Name:           Howard THOMAS

Date of birth: 18 March 1948 

Email:            sid1(+)sidthomas.net
                     hot(+)aber.ac.uk
                     [please change (+) to @ when emailing]

Web:             http://www.aber.ac.uk/biology/dept/sid_thomas.html
                     http://www.sidthomas.net/

Publications:  http://www.sidthomas.net/Lifestories/sidpubs.htm

Academic qualifications:

1987               DSc (Wales)

1973               PhD (Wales)

1969               BSc Hons 1 (Wales)

Post-doctorate career:

2007               Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow, Aberystwyth University

2001               Strategic Development Director, IGER

1992               Head of Cell Biology Department, IGER

1989               Head of Plant and Cell Biology Department, IGAP

1982               Principal Scientific Officer, WPBS Aberystwyth

1977               Senior Scientific Officer, WPBS

1975               Higher Scientific Officer, WPBS

1972               Scientific Officer, WPBS

Other positions held

2009-present             Treasurer, New Phytologist trust

2004                         Fellow of the World Innovation Foundation

1993-present              Honorary Professor, UW, Aberystwyth

1994                         Visiting Professor, University of Bern

1990-2007,

2011-present              Editor, trustee, New Phytologist

1985, 1987, 1995        Visiting Professor, University of Zürich

1983                         OECD Research Fellow, ETH, Zürich

1978-1979                 Visiting Research Professor, University of California,
                                Davis

1976                         NATO Research Fellow, University of California,
                                Berkeley

1975-1978                 Lecturer in Biochemistry, Aberystwyth CFE

 
Research interests

• Investigation and modification of cellular, biochemical and evolutionary mechanisms of plant senescence and death, with special emphasis on pigment and protein metabolism.
   

• Cloning, mapping and exploiting genes determining senescence, late-season and post-harvest deterioration, food, feed and bioprocessing quality and consumer perception in a range of crop and amenity species.
   

• Use of imaging and machine-learning methods for non-destructive analysis of plant development and remote field to landscape-level monitoring of crops and ecosystems.
   

• Measuring and modelling geneflow in field crops.
   

• Cultural significance of scientific research and promotion of links between science and the arts.
   

Major recent research achievements

• Establishment of the pathway for chlorophyll catabolism during senescence.
   
• Cloning of key genes in chlorophyll and protein catabolism.
   
• Isolation of a candidate gene controlling delayed senescence.
   
• Cloning of Mendel's I locus.
   
• First transgenic manipulation of monocot leaf senescence using monocot promoters.
   
• First application of transposon mutagenesis to modify crop plant senescence.
   
• Establishment of introgression landing as a novel method of positional cloning of genes from large-genome monocots.