Dr Tansy Chia

Tansy has a background in metabolic biology, molecular biology and biochemistry. She completed her PhD at the John Innes Centre, studying the effect of a coriander fatty acid desaturase gene on lipid content in developing embryos of transgenic rapeseed. She continued to progress in the field of metabolic biology through her work on a novel cytosolic glucosyltransferase critical to starch degradation and maltose metabolism in Arabidopsis.

She joined Niab in 2017 to work on the BBSRC-funded Designing Future Wheat programme with a focus on grain quality aspects (B-granule initiation, large embryo and high amylose phenotype).

From 2024, Tansy has been working in James Cockram's team in Niab's Department of Plant Genetics to deliver R&D activities across a range of funded projects, including activities in the Department of Pathology. This encompasses molecular genetics, genotyping (in particular, marker development) and phenotyping. She also occasionally provide training/supervision of new members of staff in lab and glasshouse based research techniques and is responsible for lab-maintenance.

Projects

Facing Forwards - Understanding epidermal development in cereals; Duration: January 2024-January 2027; Partners: University of Dundee (Lead Research Organisation), University of Essex, Niab; Funding: BBSRC

AEGIS: ancient environmental genomics initiative for sustainability; Duration: October 2024-September 2031; Partners: University of Copenhagen (Lead), Sanger Institute, Institut Pasteur, University of Berkley, University of Cambridge, Niab and more; Funding: Novo Nordisk Foundation

Full publication list on OrcID.