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Professor Simon Hiscock

Plant Evolutionary Genetics and Plant Reproduction

  • Plant genetics and genomics
  • Plant reproductive biology
  • Hybrid speciation
  • Polyploidy
  • Genomics of adaptation and speciation
  • Parasitic plants
  • Pollination ecology

For further details, see my research group's web page.

Research findings

My research seeks to understand fundamental processes in plant reproduction and evolution using genetics and genomics. Current research is focused on studying the interacting forces of mating system, interspecific hybridization, and polyploidy in three taxonomically ‘difficult’ groups: Senecio (Asteraceae), Sorbus (Rosaceae), and Orobanche (Orobancaceae).

Research in my lab is currently funded by NERC. I am also grateful to past funding from NERC, BBSRC, The Leverhulme Trust, The Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, The Linnean Society (COSyst), BSBI, and The Lady Emily Smyth Research Station (LESARS). 

Current research projects:

(i) the genomic basis of adaptation and speciation in the genus Senecio (Asteraceae)

(ii) the molecular genetic basis of pollen-stigma recognition and self-incompatibility in Senecio

(iii) the genetic basis of mating system (self-incompatibility) variation and evolution in Senecio

(iv) genetic divergence, mating systems, and ongoing evolution in the genus Sorbus (Rosaceae)

(v) genetic and phenotypic divergence in Macaronesian Pericallis (Asteraceae)

(vi) local adaptation and genetic divergence in holoparasitic broomrapes (Orobanche)

(vii) reproductive development in Amborella trichopoda

 

Collaborations

  • At Bristol I work on collaborative projects with: Daniel Robert
  • Heather Whitney
  • Jane Memmott
  • and Jon Bridle (all SoBS)
  • and Phil Donoghue (Earth Sciences) Dmitry Filatov (University of Oxford) http://dps.plants.ox.ac.uk/plants/staff/DmitryFilatov.aspx Matthew Hegarty (University of Aberystwyth
  • IBERS) http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/staff/staff-list/ayh/ Richard Abbott (University of St Andrews) http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/cegg/staffProfile.aspx?sunID=rja Christian Lexer (University of Fribourg
  • Switzerland) http://www.unifr.ch/biol/ecology/lexer/index.html Theo Hendriks (Université Lille Nord de France) http://www.lille.inra.fr/nos_unites_et_recherches/nos_unites/umr_sadv/ert_produits_du_vegetal_et_determinisme_genetique Marie-Christine Quillet (Université Lille Nord de France) http://www.lille.inra.fr/nos_unites_et_recherches/nos_unites/umr_sadv/embryogenese_somatique Mark Carine (Natural History Museum) http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/staff-directory/botany/m-carine/index.html Tim Rich (National Herbarium of Wales) http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/biosyb/vascular/staff/ Juande Alché (EEZ
  • Grenada
  • Spain) http://personales.ya.com/juandediosalche/INDEXenglish.html John Hancock (University of the West of England) http://hls.uwe.ac.uk/profiles/Profile.aspx?id=700 Stephen Harris (University of Oxford) http://dps.plants.ox.ac.uk/plants/staff/StephenHarris.aspx Fred Rumsey (Natural History Museum) http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/staff-directory/botany/f-rumsey/index.html