Dr Lindsey Compton

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Lindsey’s research group uses statistical genetics and “omics” approaches to dissect complex trait phenotypes into their underlying genetic components in polyploid crops, particularly autotetraploid potato. Polyploid species like potato possess multiple sets of chromosomes, creating sophisticated patterns of meiotic chromosome behaviour and thus inheritance, and posing challenges for genetic analyses in these species.

Work in Lindsey’s group currently includes:

Development of statistical methods for mapping Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) in autotetraploids and using these methods to map the genetic basis of complex traits in some of the world’s most important crops, particularly potato (Solanum tuberosum).
Meiotic adaptation to autotetraploidy using molecular cytogenetic approaches to address how meiosis can adapt to having double the number of chromosomes, using Arabidopsis as a model as well as crops including potato.
Breeding for agronomically important traits in autotetraploid potato including abiotic stress related traits such as drought, biotic stresses such as resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans) and tuber quality traits such as greening.
Pedagogical research into teaching and learning of statistics across diverse disciplines in higher education including communicating statistics to non-specialists, and in development of research-informed approaches for STEM education.

Scientific Inspiration

All scientists inspire me! I believe we can learn something from everyone about how to be a better scientist (and human being!)

Research Groups

Plant Science and Food Security

Phenome Centre Birmingham

Structural and Molecular Cell Biology

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Supportive, Flexible, Motivating.

Provision of Training

Together we will define your training programme, which will be supported by myself and my team of experienced personnel.

Progression Monitoring and Management

Together we will define your broader goals and specific objectives and I will always be here to support you in achieving those through regular meetings with myself and my team.

Communication

In my team, we are always in touch through whatever mechanisms work best for the individual and we have realistic and balanced expectations of each other regarding working arrangements.

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me:

In a group meeting

At least once per week

In year 1 of PhD study

At least once per week

In year 2 of PhD study

At least once per week

In year 3 of PhD study

At least once per week

These meetings will be a mixture of face to face, via video chat or telephone and I am usually contactable for an instant response (if required) on every working day.

Working Pattern

The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings), I expect students to manage their own time.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 1 week’s notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Current Projects (2025-26)

Primary supervisor for:

Understanding genetic mechanisms of complex traits to improve potato breeding

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Understanding genetic mechanisms of complex traits to improve potato breeding

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Estrella Luna Diez

University of Registration: University of Birmingham

BBSRC Research Themes: Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Plant and Crop Science)

Project Outline

Cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) plays a crucial role in addressing world food security. With the need to feed a growing population under rapidly changing climatic conditions comes the need to develop better adapted potato varieties. These varieties need to have higher yield and improved quality traits, but also a more stable performance in response to increasingly variable environmental conditions, including diverse biotic and abiotic stresses.

Potato breeding requires an understanding of the genotype-phenotype relationship to facilitate the development of improved varieties. Breeding has typically relied on the use of traditional phenotyping methods that are usually insufficiently quantitative and labour-intensive, limiting the accuracy of genetic analysis while making the development of new and improved varieties a lengthy process. Moreover, while there have been major developments in the ability to create genetic profiles of potato varieties, there have been very few genomics-assisted breeding programs due to limited understanding of the molecular basis of traits. Therefore, we need to develop novel methodological approaches for high-throughput, accurate and continuous detection of quantitative traits in real farm environments and to understand the molecular basis of these traits from multiple ‘omics’ perspectives.

Together with national collaborators, we conduct large-scale field trials using a diverse germplasm collection of more than 250 tetraploid potato varieties. Using data from these trials, we seek to understand the genetic basis of a variety of commercial and underlying physiological traits and their interactions with environmental factors in different farming systems. To do this, we combine statistical genetics with multi-omics approaches and advanced high-throughput phenotyping techniques. Building on these approaches, this project is designed to provide opportunities to contribute to world food security in diverse topic areas including:

1) Characterising varietal variation in resistance to disease. Late blight is the most serious disease affecting potato production worldwide, causing more losses than any other pathogen, while the disease burden is expected to increase due to climate change. This work involves a broad set of methods including Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) and multi-omics approaches (e.g. transcriptomics, metabolomics) to understand the dynamic response of diverse potato varieties to this highly destructive pathogen and thus how to create varieties with a more durable disease resistance.

2) Development of new methods to improve genotype-phenotype association studies in crops such as potato, including remote sensing based imaging techniques for high-throughput phenotyping in the field and new statistical methods and data analysis pipelines to facilitate high-resolution trait mapping.

3) Characterising the phenotypic responses of potato to an organic farming system to facilitate omics-informed breeding of new varieties adapted to low-input systems.

4) Unravelling the genetic and physiological mechanisms of tuber greening in potato, bringing together advanced multispectral imaging techniques with genome-wide association and omics approaches. This will be a key step towards the molecular marker-assisted breeding of low-greening varieties, thus cutting serious losses in the supply chain and reducing food waste.

In summary, this project will contribute essential new techniques and knowledge to inform the development of new potato varieties with a more robust performance in the face of climate change.

References

1). Ponce P, Torres Y, Prashar A, Buell R, Lozano R, Orjeda G, Compton L (2022) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.1003907.

2). Colwell F, Soutar J, Compton L, Bryan GJ and Prashar A (2021) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.612843.

Co-supervisor on a project with Dr Juliet Coates.

Previous Projects (2024-25)

Co-supervisor on a project with Dr Juliet Coates.