Associate Professor David McCurdy

My research interests lie in the field of plant cell and molecular biology. I am a member of the Centre for Plant Science in the Discipline of Biological Sciences. The group of plant scientists at Newcastle making up the Centre are internationally recognized for their research, reflected by Plant Biology research at Newcastle earning consecutive ERA (Excellence in Research Australia) rankings of 5 (maximum score) in 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2018, one of only four research groupings at Newcastle to achieve this feat.

My PhD research (Supervisor: Richard Williamson) was conducted at both LaTrobe University and ANU and focused on the role of actin-like proteins in chloroplasts. After a three year Post-Doctoral appointment at the University of Georgia working on phytochrome with Prof Lee Pratt, I returned to the ANU as a Post-Doctoral Fellow working with Prof Brian Gunning FRS and then independently as a Queen Elizabeth II Fellow. Following these appointments at ANU, I moved to the University of Newcastle and joined the Plant Science Group as a Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Currently my research focuses on investigating the cell and molecular biology of transfer cells in plants, and more recently in collaboration with A/Prof David Collings the cell and molecular biology of phi thickenings in roots of the Brassicacea. My research on transfer cells was initiated by ARC-funded collaborations with A/Prof Tina Offler and later with Prof John Patrick. Transfer cells have evolved the unique capacity to build highly polarized wall ingrowths which serve to amplify plasma membrane surface area and hence increase the capacity of these cells to maximise nutrient transport. Apart from their important role in enhancing nutrient transport in plants, thus influencing crop yield, the deposition of highly polarized wall ingrowths represents a fascinating and unique example of localized wall deposition in plant cells. My research has used cell biological and EM techniques (Bulbert et al 1998; Talbot et al 2001, 2002, 2007; Vaughn et al 2007) to provide new insights into the unique morphology of wall ingrowths in transfer cells, and has used molecular techniques to understand molecular regulation of both the induction of transfer cells (Dibley et al 2009; Zhou et al 2010; Andriunas et al 2011, 2012) and the subsequent building of reticulate papillate wall ingrowths (Zhang et al 2015, 2015, 2015). My significant input into studying transfer cell development includes co-supervising with A/P Offler the development of a dry-cleave procedure to visualize wall ingrowth morphology in transfer cells by SEM. This technique has been instrumental in obtaining a detailed morphological understanding of how the complex wall ingrowth apparatus originates from discrete papillate projections of the parent wall (Talbot et al 2001, 2002), and has been the foundation procedure for subsequent ARC-funded research on transfer cells in Vicia faba cotyledons at Newcastle.

My current research on transfer cells also uses the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. Using Arabidopsis provides access to the enormous genetic and bioinformatics resources available in this species to investigate molecular regulation of transfer cell development. My lab has used this approach to identify putative candidate regulators of transfer cell development (Edwards et al 2010; Arun-Chinnappa et al 2013; Wu et al 2018) and recently we developed a novel fluorescence staining procedure which allows confocal microscopy imaging of wall ingrowth deposition with unprecedented detail in this model species (Nguyen & McCurdy 2015). Results from these studies are providing new insights into the function of wall ingrowths in transfer cells and how this process may be regulated. A recent high profile study from my lab identified wall ingrowth deposition in Arabidopsis as a novel trait of vegetative phase transition, potentially linking transfer cell development to regulation of flowering (Nguyen et al 2017).

My recent research on phi thickening development in roots of canola (Brassica napus) in collaboration with A/Prof David Collings has laid important foundations for the study of these little known structures widely seen across the plant kingdom (Aleamotu'a et al 2017; 2018). This research is developing novel approaches to identify regulatory genes by undertaking GWAS and double-haploid mapping in combination with researchers at DPI, Wagga Wagga.  

A long-standing research interest as focused on the actin cytoskeleton in plant cells, an important regulator of wall deposition in plant cells. In collaboration with Prof Ray Rose, I have investigated cytoskeletal regulation of organelle inheritance during plant cell division. This study formed the PhD research of Dr Michael Sheahan and provided the first evidence that plants use tightly regulated mechanisms to achieve accurate organelle partitioning at cell division. This research resulted in four publications (Sheahan et al 2004a, 2004b, 2005, 2007) and four reviews (Rose et al 2006a, 2006b, the latter an invited contribution to Encyclopedia of Life Sciences; Sheahan et al 2008; Sheahan et al 2016 - in press). The Plant Journal paper (Sheahan et al 2004a) attracted widespread interest and was reviewed as a Faculty of 1000 publication. The Plant Physiology paper (Sheahan et al 2004b) introduced a new tool (GFP:fABD2) to visualize actin dynamics in living plant cells which was adopted by the international research community as the best available probe for this purpose. The development GFP:fABD2 led to a successful collaboration with Prof Chris Staiger (Purdue University) which produced several publications including Staiger et al (2009) which used novel imaging techniques to monitor the dynamic properties of cortical actin in plant cells. This paper continues to be one of the most highly cited papers on the actin cytoskeleton in plant cells. 

In addition to these research interests, in collaboration with Prof John Patrick, I have investigated the molecular biology of hexose transporters in developing tomato fruit. This ARC and Industry funded research resulted in the publication of three papers (Gear et al 2000; Dibley et al 2005; McCurdy et al 2010) and establishment of an Australian Provisional Patent (#2006906647 Plants with increased hexose content. Patrick, Dibley & McCurdy).

Research Expertise

Research expertise in plant cell and molecular biology, focusing on transfer cells, phi thickenings, plant cytoskeleton, cell wall and membrane transporters.

Teaching Expertise

BIOL3310 - Plant Cell and Molecular Biology

BIOL2220 - Plant Cell Development

BTEC2230 - Biomolecules

BIOL2002 - Laboratory Skills in Biology

BIOL3001 - Advanced Laboratory Skills in Biological Sciences

Administrative Expertise

Student Academic Conduct Officer, School of Environmental and Life Sciences (2004-2018).

Program Convenor – B. Biotech. Honours Program (1998-2006).

Member: FSCIT Faculty Board (current).

HDR Director - SELS (current)