Dr Jen Sloan

Career history:

2023-Present: Post-Doctoral Research Associate - The University of Sheffield, School of Biosciences, Plants Photosynthesis and Soil, Supervisor: Dr Lisa Smith - Signalling Sex in Plants: The role of peptide signals and the cell wall in fertilisation. BBSRC

2019-2022: Post-Doctoral Research Assistant - The University of Sheffield, Animal and Plant Sciences, Supervisor: Professor Andrew Fleming – Breeding rice resilient to a high CO2 future. GCRF

2016-2019: Research Assistant – The University of Sheffield, Animal and Plant Sciences, Supervisor: Professor Andrew Fleming - Enabling Sufficient Rice for Malaysia in a High CO2 World. GCRF

2016-2019: Lab Manager – The University of Sheffield, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Supervisor: Professor Julie Gray - ‘Climate ready rice: Optimising transpiration to protect rice yields under abiotic stresses’. Newton Fund

2011-2014: Research Technician – The University of Sheffield, Animal and Plant Sciences, Supervisor: Professor Andrew Fleming – Investigating the link between leaf architecture and photosynthetic efficiency

2011-2012: Research Technician - The University of Sheffield, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Supervisor: Professor Julie Gray – Lab management and work on Arabidopsis stomata

2010-2011: Post-Doctoral Research Assistant – The University of Sheffield and University of York - Supervisors - Professor Andrew Fleming and Professor Simon McQueen-Mason – Hemp (Cannabis sativa) as a biorefinery feedstock - Crop improvement for fibre production. Centre for Low Carbon Futures

2005-2009: PhD Controlling leaf growth by phased induction of expansin - The University of Sheffield - Supervisor - Professor Andrew Fleming

2002-2005: Bsc Plant Science - The University of Sheffield

Selected Publications:

Sloan J, Wang S, Ngai QY, Xiao Y, Armand J, Wilson MJ, Zhu X, Fleming A. (2023) Conserved patterning in the mesophyll of rice leaves. Plant Direct 7(12). https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.549 

Baillie AL, Sloan J, Qu L-J, Smith LM. (2023) Signalling between the sexes during pollen tube reception. Trends in Plant Science. View this article in WRRO 

Sloan JM, Mujab AAM, Mashitah J, Zulkarami B, Wilson MJ, Toh LS, Nur Zahirah AJ, Afiq K, Asyraf AT, Zhu X-G , Yaapar N et al (2023) Elevated CO2 priming as a sustainable approach to increasing rice tiller number and yield potential. Rice, 16.  

Xiao Y, Sloan J, Hepworth C, Fradera‐Soler M, Mathers A, Thorley R, Baillie A, Jones H, Chang T, Chen X , Yaapar N et al (2022) Defining the scope for altering rice leaf anatomy to improve photosynthesis: a modelling approach. New Phytologist. View this article in WRRO  

Xiao Y, Sloan J, Hepworth C, Osborne CP, Fleming AJ, Chen X & Zhu X (2021) Estimating uncertainty: A Bayesian approach to modelling photosynthesis in C3 leaves. Plant, Cell & Environment, 44(5), 1436-1450. View this article in WRRO  

Caine RS, Yin X, Sloan J, Harrison EL, Mohammed U, Fulton T, Biswal AK, Dionora J, Chater CC, Coe RA , Bandyopadhyay A et al (2018) Rice with reduced stomatal density conserves water and has improved drought tolerance under future climate conditions. New Phytologist, 22(1), 371-384. View this article in WRRO  

Mathers AW, Hepworth C, Baillie AL, Sloan J, Jones H, Lundgren M, Fleming AJ, Mooney SJ & Sturrock CJ (2018) Investigating the microstructure of plant leaves in 3D with lab-based X-ray computed tomography. Plant Methods, 14(1). View this article in WRRO  

Hepworth C, Caine RS, Harrison EL, Sloan J & Gray JE (2018) Stomatal development: focusing on the grasses. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 41, 1-7. View this article in WRRO  

Lehmeier C, Pajor R, Lundgren MR, Mathers A, Sloan J, Bauch M, Mitchell A, Bellasio C, Green A, Bouyer D , Schnittger A et al (2017) Cell density and airspace patterning in the leaf can be manipulated to increase leaf photosynthetic capacity. The Plant Journal, 92(6), 981-994. View this article in WRRO  

Dorca-Fornell C, Pajor R, Lehmeier C, Pérez-Bueno M, Bauch M, Sloan J, Osborne C, Rolfe S, Sturrock C, Mooney S & Fleming A (2013) Increased leaf mesophyll porosity following transient retinoblastoma-related protein silencing is revealed by microcomputed tomography imaging and leads to a system-level physiological response to the altered cell division pattern. The Plant Journal, 76(6), 914-929. View this article in WRRO  

Sloan J, Backhaus A, Malinowski R, McQueen-Mason S & Fleming AJ (2009) Phased Control of Expansin Activity during Leaf Development Identifies a Sensitivity Window for Expansin-Mediated Induction of Leaf Growth  . Plant Physiology, 151(4), 1844-1854.