Howe Lab - Former Member
Ellen Nisbet
Lecturer in Life Sciences
Dr Nisbet is now at the University of South Australia
Email: Ellen.Nisbet@unisa.edu.au
Telephone: +61 8 830 22332
Fax: +61 8 830 22389
Address: Office P5-26, Division of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, City East Campus, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
BSc (Hons) Microbiology University College London, 2000
PhD Department of Biochemistry and Darwin College, University of Cambridge, 2004
Wain Fellow 2004-5 at the School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Australia
Research Fellow, Darwin College 2004-2007
Teaching Bye-Fellow, Fitzwilliam College 2007-8
Lecturer, University of South Australia, 2008-present
Research interests
Evolution of the chloroplast genome
As photosynthetic eukaryotes have evolved, the genomes of chloroplasts have changed. A large group of algae, the dinoflagellates has a unique, fragmented genome, consisting of a collection of minicircles. From 2000-4, I carried out my PhD in the Howe lab, identifying new minicircles. However, it would appear that the vast majority of genes normally found on the chloroplast genome have moved to the nucleus, and are not found on minicircles.
From 2004-5, I was in Melbourne, Australia where I was working with Geoff McFadden on the remnant chloroplast found in the malaria parasite. This organelle, known as the apicoplast, no longer carries out photosynthesis, yet retains many similarities with chloroplasts. Dinoflagellates and apicomplexa (the group containing the malaria parasite) are closely related, and their chloroplasts have a similar evolutionary history. This collaboration is continuing.
I am also working with Prof. Pete Lockhart, Massey University, New Zealand, examining how the function of proteins affect tree-building techniques. We are looking at chloroplast proteins, as their biochemical properties are well-understood.
Publications
Dinoflagellates: a mitochondrial genome all at sea. Nash EA, Nisbet RER, Barbrook AC and Howe CJ. (2008) Invited review, Trends in Genetics 24:328-336.
Methane, Oxygen, Photosynthesis, Rubisco and the regulation of the air through time. Nisbet EG & Nisbet RER. (2008) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, in press.
Introduction: Phytosynthetic and atmospheric evolution. Bendall DS, Howe CJ, Nisbet EG & Nisbet RER. (2008) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, in press.
The origin of chloroplasts. Howe CJ, Barbrook AC, Nisbet RER, Lockhart PJ & Larkum AC. (2008) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, in press.
The remarkable chloroplast genome of dinoflagellates. Howe CJ, Nisbet RER & Barbrook AC. (2008) Invited review, Journal of Experimental Botany 59: 1035-45.
Transcript analysis of dinoflagellate plastid gene minicircles. Nisbet RER, Hiller RG, Barbrook AC, Skene P, Berry E & Howe CJ. (2007) Protist 159 31-9.
Biosafety risk in health lab move to central London. Nisbet RER. (2007) Nature 449 648.
The age of rubisco. Nisbet EG, Grassineau N, Howe CJ & Nisbet RER. (2007) Geobiology 5 311-35.
Organisation of the mitochondrial genome in the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae. Nash EA, Barbrook AC, Edwards-Stuart RK, Bernhardt K, Howe CJ & Nisbet RER. (2007) Molecular Biology and Evolution 24 1528-36
Anomalous chloroplast genome organisation in dinoflagellates. Barbrook A, Nisbet E, Koumandou L and Howe CJ. (2005) In: Photosynthesis: fundamental aspects to global perspectives. (eds.) van der Est, A and Bruce, D. 763-765. Proceedings of the 13th International Congress of Photosynthesis.
How many clones need to be sequenced from a single forensic or ancient DNA sample in order to determine a reliable consensus sequence? Bower MA, Spencer M, Matsumara S, Nisbet RER & Howe CJ (2005) Nucleic Acids Research 33 2549-56
Diatom genetics: genetic acquisitions and mergers. Nisbet RER, Kilian O & McFadden G (2004) Current Biology 14 R1048-1050
Novel plastid gene minicircles in the dinoflagellate Amphidinium operculatum. Nisbet RER, Koumadou VL, Barbrook AC & Howe CJ (2004) Gene 331 141-7
The dinoflagellate chloroplast genome: where have all the genes gone? Koumandou VL, Nisbet RER, Barbrook AC & Howe CJ (2004) Trends in Genetics 20 261-267
Evolution of the chloroplast genome. Howe CJ, Barbrook AC, Koumandou VL, Nisbet RER, Symington HA & Wightman TF (2003) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, 358 99-108
Organisation and expression of the plastid genome of the dinoflagellate Amphidinium operculatum. Barbrook AC, Symington HA, Nisbet RER, Larkum A & Howe CJ (2001) Molecular Genetics and Genomics 266 632-8
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