Dr Rob Herbert

dr-rob-herbert

Principal Lecturer in Biology and School Quality Co-ordinator

School of Science and the Environment

Biological Sciences

Contact Details

email: r.herbert@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 855215

Dr Rob Herbert is the quality co-ordinator for the School of Science and the Environment and a Principal Lecturer in Biology.

Rob has been with the University since 1992 and leads the Cell Biology module in year 1 and the Research Project module in year 3, both of which are taken by students on all of the courses in the department of Biological Sciences. He has a background in plant cell biology, specifically flowering and the plant cell cycle and has, more recently, begun to look at problems with crop plants such as post-harvest storage, senescence and susceptibility to disease. He has a long standing research collaboration with Cardiff University. His last three papers covered the expression of cell cycle gene WEE1 from Arabidopsis thaliana in tobacco, an analysis of volatile and molecular markers in melon to identify potential makers for food quality assessment and the effect of post-harvest stress on volatile organic compounds in early post-harvest senescence in salad rocket. It is unexpected to find a rocket scientist in a Biology department.

Rob is a member of the Sustainable Environments Research Group.

Qualifications

  • PhD Plant Cell Biology (Cardiff, 1991)
  • BSc Biotechnology (Kings, London, 1988)
  • HND Biotechnology (UWE Bristol, 1986)

Teaching & Research

Current Teaching

Level 4 (Year 1)
  • BIOL1001 Cell Biology
Level 5 (Year 2)
  • BIOS2201 Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • BIOS2100 Molecular Genetics
  • BIOS2202 Molecular Genetics and Conservation
Level 6 (Year 3)
  • BIOS3041 Plant Development and Physiology
  • BIOS3002 Dissertation Module (Module Leader)

 

Past PhD Supervision Students

  • Dr Ilario Siciliano: Effect of plant wee1 on the cell cycle and development in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum (2006).
  • Dr Sam Harding: Inflorescence development in Allium ampeloprasum var. Babingtonii (Babington’s leek) (2004).
  • Dr Craig Orchard: The relationship between programmed cell death and the cell cycle in the tobacco BY-2 cell line (2004).
  • Dr David Parfitt: A study of glucose signalling and gene expression in early flower development in the short-day plant Pharbitis nil (Japanese morning glory) (2003).
  • Dr Helen West: Competing divalent cations in biological systems (2001).
  • Dr Gemma Allnutt: Characterisation of a LEAFY homologue, a gene regulating floral meristem identity, from the model long-day plant Silene coeli rosa (2000).
  • Dr Mike Morris: Studies in the behaviour of a nitrifying vertical flow constructed wetland wastewater treatment system (1999).
  • Dr Simon Durdan: Studies on floral determination in the short-day plant, Pharbitis nil and the long-day plant Silene coeli rosa (1998). 

Current PhD Supervision Students

  • Anne Lentz: Regulation of the cell cycle and stress responses in Arabidopsis through 14-3-3 proteins (jointly with Cardiff University).
  • Natasha Spadafora: Studies on Arath;CDC25 a putative regulator of the plant cell cycle (jointly with Cardiff University). 

Research Interests

Professional Bodies

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member of the Institute of Biology
  • Member of the International working group on flowering

Publications

Articles

Spadafora, N.D., Cocetta, G., Ferrante, A., Herbert, Rob, Dimitrova, S., Davoli, D., Fernández, M., Patterson, V., Vozel, T. and Amarysti, C. (2019) Short-Term Post-Harvest Stress that Affects Profiles of Volatile Organic Compounds and Gene Expression in Rocket Salad During Early Post-Harvest Senescence. Plants, 9 (1). Article no. 4. ISSN EISSN 2223-7747

Siciliano, Ilario, Lentz Grønlund, A., Ševčíková, H., Spadafora, Natasha D., Rafiei, G., Francis, D., Herbert, Rob, Bitonti, M.B., Rogers, H.J. and Lipavská, H. (2019) Expression of Arabidopsis WEE1 in Tobacco Induces Unexpected Morphological and Developmental Changes. Scientific Reports, 9 (1). Article no. 8695. ISSN Online: 2045-2322

Amaro, A.L., Spadafora, N.D., Pereira, M.J., Dhorajiwala, R., Herbert, Rob, Müller, C.T., Rogers, H.J. and Pintado, M. (2018) Multitrait Analysis of Fresh-Cut Cantaloupe Melon Enables Discrimination Between Storage Times and Temperatures and Identifies Potential Markers for Quality Assessments. Food Chemistry, 241. pp. 222-231. ISSN 0308-8146

Sadyś, M., Kaczmarek, J., Grinn-Gofroń, A., Rodinkova, V., Prikhodko, A., Bilous, E., Strzelczak, A., Herbert, Rob and Jędryczka, M. (2018) Dew Point Temperature Affects Ascospore Release of Allergenic Genus Leptosphaeria. International Journal of Biometeorology, 62 (6). pp. 979-990. ISSN 0020-7128 Online: 1432-1254

Sadyś, Magdalena, Adams-Groom, Beverley, Herbert, Rob and Kennedy, Roy (2016) Comparisons of Fungal Spore Distributions Using Air Sampling at Worcester, England (2006-2010). Aerobiologia, 32 (4). pp. 619-634. ISSN 0393-5965 Online: 1573-3025

Herbert, Rob (2013) Plant WEE1 Kinase is Cell Cycle Regulated and Removed at Mitosis via the 26S Proteasome Machinery. Journal of Experimental Botany, 64 (7). pp. 2093-2106. ISSN Online ISSN 1460-2431 - Print ISSN 0022-0957

Herbert, Rob (2012) Oligosaccharins and Pectimorf® Stimulate Root Elongation and Shorten the Cell Cycle in Higher Plants. Plant Growth Regulation, 68 (2). pp. 211-221. ISSN 0167-6903 (print version) ISSN: 1573-5087 (electronic version)

Spadafora, N.D., Perrota, L., Nieuwland, J., Albini, D., Bitonti, M.B., Herbert, Rob, Doonan, J.H., Marchbank, A., Siciliano, Ilario, Lentz Grønlund, A., Francis, D. and Rogers, H.J. (2012) Gene Dosage Effect of WEE1 on Growth and Morphogenesis from Arabidopsis Hypocotyl Explants. Annals of Botany, 110 (8). pp. 1631-1639. ISSN Print: 0305-7364 Online: 1095-8290

Spadafora, N.D., Parfitt, D., Marchbank, A., Li, S., Bruno, L., Vaughn, R., Nieuwland, J., Buchanan-Wollaston, V., Herbert, Rob, Bitonti, M.B., Doonan, J., Albani, D., Prinsen, E., Francis, D. and Rogers, H.J. (2012) Perturbation of Cytokinin and Ethylene-signalling Pathways Explain the Strong Rooting Phenotype Exhibited by Arabidopsis Expressing the Schizosaccharomyces Pombe mitotic inducer, cdc25. BMC Plant Biology, 12 (45). pp. 1-15. ISSN 1471-2229

Spadafora, N.D., Doonan, J., Herbert, Rob, Bitonti, M.B., Wallace, E., Rogers, H.J. and Francis, D. (2010) Arabidopsis T-DNA Insertional Lines For CDC25 Are Hypersensitive to Hydroxyurea But Not to Zeocin or Salt Stress. Annals of Botany. ISSN Electronic 1095-8290 - Print 0305-7364

Herbert, Rob, Gronlund, A.L., Dickinson, J.R., Killie, P., Harwood, J.L., Francis, D. and Rogers, H.J. (2009) Plant WEE1 Kinase Interacts With a 14-3-3 Protein, GF14w(omega) but a Mutation of WEE1 at S485 Alters Their Spatial Interaction. Open Plant Science Journal, 3. pp. 40-48. ISSN 10.2174/1874294700903010040

Allnutt, G.V., Rogers, H.J., Francis, D. and Herbert, Rob (2007) A LEAFY-like Gene in the Long-day Plant, Silene coeli-rosa is dramatically Up-regulated in Evoked Shoot Apical Meristems but does not Complement the Arabidopsis lfy mutant. Journal of Experimental Botany, 58 (8). pp. 2249-2259. ISSN Online ISSN 1460-2431 - Print ISSN 0022-0957

Herbert, Rob, Orchard, C.B., Sorrell, D.A., Marchbank, A., Rogers, H.J., Suchomelova, P., Lipavská, H. and Azmi, A. (2005) Tobacco BY-2 Cells Expressing Fission Yeast cdc25 Bypass a G2/M Block on the Cell Cycle. The Plant Journal, 44 (2). pp. 290-299. ISSN 0960-7412

Herbert, Rob, Parfitt, D., Rogers, H.J. and Francis, D. (2004) Differential Expression of Putative Floral Genes in Pharbitis nil Shoot Apices Cultured on Glucose Compared with Sucrose. Journal of Experimental Botany, 55 (406). pp. 2169-2177. ISSN Online ISSN 1460-2431 - Print ISSN 0022-0957

West, H.K., Morgan, A.J., Bowker, D.W., Stuart Davis, M. and Herbert, Rob (2003) Evidence for Interpopulation Differences in Life History Parameters of Adult and F1 Generation Lumbricus Rubellus. Pedobiologia, 47 (5-6). pp. 535-541. ISSN 0031-4056

Herbert, Rob, Vilhar, B., Evett, C., Orchard, C.B., Rogers, H.J., Davies, M.S. and Francis, D. (2001) Ethylene Induces Cell Death at Particular Phases of the Cell Cycle in the Tobacco, TBY-2 Cell Line. Journal of Experimental Botany, 52 (362). pp. 1615-1623. ISSN Online ISSN 1460-2431 - Print ISSN 0022-0957

Herbert, Rob, West, H.K., Davies, M.S. and Morgan, A.J. (2001) Intraspecific Variation in Calcium and Strontium Accumulation / Depuration in an Epigeic Earthworm Species. European Journal of Soil Biology, 37 (4). pp. 329-332. ISSN 1164-5563

Herbert, Rob, Durdan, S.F., Rogers, H.J. and Francis, D. (2000) The Determination Time of the Carpel Whorl Is Differentially Sensitive to Carbohydrate Supply in Pharbitis nil. Plant Physiology, 123. pp. 189-200. ISSN Print 0032-0889 Online 1532-2548

Herbert, Rob, Durdan, S.F. and Francis, D. (1998) Activation of Latent Origins of DNA Replication in Forally Determined Shoot Meristems of Long-day and Short-day Plants: Silene coeli-rosa and Pharbitis nil. Planta, 207 (2). pp. 235-240. ISSN 0032-0935 (Print) 1432-2048 (Online)

Herbert, Rob, Francis, D., Rogers, H.J. and Durdan, S.F. (1998) Floral Determination in the Short Day Plant, Pharbitis nil. Flowering Newsletter, 26. pp. 47-54.

Herbert, Rob and Morris, Mike (1997) The Design and Performance of a Vertical Flow Reed Bed for the Treatment of High Ammonia, Low Suspended Solids Organic Effluents. Water Science and Technology, 35 (5). pp. 197-204. ISSN 0273-1223

Herbert, Rob, Francis, D., Davies, N.C., Braybrook, C. and James, N.C. (1995) An Effect of Zinc on M-phase and G1 of the Plant Cell Cycle in the Synchronous TBY-2 Tobacco Cell Suspension. Journal of Experimental Botany, 46 (12). pp. 1887-1894. ISSN Online ISSN 1460-2431 - Print ISSN 0022-0957

Herbert, Rob, Francis, D. and Ormrod, J.C. (1992) Cellular and Morphological Changes at the Terminal Shoot Apex of the Short-Day Plant Pharbitis nil During the Transition to Flowering. Physiologia Plantarum, 86 (1). pp. 85-92. ISSN 0031-9317

Book Sections

Herbert, Rob and Francis, D. (1993) Regulation of Cell Division in the Shoot Apex. In: Molecular and cell biology of the plant cell cycle : proceedings of a meeting held at Lancaster University, 9-10 April 1992. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp. 201-210. ISBN 079231767X

Thesis

Herbert, Rob (1991) Cellular and Molecular Studies on the Shoot Terminal Meristem of Pharbitis Nil Chois. CV. Violet During Floral Evocation. PhD thesis, Cardiff University.

University Roles & External Responsibilities

Programme Leader for Biological Sciences