Staff Profile

Qualifications

2009 HEPCAP, Newcastle University

1995 Ph.D. Molecular Plant Physiology, Pierre & Marie Curie
University, Paris France. With European Doctor Label, Honours

1990 MSc. Plant Biochemistry and Physiology, Pierre & Marie Curie
University, Paris France. Honours

1988 BSc. Plant Biology, Med 1st University, Oujda Morocco, Honours

Previous Positions

• 2000-2005: Senior PDRAS at the School of Biology, University of Newcastle UK
• 1996-1999: PDRAS at the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
• 1993-1994: RA, Phytopharmacy Laboratory, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research) Verssailles France
• 1994: Visiting Scientist to the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany

Languages

English
French
Arabic

Research Interests

Summary

Metabolic plasticity is the key to plant success in stressful and changing environments. To understand the mechanisms underpinning this plasticity, I am studying the modulation of the transcriptome and the proteome under salt-stress, water-stress in species adapted to salinity and drought like Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, Ananas comosus and Clusia. My objective is to contribute to the elucidation of the key regulations and the mechanisms involved in the production of adequate physiological responses to these environmental stressors and their evolution in different plant systems. The regulation of the mechanisms involved in stress-resistance is based on the integration of different inputs including the stress-signals per se, the metabolic inputs and the control by the circadian clock. My research involves three complementary areas:

(1) The regulation of the expression of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in response to salinity in M. crystallinum and to drought in Clusia minor and anans comosus as an integrated multigene response to stress and to the circadian clock

(2) The regulation of starch metabolism and sugar transport as an integrated output of environmental factors and the circadian clock. The way starch degradation is controlled on long term by stresses and on short term by the circadian clock is studied in different systems

(3) The signalling processes involved in the control of CAM and starch degradation in response to environmental factors (water-stress, salinity...), their specificity and cross-talk as well as evolution are investigated in different systems

The ultimate goal is to provide tools and build a core of knowledge on the regulation of stress responses for use in Biotechnology and Agriculture.

Other Expertise

My main expertise is in gene technology applied in plant Biotechnology and beyond

Current Work

Signalling processes involved in the regulation of responses to water-and salt-stress

Mechanism and significance of the autonomy of circadian clocks in plants

Regulation of crassulacean cid metabolism

Regulation of starch metabolism

Detection and Quantification of Genetically Modified Organisms

Future Research

Engineering controlled drought and salt-resistance in plants using signalling genes

Detection and quantification of Genertically Modified Organismes In seed stocks, foods and feeds

Postgraduate Supervision

Contributing supervisor of 2 Ph.D. students
Supervisor of 3 MSc. Students

Esteem Indicators

Active reviewer for different journals including (last 2 years) Annals of Applied Biology, Functional Plant Biology, Plant Physiol. Biochem, TREES-Structure and Function
Evaluating expert for BBSRC, NERC and USDA
Invited speaker to several international conferences

Funding

NERC- Ecological significance of the circadian controls in plants
Royal Society- Regulation of starch degradation in plants with crassulacean acid metabolism. Self raised more than £25k of funding

Industrial Relevance

Preservation and extension of shelf-life of fresh produce
Product authentification and traceability using DNA methods

Patents

Apparatus and method for ozone preservation of crops. WO2005/013729

Undergraduate Teaching

Stage 1: Introduction to Genetics (ACE1013)

Stage 1: Cell Biology 1 (BIO1001), Module leader
Stage 2: Plant Biology 2 (BIO2004), Module Leader
Stage 2: Biology Research Communication (BIO1010)
Stage 3: Plant Biology 3 (BIO3004)
Stage 3: Research Projects (BIO3197/BIO3198/Bio3199)

Postgraduate Teaching

MSc: Research projects

Polymerase Chain Reaction and Cloning Methotodologies: a 4-day theory and practice course for postgrads and research and Technical personnel from academia, hospitals and the private sector

Introduction to Quantitative PCR: a 2-day workshop for postgrads and research and Technical staff from academia and the private sector

• Pignocchi C, Kiddle G, Hernandez I, Foster SJ, Asensi A, Taybi T, Barnes J, Foyer CH. Ascorbate oxidase-dependent changes in the redox state of the apoplast modulate gene transcript accumulation leading to modified hormone signaling and orchestration of defense processes in tobacco. Plant Physiology 2006, 141(2), 423-435.
• Taybi T, Nimmo HG, Borland AM. Expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase genes. Implications for genotypic capacity and phenotypic plasticity in the expression of crassulacean acid metabolism. Plant Physiology 2004, 135(1), 587-598.
• Taybi T, Cushman JC, Borland AM. Environmental, hormonal and circadian regulation of crassulacean acid metabolism expression. In: 3rd International Congress on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. 2002, Coconut Beach, Australia: Functional Plant Biology, CSIRO Publishing.
• Borland AM, Taybi T. Synchronization of metabolic processes in plants with Crassulacean acid metabolism. Journal of Experimental Botany 2004, 55(400), 1255-1265.
• Chehab EW, Patharkar OR, Hegeman AD, Taybi T, Cushman JC. Autophosphorylation and subcellular localization dynamics of a salt- and water deficit-induced calcium-dependent protein kinase from ice plant. Plant Physiology 2004, 135(3), 1430-1446.
• Dodd AN, Griffiths H, Taybi T, Cushman JC, Borland AM. Integrating diel starch metabolism with the circadian and environmental regulation of Crassulacean acid metabolism in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Planta 2003, 216(5), 789-797.
• Ermolova NV, Cushman MA, Taybi T, Condon SA, Cushman JC, Chollet R. Expression, purification, and initial characterization of a recombinant form of plant PEP-carboxylase kinase from CAM-induced Mesembryanthemum crystallinum with enhanced solubility in Escherichia coli. Protein Expression and Purification 2003, 29(1), 123-131.
• Taybi T, Patil S, Chollet R, Cushman JC. A Minimal Serine/Threonine Protein Kinase Circadianly Regulates Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase Activity in Crassulacean Acid Metabolism-Induced Leaves of the Common Ice Plant. Plant Physiology 2000, 123(4), 1471-1482.
• Tzortzakis N, Taybi T, Antony E, Singleton I, Borland A, Barnes J. Profiling shifts in protein complement in tomato fruit induced by atmospheric ozone-enrichment and/or wound-inoculation with Botrytis cinerea. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2013, 78, 67-75.
• Tzortzakis N, Taybi T, Roberts R, Singleton I, Borland A, Barnes J. Low-level atmospheric ozone exposure induces protection against Botrytis cinerea with down-regulation of ethylene-, jasmonate- and pathogenesis-related genes in tomato fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2011, 61(2-3), 152-159.
• Tzortzakis N, Taybi T, Roberts R, Singleton I, Borland A, Barnes J. Low-level atmospheric ozone exposure induces protection against Botrytis cinerea with down-regulation of ethylene-, jasmonate- and pathogenesis-related genes in tomato fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2011, 61(2-3), 152-159.
• Antony E, Taybi T, Courbot M, Mugford ST, Smith JAC, Borland AM. Cloning, localization and expression analysis of vacuolar sugar transporters in the CAM plant Ananas comosus (pineapple). In: 14th International Congress of Photosynthesis. 2008, Glasgow, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Cushman JC, Agarie S, Albion RL, Elliot SM, Taybi T, Borland AM. Isolation and characterization of mutants of common ice plant deficient in Crassulacean acid metabolism. Plant Physiology 2008, 147(1), 228-238.
• Borland A, Elliott S, Patterson S, Taybi T, Cushman J, Pater B, Barnes J. Are the metabolic components of crassulacean acid metabolism up-regulated in response to an increase in oxidative burden?. In: Meeting on Phenotypic Plasticity and the Changing Environment held at the Society for Experimental Biology Plant Frontiers Meeting. 2006, Sheffield: Journal of Experimental Botany, Oxford University Press.
• Cushman JC, Taybi T, Bohnert HJ. Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, Molecular Aspects, Advances In Photosynthesis, Physiology and Metabolism. Kluwer Academic publishers 2000, 9(-), 551-582.
• Taybi T, Cushman JC. Signaling events leading to crassulacean acid metabolism induction in the common ice plant. Plant Physiology 1999, 121(2), 545-556.
• Taybi T, Sotta B, Gehrig HH, Kluge M, Brulfert J. Differential Effects of Abscisic Acid on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and CAM operation in Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. Botanica Acta 1995, 108, 240-246.
• Gehrig H, Taybi T, Kluge M, Brulfert J. Identification of multiple PEPC isogenes in leaves of the facultative Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Poelln. cv. Tom Thumb. FEBS LETT 1995, 377(3), 399-402.
• Brulfert J, Güclü S, Taybi T, Pierre JN. Enzymatic Responses to Water-Stress in Isolated Leaves of the CAM plant: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana poelln. Plant physiol. Biochem 1993, 31, 491-497.
• Ceusters J, Borland AM, Taybi T, Frans M, Godts C, De Proft MP. Light quality modulates metabolic synchronization over the diel phases of crassulacean acid metabolism. Journal of Experimental Botany 2014, 65(13), 3705-3714.
• Taybi T, Cushman JC, Borland AM. Leaf carbohydrates influence transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of nocturnal carboxylation and starch degradation in the facultative CAM plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Journal of Plant Physiology 2017, 218, 144-154.