Ratcliffe

George Ratcliffe

Educated at several schools in the North of England and Scotland, and trained as a chemist, George Ratcliffe subscribes to the view of his mentor R.J.P. Williams that ‘Biology is the search for the chemistry that works’.

Teaching

As well as covering a range of topics in tutorials for the Biochemists and Biologists in College, Professor Ratcliffe contributes to the lecture courses and practical classes in both Biochemistry and Biological Sciences in the Departments of Biochemistry, Plant Sciences and Zoology. He also supervises Biochemistry Part II research projects.

Research Interests 

Genes alone do not guarantee interesting biology, and Professor Ratcliffe uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to probe the metabolic processes that underpin biological activity. Specifically he uses NMR and other analytical tools to define the metabolic phenotypes of wild type, mutant and transgenic plants. Crop productivity hinges on metabolic activity, and his research focuses on developing a predictive understanding of the integration and regulation of central metabolism.

Selected Publications

• N.C. Price, R.A. Dwek, R.G. Ratcliffe & M.R. Wormald (2001) Principles and Problems in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists 3rd edition, Oxford University Press.

• A.M.O. Smith et al. (2004) Activation and function of mitochondrial uncoupling protein in plants. Journal of Biological Chemistry 279, 51944-51952.

• R.G. Ratcliffe & Y. Shachar-Hill (2006) Measuring multiple fluxes through plant metabolic networks. The Plant Journal 45, 490-511.

• J.W.A. Graham et al. (2007) Glycolytic enzymes associate dynamically with mitochondria in response to respiratory demand and support substrate channelling. Plant Cell 19, 3723-3738.

• L.J. Sweetlove et al. (2010) Not just a circle: flux modes in the plant TCA cycle. Trends in Plant Science 15, 462-470.

Email: george.ratcliffe@new.ox.ac.uk