Soil Microbial Biomass Research Group

Senior Scientific Assistant

e-mail: mark.durenkamp@bbsrc.ac.uk

After completing his degree in Biology, Mark continued doing a PhD in Plant Physiology in the group of Luit de Kok at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. His research interests were the regulation of plant sulphur metabolism and in particular the impact of atmospheric and pedospheric sulphur nutrition on the uptake and assimilation of sulphate. His interest in sulphur metabolism led him to the group of Stan Kopriva at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK, where he did a short postdoc on molecular aspects of the regulation of nutrient uptake.

In 2007, Mark moved to Rothamsted to do a short postdoc on nitrogen remobilization in Miscanthus, as part of the Supergen project, in Malcolm Hawkesford's group. In September 2008, he started his current project in Phil Brookes' group on the impact of biochar on microbial biomass, also part of Supergen. Different types of biochar and bio-oil, enriched with nitrogen, will be tested for their use as a slow release fertilizer.

Qualifications

• MSc. Biology, specialized in Plant Physiology. University of Groningen, The Netherlands (1995-2000)
• PhD. Plant Physiology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (2001-2005). Thesis: Metabolism of atmospheric Hydrogen Sulfide in Onion.

Publications:

• Durenkamp, M., De Kok, L.J. and Kopriva, S., 2007. Adenosine 5'-phosphosulphate reductase is regulated differently in Allium cepa L. and Brassica oleracea L. upon exposure to H2S. Journal of Experimental Botany 58: 1571-1579
• De Kok, L.J., Durenkamp, M., Yang, L. and Stulen, I. 2007. Atmospheric sulfur. In: Hawkesford, M.J. and De Kok, L.J. (eds.), Sulfur in Plants - an Ecological Perspective. Springer, 91-106
• Durenkamp, M. and De Kok, L.J., 2005. Sulfur metabolism in onion (Allium cepa L.): Accumulation of sulfur compounds upon exposure to H2S. In: Saito, K., De Kok, L.J., Stulen, I., Hawkesford, M.J., Schnug, E., Sirko, A. and Rennenberg, H. (eds.), Sulfur Transport and Assimilation in Plants in the Postgenomic Era, Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands, 127-131
• Durenkamp, M., Posthumus, F.S., Stuiver, C.E.E. and De Kok, L.J., 2005. Metabolism of atmospheric sulfur gases in onion. In: Omasa, K., Nouchi, I. and De Kok, L.J. (eds.), Plant Responses to Air Pollution and Global Changes. Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, Japan, 3-11
• Durenkamp, M. and De Kok, L.J., 2005. Low levels of H2S may replace sulfate as sulfur source in sulfate-deprived onion. Phyton 45 (3): 69-77
• De Kok, L.J., Castro A., Durenkamp, M., Koralewska, A., Posthumus, F.S., Stuiver, C.E.E., Yang, L. and Stulen, I., 2005. Pathways of plant sulfur uptake and metabolism - an overview. Landbauforschung Völkenrode Special Issue 283: 5-13
• Durenkamp, M. and De Kok, L.J., 2004. Impact of pedospheric and atmospheric sulphur nutrition on sulphur metabolism of Allium cepa L., a species with a potential sink capacity for secondary sulphur compounds. Journal of Experimental Botany 55: 1821-1830
• Durenkamp, M. and De Kok, L.J., 2003. Impact of atmospheric H2S on sulfur and nitrogen metabolism in Allium species and cultivars. In: Davidian, J.-C., Grill, D., De Kok, L.J., Stulen, I., Hawkesford, M.J., Schnug, E. and Rennenberg, H. (eds.), Sulfur Transport and Assimilation in Plants: Regulation, Interaction, Signaling. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands, 197-199
• Durenkamp, M. and De Kok, L.J., 2002. The impact of atmospheric H2S on growth and sulfur metabolism of Allium cepa L. Phyton 42 (3): 55-63
• De Kok, L.J., Castro, A., Durenkamp, M., Stuiver, C.E.E., Westerman, S., Yang, L. and Stulen, I., 2002. Sulphur in plant physiology. Proceedings No. 500, 1-26, International Fertiliser Society, York, UK, pp. 1-26
• Durenkamp, M., Venema, J.H. and Van Hasselt, P.R., 2000. Impact of suboptimal shoot and/or root temperatures on growth and carbohydrates in Lycopersicon esculentum and L. hirsutum. In: Parente, G. and Frame, J. (eds.). Crop developments for the cool and wet regions of Europe - achievements and future prospects. Proceedings of the COST Action 814 Final Confererence, Pordenone, Italy, May 10-13 2000, pp. 149-152

Oral presentations

• 6th International Workshop on Plant Sulfur Metabolism, Kisarazu, Japan, May 17-21, 2005. Title: Sulfur metabolism in onion (Allium cepa L.): Accumulation of sulfur compounds upon exposure to atmospheric H2S
• COST Action 829, Progress in plant sulfur research, Braunschweig, Germany, May 15-18, 2004. Title: Total sulfur and alliin content in Allium cepa as affected by atmospheric H2S exposure.
• 35th Air Pollution Workshop, Vancouver, Canada, April 8-10, 2003. Title: The impact of H2S exposure on sulfur metabolism and the formation of alliins in onion.
• 5th International Symposium on Responses of Plant Metabolism to Air Pollution and Global Change, Pulawy, Poland, November 1-4, 2002. Title: Effect of hydrogen sulfide on growth and sulfur metabolism of Allium cepa.

Research visits

• Dr. Stanislav Kopriva, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK (November 20 to December 3, 2005; NWO/British Council UK-Netherlands Partnership Programme in Science traveling grant): Impact of atmospheric H2S exposure on the expression of the genes and the activity and protein level of APS reductase in curly kale and onion.
• Dr. Malcolm J. Hawkesford, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK (June 8-21, 2003): Isolation and identification of sulphate transporters in onion
• Dr. Silvia Haneklaus, Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, FAL, Braunschweig, Germany (November 26-30, 2001; COST 829 Short term scientific mission): Impact of H2S exposure on the iso-alliin content of onion (Allium cepa L.)
• Dr. Michael Tausz, Institute for Plant Physiology, University of Graz, Austria (May 7-22, 2001; COST 829 Short term scientific mission): Impact of sulphate nutrition and H2S exposure on the thiol content of curly kale (Brassica oleracea L.)