Current Research

Metabolomics - the desire to delve ever deeper and wider into plant composition has been driven by the necessity to obtains  a better understanding of the factors which govern and drive plant metabolism and therefore ultimately define the end quality, health and nutrition traits. Metabolomics, the simultaneous and untargeted analysis of multiple metabolites at a defined timeframe, is the focus of an intense research effort covering several biological issues. These include metabolites changes in relation to plant-food organolepsis (see below), the potato tuber lifecyle, the influence of genetics versus environment (potato and soft fruit), biodiversity etc. The technologies developed via these approaches have attracted great interest and have led to significant external funding.

• Development  of unified data models  and  data pre-processing  strategies and the generation of  meaningful, standardized statistical analyses of metabolome variability in crop plants (Food Standards Agency).
• Transcriptome, proteome and metabolome analysis to detect unintended effects in genetically modified potato (Food Standards Agency).
• Quantitative risk assessment strategies for novel foods (NOFORISK, EU).
• Promoting food safety through a new integrated risk analysis approach to foods (SAFEFOOD, EU).
• Assessment of plant germplasm for bioactive molecules (Scottish Government).

Linking plant composition to health benefits - it is clear that plant-derived foods are required and generally beneficial to human health.  It is only now that real details are being elucidated with regard to the basis and mechanisms by which plants exert these benefits.  As part of several core and external collaborations we are seeking to determine which phytochemicals in soft fruit, potatoes and other main and niche crops are the key determinants of health benefits.  These studies have benefited by several links to key collaborative groups such as RRI, NICHE and the new Centre for Health Inducing Plants (CHIP), a virtual centre comprising SCRI and The University of Dundee Medical School

Organoleptic basis of plant-derived  foods - the organoleptic qualities, flavour, aroma, texture and visual appearance are the driving factors in food consumption.  However each of these parameters are multi-component and interrelated. Although the subject of intense study the basis of flavour aroma and texture in potato remains unclear.  However through collaborations with the Genetics programme, who have unique germplasm segregating in organoleptic parameters, and by applying rigorous and concerted chemical, biochemical, physical and molecular biological approaches we aim to take this area forward.  Analogous studies are also being done with soft fruit.

Research History

• 1985-87 - Research Assistant, Fisons Pharmaceuticals, Loughborough, UK.
• 1987-89 - Higher Scientific Officer, SCRI (FF Project - Production of monoclonal antibodies to surface (glyco)-proteins on potato cyst nematodes).
• 1989-97 - Higher Scientific Officer (Band 6), Unit of Industrial Crops, SCRI.
• 1997-2000 - Senior Scientific Officer (Band 5), Unit of Industrial Crops, SCRI.
• 2000-05 - Principal Investigator (Band 4), Quality Health and Nutrition Programme, SCRI.

Recent Publications

• McCue, K.F., Allen, P.V., Shepherd, L.V.T, Blake, A., Whitworth, J., Maccreea, M.M., Rockhold, D.R., Stewart, D., Davies, H.V., Belknap, W.R. 2006. The Primary In Vivo Steroidal Alkaloid Glucosyltransferase From Potato. Phytochemistry 67(15), 1590-7.
• Nuopponen, M., Birch, G.M., Sykes, R., Lee, S. and Stewart, D. 2006. Estimation of wood density and chemical composition by means of Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 54(1), 34-40.
• Nuopponen, M., Wikberg, H.I., Birch, G.M., Jããskelãinen, A.-S., Maunu, S.L., Vuorinen, T. and Stewart, D. 2006. Characterization of 25 tropical hardwoods with FT-IR, UV resonance Raman (UVRR) and ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectroscopy. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 102(1), 810-819.
• McDougall, G.J. and Stewart, D. 2006. The inhibitory effects of berry polyphenols on digestive enzymes. Biofactors 23(4), 189 – 195.
• McDougall, G.J., Shpiro, F., Dobson, P., Smith, P., Blake, A. and Stewart, D. 2005. Different polyphenolic components of soft fruits inhibit α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53, 2760-2766.
• McDougall, G.J., Gordon, S.L., Brennan, R.M. and Stewart, D. 2005. Anthocyanin-flavanol adducts from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53(20), 7878-85.
• McDougall, G.J., Fyffe, S., Dobson, P. and Stewart, D. 2005. Anthocyanins from red wine – their stability under simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Phytochemistry 66(21), 2540-8.
• McDougall, G.J., Dobson, P., Smith, P., Blake, A. and Stewart, D. 2005. Assessing potential bioavailability of raspberry anthocyanins in an in vitro digestion system. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53, 5896-5904.
• Mylnikov, S.V., Kokko, H., Kärenlampi, S., Oparina, T.I., Davies, H.V. and Stewart, D. 2005. Rubus fruit juices affect lipid peroxidation in Drosophila melanogaster model in vivo. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53(20), 7728-33.

Posters

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Attachment	Size
Effect of High O2 and N2 Atmospheres on Strawberry Quality	118.75 KB
Plant metabolomics: Addressing the scientific concerns and uncertainties of genetic modification	1.06 MB
Rubus and Ribes: Identification of nutritional breeding targets	313.57 KB
Plant-Nematode Interactions: Implications for the Plant Metabolome	360.6 KB
Plant-Nematode Interactions: Implications for the Plant Metabolome	569.62 KB
Plant-Pathogen Interactions; Implications for the Plant Metabolome	373.05 KB
Characterisation and transgenic modification of carotenogenesis during tuber development and storage in potato	121.81 KB
Carotenoid accumulation during potato tuber development and storage	144.79 KB
Carotenoid accumulation during potato tuber development and storage	118.06 KB
Characterisation and transgenic modification of carotenogenesis during tuber development and storage in potato	92.76 KB
Use of Gas Chromatography-(Time-Of-Flight) Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Metabolites from Solanum Species	264.52 KB
Analysis of Metabolites from Solanum Species using Gas Chromatography-(Time-Of-Flight) Mass Spectrometry and Automated Data Analysis	269.89 KB
Investigating and exploiting the metabolomic richness of plant germplasm	884.56 KB
Determination Of Wood Density And Chemical Composition With Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy	470.23 KB
Can metabolomics identify unintended effects in transgenic potato tubers?	1.43 MB
Metabolite Peak Identification and Data Structure in a Multi-Site Large Scale Metabolomics Experiment	135.02 KB
Metabolic profiling of the response in susceptible and resistant Solanaceae to plant parasitic nematodes	321.44 KB
Metabolomics: A tool to advance food safety and toxicology	318.68 KB
Metabolomics and its application to novel food testing	352.21 KB
Enhancing raspberry fruit quality	136.59 KB
Different polyphenolic components of soft fruits inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase	446.63 KB
Metabolite profiling of cuticular waxes from Solanum species	361.53 KB
Identification and Assessment of Nutritional Relevance of Antioxidant Compounds from Soft Fruit Species	95.65 KB
Metabolomic approach to identifying bioactive compounds in berries: Advances toward fruit nutritional enhancement	297.99 KB
Metabolomics as a platform technology for food safety and risk assessment	829.48 KB
Botrytis cinerea perturbs redox processes as an attack strategy in plants	380.27 KB
A Mechanistic Approach to Fruit Phytochemicals and Cancer Chemoprotection	267.4 KB
Devolonutri - development of high throughput approaches to optimise the nutritional value of crops and crop-based foods	595.35 KB
Metabolomics: the way forward for accelerated nutritional enhancement in soft fruit	808.29 KB
A combined transcriptomic and metabolomic approach to understand the mechanisms underlying drought response in perennial ryegrass	1.44 MB
Investigating the metabolomic response of Lolium Perenne to a PEG induced drought stress	335.18 KB
Transcriptional and metabolic profiles of Lolium perenne L. genotypes in response to a PEG-induced water stress	1.51 MB
Shelf-life durability of oat based products	1.1 MB
Blackcurrant - A source of human health beneficial phytochemicals	868.03 KB
A Mechanistic Approach to Fruit Phytochemicals and Cancer Chemoprotection	240.24 KB
Metabolomic approach to identifying bioactive compounds in berries: Advances toward fruit nutritional enhancement	487.89 KB