28 August 2019
Dr Louise Colville
Senior Research Leader
Department
Team
Specialism
Seed science, particularly seed storage and longevity; biochemistry with focus on volatile organic compounds, lipids and antioxidants.
As Senior Research Leader of Seed and Stress Biology, I lead a research group focusing on seed functional traits in wild plant species, particularly traits related to germination, longevity and stress resilience, which are important for conservation, global agriculture and food security.
My research is focused on the mechanisms that underpin seed longevity to gain an understanding of how to predict seed lifespan and enhance ex situ conservation of wild species. I am interested in the process of seed ageing during storage and the development of non-invasive techniques for monitoring ageing and viability.
- PhD Biological Sciences, University of Exeter, 2006
- BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, University of Wales, Bangor, 2002
- Secretary, International Society for Seed Science, 2019-present
- Member of the Seed Storage Committee of the International Seed Testing Association, 2022-present
- Editorial Board, Plant Growth Regulation, 2022-present
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Cryopreservation of temperate recalcitrant seed
Study of the fundamental basis of desiccation and low temperature stress tolerance in recalcitrant seed tissues of temperate species in order to optimise their cryopreservation.
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GENESISS: Germination after Extreme Natural Exposure of Seeds on the International Space Station
Investigate to which degree seeds of different species vary in their resilience to the extreme conditions of space and the mechanisms underpinning this resilience.
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Improving tree seed quality using high-throughput technologies
Interdisciplinary research using high-throughput phenotyping to assess the effects of innovative plasma-based treatments on seed quality, germination, storability and seedling development of UK native tree seeds.
Nadarajan J, Walters C, Pritchard HW, Ballesteros D, Colville L (2023)
Seed longevity – The evolution of knowledge and a conceptual framework.
Plants 12: 471.
Michalak M*, Plitta-Michalak BP, Nadarajan J, Colville L* (2021)
Volatile signature indicates viability of dormant orthodox seeds.
Physiologia Plantarum 173: 788-804.
Han B, Pritchard HW, Colville L* (2021)
Gaseous environment modulates volatile emission and viability loss during seed artificial ageing.
Planta 253: 1-16.
Paulsen, T. R., Colville, L., Kranner, I., Daws, M. I., Högstedt, G., Vandvik, V. & Thompson, K. (2013).
Physical dormancy in seeds: a game of hide and seek?
New Phytologist 198: 496-503.
Colville, L., Bradley, E. L., Lloyd, A. S., Pritchard, H. W., Castle, L. & Kranner, I. (2012).
Volatile fingerprints of seeds of four species indicate the involvement of alcoholic fermentation, lipid peroxidation, and Maillard reactions in seed deterioration during ageing and desiccation stress.
Journal of Experimental Botany 63: 6519-6530.