Dr Edwige Moyroud

Dr Edwige Moyroud, BS, MSc (École Norm. Sup., Lyon), PhD (Grenoble/Lyon). College Lecturer and Niccoli Fellow in Biological Natural Sciences.

College

As well as supervising Part IB students on Cell and Development Biology I also interview applicants to Queens' College during the admissions process. It is a fantastic time to be a biologist and my main aim is to instill excitement and passion for the field in my students. Our discussions are equally based on course material and research papers, helping students become accustomed to using original science articles rather than textbooks. I care greatly about giving weekly detailed feedback to my students and I enjoy closely monitoring their progress throughout the year.

Research

I am interested in all aspects of molecular and cell biology especially when those are embedded within a
developmental context to try and understand how living organisms acquire their shape. I am also fascinated by plant plasticity and their ability to be fantastic chemists. During my PhD I studied the regulation of gene expression, trying to understand in detail the interaction between transcription factors and DNA. To do so, I focused my work on a key regulator of flower development, the LEAFY gene, and also explored the evolution of this unique transcription factor, showing that regulatory proteins can change their DNA binding motif while remaining a single copy. Currently, I am trying to understand how organisms can build nanostructures that interact with light to generate colours. I am using a Hibiscus species as a new model system to explore how those structures can form on the surface of petals and generate iridescence that can be used as a cue by pollinators.

Department

Within the Department of Plant Sciences I supervise Part II research projects. In the past I have also co-supervised several MSc projects and PhD rotation projects.

College
01223 330182
Department
01223 333934
Position
  • Official Fellow
  • Niccoli Fellow in Biological Natural Sciences