An RNA World

Abstract

My research career started with an ambition to work out how genes are regulated in plants. I tried out various experimental systems-Artichoke tissue culture in Edinburgh; soybean root nodules in Montreal; soybean hypocotyls in Athens, Georgia; and cereal aleurones in Cambridge-but eventually I discovered plant viruses. Viral satellite RNAs were my first interest, but I then explored transgenic and natural disease resistance and was led by curiosity into topics beyond virology, including RNA silencing, epigenetics, and more recently, genome evolution. On the way, I have learned about approaches to research, finding tractable systems, and taking academic research into the real world. I have always tried to consider the broader significance of our work, and my current projects address the definition of epigenetics, the arms race concept of disease resistance, and Darwin's abominable mystery.