Research interests
James is a group leader working on trait genetics at NIAB. After completing a PhD and post-doctoral position at the John Innes Center, he has worked at NIAB as a Programme Leader since 2013. His research focuses on the application of plant molecular genetics, genomics, to investigate the genetic control of yield, yield components, disease resistance and quality traits in cereal crops, with particular focus on wheat and multi-founder advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) populations.
Current research projects
Wheat pan-genome: Duration: 2017-2020; Partners: Natural History Museum (lead), NIAB, Earlham Institute, John Innes Centre; Funding: BBSRC Responsive Mode (BB/P0191741/1)
Yellowhammer: a multi-locis strategy for durable yellow rust resistance in wheat, in the face of a rapidly changing pathogen landscape; Duration: 2018-2022; Partners: NIAB (lead), AHDB, seven North European breeding companies; Funding: BBSRC LINK (BB/R019231/1)
DataHarvest: delivering large-scale research field trial capabilities to the UK crop R&D sector; Duration: 2019-2020; Partners: NIAB (lead); Funding: BBSRC 19ALERT (BB/S019596/1)
Photowheat: exploiting variation in stomatal dynamics and ear photosynthesis to optimise wheat productivity; Duration: 2016-2020. Partners: University of Essex (Lead), NIAB, BASF. Funding: BBSRC IPA (BB/N01698X/1)
Bilateral BBSRC-Embrapa: Exploiting natural and induced variation to increase Fusarium head blight and brusone resistance in wheat; Duration: 2016-2020. Partners: JIC (lead), NIAB, Earlham Institute, Embrapa-Trigo. Funding: BBSRC-Embrapa (BB/N019113/1)
Rooty: A root ideotype toolbox to support improved wheat yields; Duration: 2018-2021. Partners: NIAB (lead), JIC, University of Bologna, Forschungszentrum Jülich, university of Queensland, Justus Liebig University, CIMMYT. UK Funding: BBSRC (BB/S012826/1)
NextGenWheat: UK wheat pre-breeding for resistance to new disease threats; Duration: 2016-2020. Partners: NIAB (lead); Funding: BBSRC (BB/N022033/1)
Publications
Recent publications
M Stadlmeier, LN Jørgensen, B Corsi, J Cockram, L Hartl, V Mohler (2019) Genetic dissection of resistance to the three fungal plant pathogens B. graminis, Z. tritici, and P. tritici-repentis using a multiparental winter wheat population. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics (bethesda) 9, 1745-1757
N Fradgley, KA Gardner, J Cockram, J Elderfield, JM Hickey, P Howell, R Jackson, IJ Mackay (2019) A large-scale pedigree resource of wheat reveals evidence for adaptation and selection by breeders. PLoS biology 17 (2), e3000071
N Hughes, HR Oliveira, N Fradgley, F Corke, J Cockram, JH Doonan, C Nibau (2019) μCT trait analysis reveals morphometric differences between domesticated temperate small grain cereals and their wild relatives. The Plant Journal 99(1), 98-111
A Jouanin Schaart JG, LA Boyd, J Cockram, FJ Leigh, R Bates, EJ Wallington, Visser RGF, MJM Smulders (2019) Outlook for coeliac disease patients: towards bread wheat with hypoimmunogenic gluten by gene editing of α- and γ-gliadin gene families. BMC Plant Biology, 333.
M Faralli, J Cockram, E Ober, S Wall, A Galle, J Van Rie, CA Raines, T Lawson (2019) Genotypic, developmental and environmental effects on the rapidity of gs in wheat: impacts on carbon gain and water-use efficiency. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10, 492
Full publication list at Google Scholar