People
Fay, Michael F.
| Job Title | Head of Genetics |
|---|---|
| Department | Jodrell |
| Section | Genetics |
| Science Teams |
Rubiaceae United Kingdom UK Overseas Territories Drylands: Tropical America Large-Scale Syntheses Monocots II: Commelinids Monocots I: General Alismatids & Lilioids Drylands: Africa Monocots III: Orchids |
| Joined Kew | 1986 |
| Foreign Language(s) | French, Spanish, Welsh |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Univ. Wales (Aberystwyth), 1981
PhD, Univ. Wales, 1989.
Bicentenary Medal, Linnean Society, 2000
Chair, IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group; Reintroduction Specialist Group
Member, UK Biodiversity Research Advisory Group (UKBRAG)
Hon. Lecturer, University of Birmingham
Associate Lecturer, The Open University
Council, Linnean Society of London (2003-2007; 2009-present)
Vice President, Linnean Society of London (2009-present)
Council, Botanical Society of the British Isles
Editorial Boards: Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society (Editor in Chief), Kew Scientist (Editor), Annals of Botany, Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, Kew Magazine
Founding Editor, Botanic Gardens Micropropagation News (1990-1995)
Role
Conservation genetics, phylogenetics and genome research.
Collecting genetic data (DNA fingerprint and sequences) to provide information that is used to help inform conservation of rare species. Much of this work relates to the UK and is carried out in collaboration with the statutory conservation agencies, but some relates to plants from elsewhere, e.g. St Helena, Spain, Brazil. Orchids form a major focus of these studies. Phylogenetic studies mostly focus on monocots, with Asparagales and Liliales being major interests. Other studies include some large genera: Coffea (Rubiaceae), Phylica (Rhamnaceae) and Conostylis (Haemodoraceae). Placement of rare or enigmatic taxa and assessment of species delimitation are areas of overlap between conservation genetics and phylogenetics. Genome research includes coordination of studies on evolution of genome structure and size using a range of cytogenetic and molecular techniques. The evolution of the largest angiosperm genomes is currently a major focus.
Projects
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III
Complete Generic Phylogenetic Tree for all Seed Plants
Conservation Genetics of UK Plants
Developing a Species and Specimens Database for the UKOTs Programme
DNA Banking of the UK Flora: a Resource for Conservation Genetics and Comparative Plant Biology
Enabling the People of Montserrat to Conserve the Centre Hills - Project completed
Establishing a Standard DNA Barcode for Land Plants
Ex Situ Conservation of Recalcitrant Seeds: Towards the Delivery of Target 8 of the GSPC
Ex Situ Conservation of Threatened UK Bryophytes
Falkland Islands Plant Conservation
Genomic Studies in Angiosperms
Grasses and Sedges of Britain and Ireland - PROJECT COMPLETED
Haemodoraceae - phylogenetics, biology and conservation
In Vitro Conservation of Bottle Palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (L. Bailey) H.E. Moore)
Introgression of Abiotic Stress Response Genes across Hybrid Zones in Populus
Kew Latin America Research Fellowships
Morphometrics and Phylogeography of Anthurium and Monstera (Araceae) in NE Brazil
Phylogenetics and Classification of Araceae
Phylogeny and Pollination Biology of Westringieae, Lamiaceae - Project completed
Plant Diversity Challenge: the Official UK Response to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
Population Genetics of UK Orchids
Systematics and Conservation Genetics of Asparagales
Systematics and Conservation Genetics of Liliales
Turks and Caicos Islands Pine Recovery
Selected Recent Publications
Chase, M.W. & Fay, M.F. (2009 – in press). Barcoding of plants and fungi. Science. XX: XX-XX.
Fay, M.F., Bone, R., Cook, P., Kahandawala, I., Greensmith, J., Harris, S., Pedersen, H.Æ., Ingrouille, M.J. & Lexer, C. (2009). Genetic diversity in Cypripedium calceolus (Orchidaceae) with a focus on northwestern Europe, as revealed by plastid DNA length polymorphisms. Ann. Bot. 104: 359–364.
Leitch, I.J. Kahandawala, I., Suda, J., Hanson, L., Ingrouille, M.J., Chase, M.W. & Fay M.F. (2009). Genome size diversity in orchids - consequences and evolution. Ann. Bot. 104: 469–481,
Paun, O., Forest, F., Fay, M.F. & Chase, M.W. (2009). Hybrid speciation in angiosperms: parental divergence drives ploidy level. New Phytol. 182: 507-518.
Fay, M.F., Chase, M.W., Rønsted, N., Devey, D.S., Pillon, Y., Pires, J.C., Petersen G., Seberg, O. & Davis, J.I. (2006). Phylogenetics of Liliales: summarized evidence from combined analyses of five plastid and one mitochondrial loci. Aliso 22: 559–565.
Selected Earlier Publications
Fay, M.F., Rudall, P.J., Sullivan, S., Stobart, K.L., Bruijn, A.Y. De, Reeves, G., Qamaruz-Zaman, F., Hong, W.-P., Joseph, J., Hahn, W.J., Conran, J.G. & Chase, M.W. (2000). Phylogenetic studies of Asparagales based on four plastid DNA loci. In Wilson, K.L. & Morrison, D.A. (eds). Monocots – Systematics and Evolution 1. CSIRO, Melbourne. 360–371.
Richardson, J.E., Weitz, F.M., Fay, M.F., Cronk, Q.C.B., Linder, H.P., Reeves, G. & Chase, M.W. (2001). Rapid and recent origin of species richness in the Cape Flora of South Africa. Nature 412: 181-183.
Fay, M.F. & Krauss, S.L. (2003). Orchid Conservation Genetics in the Molecular Age. In Dixon, K.W., Kell, S.P., Barrett, R.L & Cribb, P.J (eds). Orchid Conservation. Natural History Publications, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. 91-112.
Lexer, C. & Fay, M.F. (2005). Adaptation to environmental stress: a rare or frequent driver of speciation? J. Evol. Biol. 18: 893-900.
Fay, M.F., Cowan, R.S. & Leitch, I.J. (2005). The effects of nuclear DNA content (C-value) on the quality and utility of AFLP fingerprints. Ann. Bot. 95: 237-246.
