LVS operates a turf clinic and offers independent scientific support, research, & consultancy for the amenity industry to help manage plant health issues.

In this role I was the lab manager for plant health molecular based diagnostics. My main job was to support colleagues in identifying plant pathogens, coordinate sample processing, and contribute to shaping NI plant health policy. I also worked with manufacturers of biostimulant products to better understand their mode of action and how they can be implemented into turf grass management programmes to combat diseases and pests through supporting PhD students. My main interest is in plant parasitic nematodes, though I have a soft spot for UK native stone fruit trees & the soft fruit industry!

I developed a virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) platform to probe the function of root expressed genes in tomato with respect to plant-nematode interactions. We looked at how different populations of Meloidogyne behave and correlated this with gene expression profiles. I also analysed small RNA sequencing datasets, specifically looking for dysregulation of microRNAs in response to temperature change in root tissue.

I studied the natural variation of osmotic stress response in natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana from Sweden. More specifically, I am interested in how stress is managed at the molecular level and how this knowledge could be implemented in other plant species. My work involved a combination of large scale phenotyping, GWAS (genome wide association studies), and reverse genetic approaches to identify a genomic region of interest for particular traits relating to stress.

I was brought aboard an ongoing research project looking into the control of flowering time at the molecular level in field samples. This involved large scale sample processing over six months and developing a high throughput chromatin immunoprecipitation platform to obtain data relating to the epigenetic control of gene expression.

As a forensic DNA analyst, my job was to initially assess forensic evidence for the presence of biological material, extract such material, and present it in a manner suitable for court presentation. I also have experience working in HSP (high sensitivity profiling) labs, and some experience with non-human cases/specialist forensic work (including animal & famillial casework).

My work here involved routine analysis of trade effluents & potable waters for pH, total suspended solids, conductivity, turbidity, colour, chlorophyll content, nutrients, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and screens for toxic compounds such as fomaldehyde and soluble Cr(VI).

Here I studied forensic science, and was awarded two prizes in my final year for best overall student.

For two seasons during summer months while studying for my undergraduate degree I worked on a strawberry farm supervising over 80 pickers & overseeing quality control on the field. This also involved husbandry work and pest/disease evaluation & treatment.