We are pleased to announce that Dr Tina Schreier will join the John Innes Centre as a tenure-track Group Leader in July 2026.
Relocating from the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford, where she has specialised in photosynthesis, Dr Schreier will establish an independent research group focussed on studying the specialised 'C4' form of photosynthesis.
Dr Schreier said: "I am delighted to be joining the John Innes Centre. For me, it is one of the best places in the world to be as a plant scientist.
"Early in my career I was lucky to have the opportunity to work at the institute with Professor Alison Smith. Thanks to the excellent research support, the state-of-the-art facilities and general buzz I had an extremely productive three months, and have always thought of it as a special place to do research."
Expanding further, Tina went on to explain what drives her research: "I am intrigued by how some plants have evolved a 'supercharged' type of photosynthesis in hot and dry environments, enabling them to convert sunlight and atmospheric CO2 into plant biomass more efficiently than most other plants."
C4 photosynthesis is a specialised form of photosynthesis which has evolved in only a small number of plant species, including maize, sorghum and sugarcane. This photosynthesis provides additional benefits; plants with C4 photosynthesis capabilities use water and nitrogen more efficiently, often making them more drought tolerant and less dependent on fertilisers than regular plants.
Because most plants can't conduct C4 photosynthesis, including major crops like rice, wheat and potatoes, there are major global efforts to research C4 plants with the goal of engineering more efficient crops in the future.
Professor Cristóbal Uauy, Director of the John Innes Centre, commented: "We are thrilled to welcome Tina to our community. Her research sits at the intersection of plant development, metabolism and photosynthesis, addressing fundamental questions with enormous potential relevance for future agriculture.
"Tina's work will strengthen our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the remarkable process of photosynthesis, helping position the institute at the forefront of research into more resource-efficient and climate-resilient crops for the future."
Dr Schreier is fascinated by the co-dependency between plant metabolism and development, and her research group will investigate the molecular mechanisms that underpin how C4 plants develop their leaf structure, which helps enable their increased photosynthetic efficiency.
Tenure track is part of a structured career pathway towards becoming a permanent or tenured group leader.
