Professor Eric Holub

Professor

Email: Eric.Holub@warwick.ac.uk

Phone: 024 765 75163

Office (W): PPB1.27

Office (GH): B009

Research Clusters

Plant & Agricultural Bioscience

Environment & Ecology

糖心TV Centres and GRPs

Food GRP

糖心TV Institute of Engagement

Vacancies and Opportunities

For PhD and postdoctoral opportunities, and interest in potential collaborations, please contact me at the above email address.

Research Interests

Professor Holub is a geneticist, systems-thinker and a fellow of 糖心TV Institute of Engagement. He applies his experience to genetic improvement of food crops and public access to affordable food diversity. Recently, he has been selecting Meso-american crops for UK production including common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos and herbs. The aim is to enable a food system that better serves public health using seed, soil and British sunshine.

The UK is a nation of bean and tomato eaters-- served for example on toast or jacket potato. With this in mind, Professor Holub is working to establish new varieties of our favourite pulse, the common bean, for cooking with other home-grown ingredients. Provenance, convenience and versatility are key, especially knowing that all of ingredients in a commercial tin of navy beans in tomato sauce are imported. Thus, National Listing was obtained for three bean varieties: Capulet (looks like an imported navy bean), Godiva (a novel blonde kidney-like bean) and Olivia (an oval black bean).

Participatory research with consumers was launched in Coventry for the 2019 British Science Festival [For more information see: ]. In February 2023, he registered a company (Nurtural Limited) with five co-directors which will transition into a social enterprise with a mission of 'connecting Ambassadors of Change (from kitchens and gardens and farms) for rejuvenating food environments in every community.'

Research: Technical Summary

The Phaseolus bean breeding programme at UofW has used conventional methods, dating back to the inventor of genetics Gregor Mendel. Molecular genetic characterisation of major alleles for important traits has been a focus, for example, recessive alleles for bacterial and viral resistance have been identified (which are priority markers for durable disease resistance). These will be useful for future accelerated whole genome selection. Genetic transformation is not currently possible in P. vulgaris so gene editing and genetic modification are not realistic options for genetic improvement of this legume crop.

In earlier genetics research, Prof Holub developed tetraploid alfalfa with multi-genic resistance to a root-rotting complex of oomycete pathogens, which has since had major impact in the US dairy industry by improving resilience under harsh winter and wet soil conditions of a high protein perennial forage legume. He moved to the UK and quickly established Arabidopsis thaliana as an experimental system to investigate the molecular basis of resistance to natural parasites. This work generated seminal publications with international collaborators on R-gene mediated resistance, defense signaling and pathogen avirulence. He shifted research to a crop pathogen (Albugo candida causing brassica white rust) for genetic dissection of non-host resistance in A. thaliana. This revealed multiple defense layers, including a receptor-like gene WRR4 with potential use for broad-spectrum resistance in transgenic brassica crops. Parallel research on white rust in brassicas was advanced with DEFRA and BBSRC funding (BB/L011646/1). The later linked collaborative research with scientists in India on oilseed mustard (B. juncea) to UK production of English mustard, in which white rust is an emerging climate related disease.

Biography

2005-date: Professor of translational plant genetics, University of 糖心TV
2021-date: Fellow of 糖心TV Institute of Engagement
2013-2021: Director of undergraduate biochemistry programme, Life Sciences
2002-2004: Research unit leader, Horticulture Research International- Wellesbourne
1998-2001: Group leader, HRI-Wellesbourne.
1994-1997: Higher scientific officer, HRI-East Malling & Wellesbourne
1990-1993: AFRC-PMB1 postdoctoral researcher, HRI-East Malling
1988-1989: Pathology consultant for alfalfa breeding companies
1988: PhD (Plant pathology and plant breeding), University of Wisconsin-Madison

Publications

Ingram, John, Barling, David, Bayes, Natasha, Cottee, Julian, Dickinson, Angela, Hardman, Charlotte, Holub, Eric B., Jones, Katie, Leadley, Craig, Maguire, Roseanne, Michaels, Lucy, Midgley, Gerald, Rajagopalan, Raghav, Zhang, Jing and Zurek, Monika (2025) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 380 (1935). 20240158. doi: ISSN 0962-8436.

Nirwan, Shradha, Chatterjee, Anupriya, Cevik, Volkan, Holub, Eric B., Jones, Jonathan D. G., Tewari, Anand Kumar, Shrivastava, Neeraj, Agnihotri, Abha and Sharma, Pankaj (2024) Molecular Biology Reports, 51 . 199. doi: ISSN 0301-4851.

Redkar, Amey, Cevik, Volkan, Bailey, Kate, Zhao, He, Kim, Dae Sung, Zou, Zhou, Furzer, Oliver J., Fairhead, Sebastian, Borhan, M. Hossein, Holub, E. B. and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2023) New Phytologist, 237 (2). pp. 532-547. doi: ISSN 0028-646X.

Furzer, Oliver, Cevik, Volkan, Fairhead, Sebastian, Bailey, Kate, Redkar, Amey, Schudmoma, Christian, MacLean, Dan, Holub, E. B. and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2022) Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 35 (1). pp. 39-48. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Castel, Baptiste, Fairhead, Sebastian, Furzer, Oliver J., Redkar, Amey, Wang, Shanshan, Cevik, Volkan, Holub, E. B. and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2021) The Plant Journal, 107 (5). pp. 1490-1502. doi: ISSN 0960-7412.

Lai, Yan, Lu, Xueqing Maggie, Daron, Josquin, Pan, Songqin, Wang, Jianqiang, Wang, Wei, Tsuchiya, Tokuji, Holub, E. B., McDowell, John M., Slotkin, R. Keith, Le Roch, Karine G. and Eulgem, Thomas (2020) PLoS Genetics, 16 (9). e1008993. doi: ISSN 1553-7390.

MacQueen, Alice, Tian, Dacheng, Chang, Wenhan, Holub, E. B., Kreitman, Martin and Bergelson, Joy (2019) Genes, 10 (9). e691. doi: ISSN 2073-4425.

Jouet, Agathe, Saunders, Diane G. O., McMullan, Mark, Ward, Ben, Furzer, Oliver, Jupe, Florian, Cevik, Volkan, Hein, Ingo, Thilliez, Gaetan J. A., Holub, E. B., van Oosterhout, Cock and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2019) New Phytologist, 221 (3). pp. 1529-1543. doi: ISSN 0028-646X.

Lai, Yan, Cuzick, Alayne, Lu, Xueqing Maggie, Wang, Jianqiang, Katiyar, Neerja, Tsuchiya, Tokuji, Le Roch, Karine, McDowell, John M., Holub, E. B. and Eulgem, Thomas (2019) The Plant Journal, 97 (4). pp. 646-660. doi: ISSN 0960-7412.

Cevik, Volkan, Boutrot, Freddy, Apel, Wiebke, Robert-Seilaniantz, Alexandre, Furzer, Oliver J., Redkar, Amey, Castel, Baptiste, Kover, Paula, Prince, David C., Holub, E. B. and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2019) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116 (7). pp. 2767-2773. doi: ISSN 0027-8424.

Hulin, Michelle T., Armitage, Andrew D., Vicente, Joana G., Holub, E. B., Baxter, Laura, Bates, Helen J., Mansfield, John W., Jackson, Robert W. and Harrison, Richard J. (2018) The New Phytologist, 291 (2). pp. 672-696. doi: ISSN 1469-8137.

Buckley, James, Holub, E. B., Koch, Marcus A., Vergeer, Philippine and Mable, Barbara K. (2018) BMC Genomics, 19 (1). 496. doi: ISSN 1471-2164.

Woods-T枚r, Alison, Studholme, David J., Cevik, Volkan, Telli, Osman, Holub, E. B. and T枚r, Mahmut (2018) Frontiers in Plant Science, 9 . 265. doi: ISSN 1664-462X.

Vicente, Joana G., Rothwell, Steve, Holub, E. B. and Studholme, David J. (2017) International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 67 (9). pp. 3645-3654. doi: ISSN 1466-5026.

Tock, Andrew J. , Fourie, Deidr茅, Walley, Peter G., Holub, E. B., Soler, Alvaro, Cichy, Karen A., Pastor-Corrales, Marcial A., Song, Qijian, Porch, Timothy G., Hart, John P., Vasconcellos, Renato C. C., Vicente, Joana G., Barker, Guy C. and Miklas, Phillip N. (2017) Frontiers in Plant Science, 8 . doi: ISSN 1664-462X.

Prince, David C., Rallapalli, Ghanasyam, Xu, Deyang, Schoonbeek, Henk-jan, Cevik, Volkan, Asai, Shuta, Kemen, Eric, Cruz-Mireles, Neftaly, Kemen, Ariane C., Belhaj, Khaoula, Schornack, Sebastian, Kamoun, Sophien, Holub, E. B., Halkier, Barbara A. and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2017) BMC Biology, 15 (20). 360. doi: ISSN 1741-7007.

Baroncelli, Riccardo, Amby, Daniel Buchvaldt, Zapparata, Antonio, Sarrocco, Sabrina, Vannacci, Giovanni, Le Floch, Ga茅tan, Harrison, Richard J., Holub, E. B., Sukno, Serenella A., Sreenivasaprasad, Surapareddy and Thon, Michael R. (2016) BMC Genomics, 17 (1). 555. doi: ISSN 1471-2164.

Buckley, James, Kilbride, Elizabeth, Cevik, Volkan, Vicente, Joana G., Holub, E. B. and Mable, Barbara K. (2016) BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16 (1). 93. doi: ISSN 1471-2148.

Baroncelli, Riccardo, Zapparata, Antonio, Sarrocco, Sabrina, Sukno, Serenella A., Lane, Charles R., Thon, Michael R., Vannacci, Giovanni, Holub, E. B. and Sreenivasaprasad, S. (2015) PLoS One, Volume 10 (Number 6). pp. 1-21. Article number e0129140. doi: ISSN 1932-6203.

Xu, Fang, Zhu, Chipan, Cevik, Volkan, Johnson, Kaeli, Liu, Yanan, Sohn, Kee-Hoon, Jones, Jonathan D. G., Holub, E. B. and Li, Xin (2015) Scientific Reports, 5 . pp. 1-7. 8792. doi: ISSN 2045-2322.

McMullan, Mark, Gardiner, Anastasia, Bailey, Kate, Kemen, Eric, Ward, Ben J., Cevik, Volkan, Robert-Seilaniantz, Alexandre, Schultz-Larsen, Torsten, Balmuth, Alexi L., Holub, E. B., Oosterhout, Cock van and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2015) eLife, 4 . pp. 1-24. e04550. doi: ISSN 2050-084X.

Baroncelli, Riccardo, Sreenivasaprasad, S., Sukno, S. A., Thon, M. R. and Holub, E. B. (2014) Genome Announcements, Volume 2 (Number 2). e00112-e00114. doi: ISSN 2169-8287.

Vicente, Joana G. and Holub, E. B. (2013) Molecular Plant Pathology, Vol.14 (No.1). pp. 2-18. doi: ISSN 14646722.

Rose, Laura E., Atwell, Susanna, Grant, Murray and Holub, E. B. (2012) Frontiers in Plant Science, Volume 3 . Article number 287. doi: ISSN 1664-462X.

Coelho, Paula S., Vicente, Joana G., Monteiro, Ant贸nio A. and Holub, E. B. (2012) European Journal of Plant Pathology, Vol.134 (No.4). pp. 763-771. doi: ISSN 0929-1873.

Cevik, Volkan, Kidd, B. N., Zhang, Peijun, Hills, Claire E., Kiddle, Steven J., Denby, Katherine J., Holub, E. B., Cahill, D. M., Manners, J. M., Schenk, P. M., Beynon, Jim and Kazan, K. (2012) Plant Physiology, Volume 160 (Number 1). pp. 541-555. doi: ISSN 0032-0889.

Mulema, Joseph M. K., Vicente, Joana G., Pink, David, Jackson, Alison C., Chacha, Duncan O., Wasilwa, L. A. (Lusike A.), Kinyua, Zakary M., Karanja, Daniel K., Holub, E. B. and Hand, Paul (2012) European Journal of Plant Pathology, Vol.133 (No.2). pp. 427-438. doi: ISSN 0929-1873.

Vicente, Joana G., Gunn, Nick, Bailey, Liz, Pink, David and Holub, E. B. (2012) Plant Pathology, Vol.61 (No.3). pp. 600-609. doi: ISSN 0032-0862.

Cevik, Volkan, Kidd, B. N., Zhang, P., Hills, Claire E., Kiddle, Steven J., Denby, Katherine J., Holub, E. B., Cahill, D. M., Manners, J. M., Schenk, P. M., Beynon, Jim and Kazan, K. (2012) Plant Physiology, Vol.160 (No.1). pp. 541-555. doi: ISSN 0032-0889.

Baltrus, David A., Nishimura, Marc T., Dougherty, Kevin M., Biswas, Surojit, Mukhtar, M. Shahid, Vicente, Joana G., Holub, E. B. and Dangl, J. L. (Jeffery L.) (2012) Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Vol.25 (No.7). pp. 877-888. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Links, Matthew G., Holub, E. B., Jiang, Rays H. Y., Sharpe, Andrew G., Hegedus, Dwayne, Beynon, Elena, Sillito, Dean, Clarke, Wayne E., Uzuhashi, Shihomi and Borhan, Mohammad Hossein (2011) BMC Genomics, Vol.12 (No.1). Article No. 503. doi: ISSN 1471-2164.

Kemen, Eric, Gardiner, Anastasia, Schultz-Larsen, Torsten, Kemen, Ariane C., Balmuth, Alexi L., Robert-Seilaniantz, Alexandre, Bailey, Kate, Holub, E. B., Studholme, David J., MacLean, Daniel and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2011) PLoS Biology, Vol.9 (No.7). Article No. e1001094 . doi: ISSN 1545-7885.

Bailey, Kate, Cevik, Volkan, Holton, Nicholas, Byrne-Richardson, Jane, Sohn, Kee-Hoon, Coates, Mary, Woods-T枚r, Alison, Aksoy, H. Murat, Hughes, L., Baxter, Laura, Jones, Jonathan D. G., Beynon, Jim, Holub, E. B. and T枚r, Mahmut (2011) Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Vol.24 (No.7). pp. 827-838. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Platt, A. (Alexander), Horton, Matthew, Huang, Yu S., Li, Y. (Yan), Anastasio, Alison Elizabeth, Mulyati, Ni Wayan, A虋gren, Jon, Bossdorf, Oliver, Byers, Diane, Donohue, Kathleen, Ph.D.

(2010) PLoS Genetics, Vol.6 (No.2). e1000843. doi: ISSN 1553-7390.

Hoebe, P. N., Stift, M., Holub, E. B. and Mable, Barbara K. (2010) Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Volume 24 (Number 2). pp. 391-401. doi: ISSN 1010-061X.

Borhan, Mohammad Hossein, Holub, E. B., Kindrachuk, Colin, Omidi, Mansour, Bozorgmanesh-Frad, Ghazaleh and Rimmer, Samuel Roger (2009) Molecular Plant Pathology, Vol.11 (No.2). pp. 283-291. doi: ISSN 1464-6722.

Thines, M., Choi, Y.-J., Kemenes, E., Ploch, S., Holub, E. B., Shin, H.-D. and Jones, Jonathan D. G. (2009) Persoonia, Vol.22 . pp. 123-128. doi: ISSN 0031-5850.

Hall, Sharon A., Allen, Rebecca L., Baumber, Rachel E., Baxter, Laura, Fisher, Kate, Bittner-Eddy , Peter D., Rose, Laura E., Holub, E. B. and Beynon, Jim (2009) Molecular Plant Pathology, Vol.10 (No.4). pp. 449-457. doi: ISSN 1464-6722.

Holub, E. B. (2008) European Journal of Plant Pathology, Vol.122 (No.1). pp. 91-109. doi: ISSN 0929-1873.

Cooper, A. J., Latunde-Dada, A. O., Woods-Tor, A., Lynn, James R. , Lucas, J. A., Crute, I. R. and Holub, E. B. (2008) Molecular Plant - Microbe Interactions, Vol.21 (No.6). pp. 745-756. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Borhan, M. Hossein, Gunn, Nick, Cooper, Abigail, Gulden, Sigrun, T枚r, Mahmut, Rimmer, Samuel Roger and Holub, E. B. (2008) Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Vol.21 (No.6). pp. 757-768. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Holub, E. B. (2007) Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Vol.10 (No.4). pp. 415-424. ISSN 1369-5266 doi:

Eulgem, Thomas, Tsuchiya, Tokuji, Wang, Xiao-Jun, Beasley, Britt, Cuzick, Alayne, T枚r, Mahmut, Zhu, Tong, McDowell, John M., Holub, E. B. and Dangl, J. L. (Jeffery L.) (2007) Plant Journal, Vol.49 (No.5). pp. 829-839. doi: ISSN 0960-7412.

Holub, E. B. (2006) Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Vol.9 (No.4). pp. 397-405. ISSN 1369-5266 doi:

Liu, Guosheng, Holub, E. B., Alonso, Jose M., Ecker, Joseph R. and Fobert, Pierre R. (2005) Plant Journal, volume 41 (Number 2). pp. 304-318. doi: ISSN 0960-7412.

Borhan, Mohammad H., Holub, E. B., Beynon, Jim, Rozwadowski, Kevin and Rimmer, Samuel Roger (2004) Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Volume 17 (Number 7). pp. 711-719. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Eulgem, Thomas , Weigman, Victor J., Chang, Hur-Song , McDowell, John M., Holub, E. B., Glazebrook, Jane , Zhu, Tong and Dang, Jeffery L. (2004) Plant Physiology, Volume 135 (Number 2). pp. 1129-1144. doi: ISSN 0032-0889.

Holub, E. B. and Cooper, Abigail (2004) Trends in Plant Science, Volume 9 (Number 5). pp. 211-214. ISSN 1360-1385 doi:

Rose, L. E., Bittner-Eddy , Peter D., Langley, Charles H, Michelmore, Richard W, Holub, E. B. and Beynon, Jim (2004) Genetics, Volume 166 (Number 3). pp. 1517-1527. doi: ISSN 0016-6731.

T枚r, Mahmut, Gordon, Pam, Cuzick, Alayne, Eulgem, Thomas, Sinapidou, Evaggelia, Mert-Turk, Figen, Can, Canan, Dangl, J. L. (Jeffery L.) and Holub, E. B. (2002) The Plant Cell, Volume 14 (Number 5). pp. 993-1003. doi: ISSN 1040-4651.

Holub, E. B. (2001) Nature Reviews Genetics , Volume 2 (Number 7). pp. 516-527. doi: ISSN 14710056.

Bittner-Eddy, Peter D., Crute, Ian R., Holub, E. B. and Beynon, Jim (2000) The Plant Journal, Volume 21 (Number 2). pp. 177-188. doi: ISSN 0960-7412.

McDowell, John M., Cuzick, Alayne, Can, Canan, Beynon, Jim, Dangl, Jeffery L. and Holub, E. B. (2000) The Plant Journal, Volume 22 (Number 6). pp. 523-529. doi: ISSN 0960-7412.

Bittner-Eddy, Peter, Can, Canan, Gunn, Nick, Pinel, Matthieu, T枚r, Mahmut, Crute, Ian, Holub, E. B. and Beynon, Jim (1999) Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Volume 12 (Number 9). pp. 792-802. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Botella, M. A., Parker, Jane E., Frost, L. N., Bittner-Eddy , Peter D., Beynon, Jim, Daniels, M. J., Holub, E. B. and Jones, J. G. S. (1998) The Plant Cell, Volume 10 (Number 11). pp. 1847-60. doi: ISSN 1040-4651.

Aarts, Mark G. M., Lintel Hekkert, Bas te, Holub, E. B., Beynon, Jim, Stiekema, Willem J. and Pereira, Andy (1998) Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Volume 11 (Number 4). pp. 251-258. doi: ISSN 0894-0282.

Speulman, Elly, Bouchez, David, Holub, E. B. and Beynon, Jim (1998) The Plant Journal, Volume 14 (Number 4). pp. 467-474. doi: ISSN 0960-7412.

Parker, J. E., Holub, E. B., Frost, L. N., Falk, A., Gunn, N. D. and Daniels, M. J. (1996) The Plant Cell, Volume 8 (Number 11). pp. 2033-2046. doi: ISSN 1040-4651.

Research Projects Teaching / Student Supervision

I am PGT Senior Tutor

I am happy to supervise UG research projects on Topical Science that can help transform our food system to better serve public health.

Projects should focus on science-based innovation which will have impact in changing our food environment (e.g., delivering healthier food options in an urban community to tackle diet-related disease and thus reduce burden on the NHS, and/or to reduce impact on environment and climate).

Topics will be suited for students interested in combining modern biology with a passion for food, perhaps for a career in human nutrition, science teaching or with some aspect of public communication of life sciences.

Examples of research topics:

Should doctors be chefs?
Why is healthy eating a dirty pleasure?
What鈥檚 healthy, beyond the Eat Well Plate?
Unwrapping myths about nutrition of processed food.
What can we learn from Blue Zones to improve our food environment?
Design a soil-based hydroponic system to produce food for 2030.