Anthony Trewavas

Anthony Trewavas

Anthony J. Trewavas is a professor at the University of Edinburgh, best known for his research in the fields of plant physiology and molecular biology.

He is the leader of the Edinburgh Molecular Signalling Group, who are investigating the role of calcium in signal transduction during plant development. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1993), the Royal Society of Arts (1995), the Royal Society of London (1999), the Centre for Future Studies (2001), and received the "corresponding membership" award from the American Society of Plant Biologists in 1999, a prize given to one non-US biologist per year. He is named by the Institute for Scientific Information as a highly cited author in the field of animal and plant Sciences (ISI author number A0597-2002-C). He is a past or present member of the editorial boards of the publications, Trends in Plant Science, Botanica Acta, Plant Physiology, What's New in Plant Physiology, Biochemical Journal and Plant, Cell and Environment.

His recent research used a flexible confocal fluorescence ratio aiming assembly to image calcium redistribution during contact sensing, stomatal aperture control, pollen tube and rhizoid growth, moss development and photomorphogenesis. Plants were transformed with the gene for the calcium sensitive luminescent protein aequorin, allowing measurements of cytosolic calcium in plants and bacteria. Plants have also been transformed with genes for calmodulin to better assess the role of calcium in development. The group also cloned plant calcium channels and MARCKS, an actin/calmodulin binding protein.

Trewavas is one of the United Kingdom's strongest supporters of genetically modified food crops and is a vocal critic of organic food.

In October 2001 "Professor Trewavas, Professor of Plant Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh" was named in the High Court in London as the source of a letter making libellous allegations against Lord Melchett and Greenpeace in relation to organic farming and GM foods.

A published apology in the Scottish newspaper, the Herald, on the 6th October confirmed that, "On 3 November 2000 the Herald published a letter it had received from Anthony Trewavas." The conclusion of the libel case led to critical comment on the fact that Prof Trewavas was not only a leading Fellow of the Royal Society but is even listed in the Society's media directory as an expert available to help journalists get their science stories right.