Dr Lisa Smith

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer

Profile photo of Lisa Smith
Profile picture of Profile photo of Lisa Smith
lisa.m.smith@sheffield.ac.uk
C34a, Alfred Denny Building

Full contact details

Dr Lisa Smith
School of Biosciences
C34a
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile
  • Senior Lecturer, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK (2024-present)
  • Lecturer, Department of Animal and Plant Science/School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK (2013-2023)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Germany (2007-2013)
  • PhD Student, The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK (2002-2006)
  • BSc (Hons), The University of Queensland, Australia (1998-2001)
Research interests

The Smith lab is primarily focused plant reproduction. We study a group of receptor kinases that detect signals coming either from other plant cells or from the surrounding environment. Their functions help the cell and plant develop and respond appropriately according to the wider environment. Our research is currently focussed on the function of malectin-like domain receptor kinases in fertilisation, where the male and female gametes exchange signals. This research on reproduction is in collaboration with Andrew Fleming and Sam Amsbury at the University of Sheffield as well as external collaborators.

A second line of research in the lab examines the developmental roles of malectin domain kinesins. Kinesins are motor proteins that can move around the cell using the cytoskeleton. Kinesins are particularly important in plant cell division where they can restructure the cytoskeleton and shift organelles. Our work aims to understand the function of malectin domain kinesins in plant development, reproduction and cell division.

I remain interested in diverse areas of plant molecular biology such as natural variation, epigenetics and transposable elements. Together with Jurriaan Ton and Stephen Rolfe’s labs and external collaborators, I study the long-term effects of biotic stress on heritable variations, and the potential to use transgenerational inherited resistance to make better crops.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Baillie AL, Sloan J, Qu L-J & Smith LM (2024) . Trends in Plant Science, 29(3), 343-354.
  • Yao N, Zhang Z, Yu L, Hazarika R, Yu C, Jang H, Smith LM, Ton J, Liu L, Stachowicz JJ , Reusch TBH et al (2023) . Science, 381(6665), 1440-1445.
  • Naish M, Alonge M, Wlodzimierz P, Tock AJ, Abramson BW, Schmücker A, Mandáková T, Jamge B, Lambing C, Kuo P , Yelina N et al (2021) . Science, 374(6569).
  • Galindo-Trigo S, Grand TM, Voigt CA & Smith LM (2020) . J Exp Bot, 71(6), 1828-1841.
  • Galindo-Trigo S, Blanco-Touriñán N, DeFalco TA, Wells ES, Gray JE, Zipfel C & Smith LM (2020) . EMBO Reports, 21(2).
  • Wilkinson SW, Magerøy MH, López Sánchez A, Smith LM, Furci L, Cotton TEA, Krokene P & Ton J (2019) . Annual Review of Phytopathology, 57(1), 505-529.
  • Stassen JHM, López A, Jain R, Pascual-Pardo D, Luna E, Smith LM & Ton J (2018) . Scientific Reports, 8(1).
  • López Sánchez A, H M Stassen J, Furci L, Smith LM & Ton J (2016) . Plant Journal, 88(3), 361-374.
  • Galindo-Trigo S, Gray JE & Smith LM (2016) . Frontiers in Plant Science, 7.
  • Smith LM, Burbano HA, Wang X, Fitz J, Wang G, Ural-Blimke Y & Weigel D (2015) . The Plant Journal, 81(4), 597-610.
  • Wang X, Weigel D & Smith LM (2013) . PLoS Genet, 9(2), e1003255.
  • Smith LM, Hartmann L, Drewe P, Bohnert R, Kahles A, Lanz C & Rätsch G (2012) . RNA Biol, 9(5), 596-609.
  • Smith LM, Bomblies K & Weigel D (2011) . PLoS Genet, 7(7), e1002164.
  • Hollister JD, Smith LM, Guo YL, Ott F, Weigel D & Gaut BS (2011) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(6), 2322-2327.

All publications

Books

  • Alvey E, Ariza A, Bose D, Bailes E, Barnes R, Corns L, Cronshaw J, Durrant M, Heath C, Hornby D , Jones E et al (2025) . Sheffield: University of Sheffield Pressbooks.

Journal articles

  • Grand TM, Pitman JK, Williams AL, Smith LM & Fleming AJ (2025) . Plant Direct, 9(4).
  • Baillie AL, Sloan J, Qu L-J & Smith LM (2024) . Trends in Plant Science, 29(3), 343-354.
  • Yao N, Zhang Z, Yu L, Hazarika R, Yu C, Jang H, Smith LM, Ton J, Liu L, Stachowicz JJ , Reusch TBH et al (2023) . Science, 381(6665), 1440-1445.
  • Sageman-Furnas K, Nurmi M, Contag M, Plötner B, Alseekh S, Wiszniewski A, Fernie AR, Smith LM & Laitinen RAE (2022) . Plant Cell Physiol, 63(7), 944-954.
  • Naish M, Alonge M, Wlodzimierz P, Tock AJ, Abramson BW, Schmücker A, Mandáková T, Jamge B, Lambing C, Kuo P , Yelina N et al (2021) . Science, 374(6569).
  • David R, Ng PQ, Smith LM & Searle IR (2021) . MicroPubl Biol, 2021.
  • Galindo-Trigo S, Grand TM, Voigt CA & Smith LM (2020) . J Exp Bot, 71(6), 1828-1841.
  • Galindo-Trigo S, Blanco-Touriñán N, DeFalco TA, Wells ES, Gray JE, Zipfel C & Smith LM (2020) . EMBO Reports, 21(2).
  • Cox N & Smith LM (2019) . Plant Physiology, 181(4), 1398-1400.
  • Smith LM (2019) . Plant Physiology, 181(2), 387-388.
  • Wilkinson SW, Magerøy MH, López Sánchez A, Smith LM, Furci L, Cotton TEA, Krokene P & Ton J (2019) . Annual Review of Phytopathology, 57(1), 505-529.
  • Cox N & Smith LM (2019) . Plant Physiology, 180(4), 1781-1783.
  • Smith LM (2019) . Plant Physiology, 180(1), 3-4.
  • Smith LM (2019) . Plant Physiology, 180(1), 7-9.
  • Stassen JHM, López A, Jain R, Pascual-Pardo D, Luna E, Smith LM & Ton J (2018) . Scientific Reports, 8(1).
  • Smith LM (2018) . Plant Physiology, 178(1), 7-8.
  • Smith L & Butler N (2018) . Plant Physiology, 177(2), 443-444.
  • Epihov DZ, Batterman SA, Hedin LO, Leake JR, Smith LM & Beerling DJ (2017) . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1860).
  • López Sánchez A, H M Stassen J, Furci L, Smith LM & Ton J (2016) . Plant Journal, 88(3), 361-374.
  • Galindo-Trigo S, Gray JE & Smith LM (2016) . Frontiers in Plant Science, 7.
  • Smith LM, Burbano HA, Wang X, Fitz J, Wang G, Ural-Blimke Y & Weigel D (2015) . The Plant Journal, 81(4), 597-610.
  • Koester T, Meyer K, Weinholdt C, Smith LM, Lummer M, Speth C, Grosse I, Weigel D & Staiger D (2014) . Nucleic Acids Research, 42(15), 9925-9936.
  • Todesco M, Kim S-T, Chae E, Bomblies K, Zaidem M, Smith LM, Weigel D & Laitinen RAE (2014) . PLoS Genetics, 10(7).
  • Slotte T, Hazzouri KM, Ã…gren JA, Koenig D, Maumus F, Guo YL, Steige K, Platts AE, Escobar JS, Newman LK , Wang W et al (2013) . Nature Genetics, 45(7), 831-835.
  • Wang X, Weigel D & Smith LM (2013) . PLoS Genet, 9(2), e1003255.
  • Smith LM, Hartmann L, Drewe P, Bohnert R, Kahles A, Lanz C & Rätsch G (2012) . RNA Biol, 9(5), 596-609.
  • Smith LM & Weigel D (2012) . EMBO J, 31(2), 249-250.
  • Smith LM, Bomblies K & Weigel D (2011) . PLoS Genet, 7(7), e1002164.
  • Schneeberger K, Ossowski S, Ott F, Klein JD, Wang X, Lanz C, Smith LM, Cao J, Fitz J, Warthmann N , Henz SR et al (2011) . Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 108(25), 10249-10254.
  • Hollister JD, Smith LM, Guo YL, Ott F, Weigel D & Gaut BS (2011) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(6), 2322-2327.
  • Yelina NE, Smith LM, Jones AME, Patel K, Kelly KA & Baulcombe DC (2010) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(31), 13948-13953.
  • Searle IR, Pontes O, Melnyk CW, Smith LM & Baulcombe DC (2010) . Genes and Development, 24(10), 986-991.
  • Fahlgren N, Jogdeo S, Kasschau KD, Sullivan CM, Chapman EJ, Laubinger S, Smith LM, Dasenko M, Givan SA, Weigel D & Carrington JC (2010) . Plant Cell, 22(4), 1074-1089.
  • Smith LM & Baulcombe DC (2007) . Plant Signaling and Behavior, 2(6), 501-502.
  • Bäurle I, Smith L, Baulcombe DC & Dean C (2007) . Science, 318(5847), 109-112.
  • Smith LM, Pontes O, Searle I, Yelina N, Yousafzai FK, Herr AJ, Pikaard CS & Baulcombe DC (2007) . Plant Cell, 19(5), 1507-1521.
  • Munro TP, Magee RJ, Kidd GJ, Carson JH, Barbarese E, Smith LM & Smith R (1999) . Journal of Biological Chemistry, 274(48), 34389-34395.

Book chapters

  • Smith LM (2015) In Pontes O & Jin H (Ed.), Nuclear Functions in Plant Transcription, Signaling and Development (pp. 133-164). New York: Springer.
  • Smith LM & Laitinen RAE (2015) In Laitinen RAE (Ed.), Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Adaptation (pp. 31-59). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Conference proceedings

  • Stassen J, Furci L, Wilkinson SW, Lopez Sanchez A, Jain R, Smith LM & Ton J (2019) . Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Vol. 32(10) (pp S1.17-S1.17). Glasgow, Scotland, 14 July 2019 - 14 July 2019.

Preprints

  • Hannan Parker A, Zhang P, Man KY, Tirot L, Rolfe SA, Smith LM, Wilkinson SW & Ton J (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Grand TM, Pitman JK, Williams AL, Smith LM & Fleming AJ (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Zhang Z, Parker AH, Symeonidi A, Wilkinson SW, Stassen JHM, Smith LM, Ton J & Johannes F (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Yao N, Zhang Z, Yu L, Hazarika R, Yu C, Jang H, Smith LM, Ton J, Liu L, Stachowicz J , Reusch TBH et al (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Research group

Research Group Members
Postdoctoral research associates

  • Dr Alice Baillie: Cell wall changes during plant reproduction (BBSRC funded)
  • Dr Louis Tirot (based in Jurriaan Ton’s group): Epigenetic regulation of plant development and defence (BBSRC IPA funded)

    Research technician
  • Peijun Zhang (based in Jurriaan Ton’s group): Epigenetic regulation of plant development and defence.

    PhD opportunities:
    Funded PhD opportunities are available primarily through the Yorkshire Biosciences DTP (link: https://www.whiterose-mechanisticbiology-dtp.ac.uk/yorkshire-bioscience-dtp/) and are typically advertised from November each year with deadlines in January and March for an October start. If you are an International student who is interested in working in the group outside of the DTP, please get in touch via email, briefly describing why you want to join the group, what you would like to work on within the lab's research profile, and how you would fund your PhD.
     
Teaching activities

In 2025-2026, I will be teaching on fewer modules due to study leave in the autumn semester:

BIS129 Form and Function of Living Organisms
BIS316 Future Plants: From Lab to Field
Integrated Masters

Links