Dr. Joanna Fyans

Joanna Fyans obtained her BSc. in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Strathclyde in 2006.  She then studied for her PhD at the University of Dundee, joint with the Scottish Crop Research Institute, with her thesis concentrating on protein secretion in model and plant-pathogenic Streptomyces species (2007-2011).  Initially obtaining a Government of Canada Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, she moved to Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) where she undertook research focusing on characterization of a phytotoxic compound produced by Streptomyces scabies  and later, with funding from the provincial government, to characterize plant pathogenic streptomycetes isolated from locally grown crops displaying disease symptoms (Sept. 2011 – Feb. 2014).   She joined the Micklefield group in March 2014 to focus on bioengineering of natural products with improved structural and antibiotic properties to those currently available.  Her research interests include microbial ecology, synthetic biology, functional genomics and integrative biology.

 

Selected publications:

  1. Bown, L., M.S. Altowairish, J. K. Fyans and D. R. Bignell (2016). “Production of the Streptomyces scabies coronafacoyl phytotoxins involves a novel biosynthetic pathway with an F420 -dependent oxidoreductase and a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase.” Mol Microbiol 101(1): 122-135
  2. M. Winn, J.K. Fyans, Y. Zhou, J. Micklefield . Recent Advances in Engineering Non-Ribosomal Peptide Assembly Lines. Nat. Prod. Rep.2016, 33, 317-347 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C5NP00099H)
  3. Fyans, J. K., L. Bown and D. R. Bignell (2015). “Isolation and characterization of plant pathogenic Streptomyces species associated with common scab – infected potato tubers in Newfoundland.” Phytopathology.  2015 Nov 2. [Epub ahead of print]
  4. Fyans, J. K., M. S. Altowairish, Y. Li and D. R. Bignell (2015). “Characterization of the Coronatine-Like Phytotoxins Produced by the Common Scab Pathogen Streptomyces scabies.” Mol Plant Microbe Interact 28(4): 443-454
  5. Bignell, D. R., J. K. Fyans and Z. Cheng (2014). “Phytotoxins produced by plant pathogenic Streptomyces species.” J Appl Microbiol 116(2): 223-235.
  6. Bignell D.R., Francis I.M., Fyans J.K., Loria R.  Thaxtomin A production and virulence are controlled by several bld gene global regulators in Streptomyces scabies. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 27(8): 875-885.
  7. Fyans J.K., Bignell D., Loria R., Toth I., Palmer T. (2013).  The ESX/type VII secretion system modulates development, but not virulence, of the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies. Mol. Plant Pathol. 14(2):119-30
  8. Joshi M.V., Mann S.G., Antelmann H., Widdick D.A., Fyans J.K., Chandra G., Hutchings M.I., Toth I., Hecker M., Loria R., Palmer T.  (2010). The twin arginine protein transport pathway exports multiple virulence proteins in the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies.  Mol. Microbiol. 77(1): 252-271.