHIE EH, 2017. Plant physiology. (In Press.)
  • OLUBUKOLA AJIGBOYE, LOUISE BOUSQUET, ERIK H. MURCHIE and RUMIANA V. RAY, 2016. Functional Plant Biology. 43(4), 356-369
  • POUND, MICHAEL P.AND FRENCH, ANDREW P.AND FOZARD, JOHN A.AND MURCHIE, ERIK H.AND PRIDMORE, TONY P., 2016. Machine Vision and Applications. 1-13
  • MICHAEL POUND, ALEXANDRA J BURGESS, MICHAEL H WILSON, JONATHAN A ATKINSON, MARCUS GRIFFITHS, AARON S JACKSON, ADRIAN BULAT, GEORGIOS TZIMIROPOULOS, DARREN M WELLS, ERIK H MURCHIE, TONY P PRIDMORE and ANDREW P FRENCH, 2016. Biorxiv. Available at: <http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/05/12/053033>
  • OLUBUKOLA O. AJIGBOYE, CHUNGUI LU, ERIK H. MURCHIE, CHRISTIAN SCHLATTER, GINA SWART and RUMIANA V. RAY, 2016. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology.
  • BURGESS AJ, RETKUTE R, PRESTON SP, JENSEN OE, POUND MP, PRIDMORE TP and MURCHIE EH, 2016. Frontiers in Plant Science. 7, 1392
  • YU H, MURCHIE EH, GONZALEZ-CARRANZA ZH and PYKE KA, 2015. Journal of Experimental Botany.
  • LEE, ALEXANDRA P., UPCHURCH, GARLAND, JR., MURCHIE, ERIK H. and LOMAX, BARRY H., 2015. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. 282(1803),
  • RETKUTE, R., SMITH-UNNA, S., SMITH, R.W., BURGESS, A.J., JENSEN, O.E., JOHNSON, G.N., PRESTON, S.P. and MURCHIE, E.H., 2015. Journal of Experimental Botany.
  • MURCHIE, ERIK H., ALI, ASGAR and HERMAN, TIARA, 2015. Rice. 8(1), 31
  • JOHNSON, G. N., LAWSON, T., MURCHIE, E. H. and RAINES, C., 2015. Journal of Experimental Botany. 66(9), 2371-2372
  • JOHNSON, G. N., LAWSON, T., MURCHIE, E. H. and RAINES, C., 2015. Journal of Experimental Botany. 66(9), 2371-2372
  • HERMAN, TIARA, MURCHIE, ERIK H and WARSI, ASGAR A, 2015. Rice production and climate change: A case study of Malaysian rice Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science. 38(3), 321-328
  • BURGESS, ALEXANDRA J., RETKUTE, RENATA, POUND, MICHAEL P., FOULKES, JOHN, PRESTON, SIMON P., JENSEN, OLIVER E., PRIDMORE, TONY P. and MURCHIE, ERIK H., 2015. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. 169(2), 1192-+
  • POUND, MICHAEL P., FRENCH, ANDREW P., MURCHIE, ERIK H. and PRIDMORE, TONY P., 2014. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. 166(4), 1688-U801
  • FELDMAN, ARYO B., MURCHIE, ERIK H., LEUNG, HEI, BARAOIDAN, MARIETTA, COE, ROBERT, YU, SU-MAY, LO, SHUEN-FANG and QUICK, WILLIAM P., 2014. PLOS ONE. 9(4),
  • AJIGBOYE, OLUBUKOLA O., MURCHIE, ERIK and RAY, RUMIANA V., 2014. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 114, 52-60
  • LEE, CHIEN-WEI, KOUROUNIOTI, REA ANTONIOU, WU, JEFFREY C. S., MURCHIE, ERIK, MAROTO-VALER, MERCEDES, JENSEN, OLIVER E., HUANG, CHAO-WEI and RUBAN, ALEXANDER, 2014. JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION. 5, 33-40
  • HUBBART S, BIRD S, LAKE JA and MURCHIE EH, 2013. Physiologia plantarum. 148(2), 297-306
  • MURCHIE EH and LAWSON T, 2013. Journal of Experimental Botany.
  • AHMAD, N. S., BASU, S. M., REDJEKI, E. S., MURCHIE, E., MASSAWE, F., AZAM-ALI, S., KILIAN, A. and MAYES, S., 2013. Developing Genetic Mapping and Marker-Assisted Breeding Techniques in Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) II INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON UNDERUTILIZED PLANT SPECIES: CROPS FOR THE FUTURE - BEYOND FOOD SECURITY. 979, 437-449
  • EDWARDS, S., AJIGBOYE, O.O., HORTON, P. and MURCHIE, E.H., 2012. The Plant Journal. 71(3), 402-412
  • ERIK MURCHIE and MATTHEW REYNOLDS, 2012. Crop radiation capture and use efficiency. In: ROBERT MEYERS, ed., Encyclopaedia of Sustainability Science and Technology Springer. (In Press.)
  • RUBAN, A.V. and MURCHIE EH, 2012. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA): Bioenergetics. 1817(7), 977-982
  • SMILLIE, I.R.A., PYKE, K.A. and MURCHIE, E.H., 2012. Journal of Experimental Botany. 63(12), 4563-4570
  • MURCHIE, EH and NIYOGI, KK, 2011. Plant Physiology. 155(1), 86-92
  • MURCHIE, EH, PINTO, M and HORTON, P, 2009. 181(3), 532-552
  • LLORENS, L., LLUSI脌, J., MURCHIE, E.H., PE脩UELAS, J. and BEERLING, D.J., 2009. Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences. 114(G1), G01005
  • MAYES, S., BASU, S., MURCHIE, E., ROBERTS, J. A., AZAM-ALI, S. N., STADLER, F., MOHLER, V., WENZEL, G., MASSAWE, F., KILIAN, A., BONIN, A., BEENA, A. and SHESHSHAYEE, M. S., 2009. BAMLINK - a Cross Disciplinary Programme to Enhance the Role of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc.) for Food Security in Africa and India INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON UNDERUTILIZED PLANTS FOR FOOD SECURITY, NUTRITION, INCOME AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. 806, 137-149
  • NYARKO, GEORGE, ALDERSON, PETER G., CRAIGON, JIM, MURCHIE, ERIK and SPARKES, DEBBIE L., 2008. JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE & BIOTECHNOLOGY. 83(5), 678-682
  • HUBBART, S, PENG, S, HORTON, P, CHEN, Y and MURCHIE, EH, 2007. Journal Of Experimental Botany. 58(12), 3429-3438
  • XIE, X., WANG, Y., WILLIAMSON, L., HOLROYD, G.H, TAGLIAVIA, C., MURCHIE, E., THEOBALD, J., KNIGHT, M.R., DAVIES, W.J., LEYSER, H.M.O. and HETHERINGTON, A.M.., 2006. Current Biology. 16(9), 882-7
  • LIZANA, CAROLINA, WENTWORTH, MARK, MARTINEZ, JUAN P, VILLEGAS, DANIEL, MENESES, RODRIGO, MURCHIE, ERIK H, PASTENES, CLAUDIO, LERCARI, BARTOLOMEO, VERNIERI, PAULO, HORTON, PETER and PINTO, MANUEL, 2006. Journal of Experimental Botany. 57(3), 685-97
  • WENTWORTH, MARK, MURCHIE, ERIK H, GRAY, JULIE E, VILLEGAS, DANIEL, PASTENES, CLAUDIO, PINTO, MANUEL and HORTON, PETER, 2006. Journal of Experimental Botany. 57(3), 699-709
  • MURCHIE, E.H., HUBBART, S., PENG, S. and HORTON, P., 2005. Journal of Experimental Botany. 56(411), 449-460
  • CHEN Y, MURCHIE EH, HUBBART S, HORTON P and PENG S, 2003. Physiologia plantarum. 117(3), 343-351
  • MURCHIE, E.H., HUBBART, S., CHEN, Y., PENG, S. and HORTON, P., 2002. Plant Physiology. 130(4), 1999-2010
  • MURCHIE, E.H, YANG, J., HUBBART, S., HORTON, P. and PENG, S., 2002. Journal of Experimental Botany. 53(378), 2217-2224
  • HORTON, P, MURCHIE, E H, RUBAN, A V and WALTERS, R G, 2001. Increasing rice photosynthesis by manipulation of the acclimation and adaptation to light. Novartis Foundation symposium.. 236, 117-30; discussion 130-4
  • HORTON, PETER, MURCHIE, ERIK H., RUBAN, ALEXANDER V. and WALTERS, ROBIN G., 2001. Increasing rice photosynthesis by manipulation of the acclimation and adaptation to light 236, 117-134
  • HORTON, P, MURCHIE, EH, RUBAN, AV and WALTERS, RG, 2001. Increasing rice photosynthesis by manipulation of the acclimation and adaptation to light RICE BIOTECHNOLOGY: IMPROVING YIELD, STRESS TOLERANCE AND GRAIN QUALITY. 236, 117-134
  • MURCHIE, E H, FERRARIO-M脙漏RY, S, VALADIER, M H and FOYER, C H, 2000. Journal of Experimental Botany. 51(349), 1349-56
  • HORTON, P and MURCHIE, EH, 2000. C-4 photosynthesis in rice: some lessons from studies of C-3 photosynthesis in field-grown rice REDESIGNING RICE PHOTOSYNTHESIS TO INCREASE YIELD. 7, 127-144
  • MURCHIE E, CHEN Y, HUBBART S, PENG S and HORTON P, 1999. Interactions between senescence and leaf orientation determine in situ patterns of photosynthesis and photoinhibition in field-grown rice Plant physiology. 119(2), 553-64
  • MURCHIE EH and HORTON P, 1998. PLant Cell and Environment. 21, 139-148
  • MURCHIE EH and HORTON P, 1997. Plant Cell and Environment. 20(4), 438-448
  • HIREL, B, PHILLIPSON, B, MURCHIE, E, SUZUKI, A, KUNZ, C, FERRARIO, S, LIMAMI, A, CHAILLOU, S, DELEENS, E, BRUGIERE, N, CHAUMONTBONNET, M, FOYER, C and MOROTGAUDRY, JF, 1997. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PFLANZENERNAHRUNG UND BODENKUNDE. 160(3), 283-290
  • FOYER, C, CHAUMONT, M, MURCHIE, E, GALTIER, N and FERRARIO, S, 1995. End-product modulation of carbon partitioning with a view to improved biomass production CARBON PARTITIONING AND SOURCE-SINK INTERACTIONS IN PLANTS. 13, 45-55
  • GALTIER, N, FOYER, CH, MURCHIE, E, ALRED, R, QUICK, P, VOELKER, TA, THEPENIER, C, LASCEVE, G and BETSCHE, T, 1995. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY. 46, 1335-1344
  • GALTIER, N, MURCHIE, E, SIGNORA, L and FOYER, CH, 1995. The sucrose/starch ratio in leaves is determined by SPS activity. PHOTOSYNTHESIS: FROM LIGHT TO BIOSPHERE, VOL 5. 301-304

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