Professor Martin Howard

Group Leader Head of Department Building Robustness in Crops (BRiC)

The Howard group combines simple, predictive mathematical modelling with long-lasting experimental collaborations, to dissect biological mechanisms too complex to unravel by experiments alone.

In many cases they are able rationalise complex biological dynamics into simple underlying mechanisms, with few components and interactions.

Their approach is highly interdisciplinary and relies heavily on the techniques of statistical physics and applied mathematics, as well as on close collaboration with experimental groups. This truly interdisciplinary approach allows them to get to the heart of biological mechanisms more speedily.

At present the main focus of the group is epigenetic dynamics, probing how epigenetic memory states are set up and then stably maintained. In this context, they work with both histone modification memory systems, as well as on DNA methylation, collaborating with experimentalists in systems ranging from plants to mammalian stem cells.

A particular focus has been the Polycomb epigenetic system, where they have proposed an all-or-nothing epigenetic switching mechanism, with epigenetic gene silencing directly antagonised by transcription.

The group also has interests in cell size control, using sizer mechanisms, both in plants and yeast, as well as in the dynamics of crossover specification in meiosis

The group is currently focusing on two main areas;

Previous high-profile work in the group has revealed a reaction-diffusion mechanism for mid-cell division in E. coli, surface area-based dynamics of a cell sizer molecule in fission yeast, an arithmetic division mechanism for metabolic timing and an all-or-nothing epigenetic switching mechanism, with epigenetic gene silencing directly antagonised by transcription.

Martin is Head of the Department Computational and Systems Biology.

 

 

Selected Publications

See all of Professor Martin Howard's publications

Opportunities