Professor Vardis Ntoukakis

Professor

Email: V.Ntoukakis@warwick.ac.uk

Phone: 024 765 51920

Office: B175

Research Clusters

Plant & Agricultural Biosciences

Quantitative, Systems & Engineering Biology

Warwick Centres and GRPs

Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre

Other Roles

Director of BBSRC Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership

Vacancies and Opportunities

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

Research Interests

Unlike animals, plants cannot move away from adverse conditions. Plants face increased threats from fungal and bacterial pathogens, some of which are gaining advantage as the climate becomes more favourable to them. To protect crops from major losses we need to understand how plants defend themselves and how we can exploit this.

Our laboratory addresses the important question of how plants respond to pathogen attack. This research will inform us as to where molecular biology and breeding approaches could be directed to optimise the existing cellular machinery to boost crop plant resistance to pathogens.

Research: Technical Summary

The lab uses both model and crop (tomato, brassica) plants to understand how pathogens are recognised and how plant immunity is supressed by pathogens.

We combine genome-wide approaches such as mRNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq and MNase-seq with proteomics, advance imaging, and biochemistry to enhance our understanding of how activation of Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) and Resistance (R) proteins leads to plant immunity.

This research informs our efforts to engineering crop plants with durable resistance and increased crop yields.

Biography

Professor (2021-present), School of Life Sciences, 神马福利影片, UK
Royal Society University Research Fellow (2012-2021), School of Life Sciences, 神马福利影片, UK
Post-doctoral researcher (2011-2012), The Sainsbury Laboratory, UK
Post-doctoral researcher (2008-2011), John Innes Centre, UK
Post-doctoral researcher (2005-2008), The Sainsbury Laboratory, UK
PhD in Biochemistry (2005), University of California Riverside, US
Researcher (1997-1999), Institute of Subtropical Plants and Olive Tree, Greece
BSc (1996), School of Agriculture, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece

Publications

Greer, Shannon F., Harrison, Jamie, Bown, Daisy, Serrano, Maria, Hussain, Rana Muhammed Fraz, Ghosh, Srayan, Teakle, Graham R., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Studholme, David J., Vicente, Joana G. and Grant, Murray (2026) Plant Pathology, 75 (1). e70074. doi: ISSN 0032-0862.

Bayless, Adam M., Song, Lijiang, Sorbello, Mitchell, Ogden, Sam C., Todd, Tyler S., Flint, Alice, Maruta, Natsumi, Tulu, Jedidiah, Drenichev, Mikhail, Ntoukakis, Vardis, Ve, Thomas, Mobli, Mehdi, Wan, Li, Liu, Qingli, Dangl, Jeffery L., Kobe, Bostjan, Grant, Murray and Nishimura, Marc T. (2025) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 122 (37). e2505893122. doi: ISSN 0027-8424.

Sheikh, Arsheed H., Zacharia, Iosif, Tabassum, Naheed, Hirt, Heribert and Ntoukakis, Vardis (2024) Trends in Plant Science, 29 (11). pp. 1245-1253. doi: ISSN 1360-1385.

Li, Xinan, Wang, Chao, Zhu, Xun, Ntoukakis, Vardis, Cernava, Tomislav and Jin, Decai (2023) Environmental Microbiome, 18 (1). 78. doi: ISSN 2524-6372.

Osborne, Rory, Rehneke, Laura, Lehmann, Silke, Roberts, Jemma, Altmann, Melina, Altmann, Stefan, Zhang, Yingqi, K枚pff, Eva, Dominguez-Ferreras, Ana, Okechukwu, Emeka, Sergaki, Chrysi, Rich-Griffin, Charlotte, Ntoukakis, Vardis, Eichmann, Ruth, Shan, Weixing, Falter-Braun, Pascal and Sch盲fer, Patrick (2023) Nature Communications, 14 (1). 4065. doi: ISSN 2041-1723.

Tsitsekian, Dikran, Daras, Gerasimos, Templalexis, Dimitris, Avgeri, Fengoula, Lotos, Leonidas, Orfanidou, Chrysoula G., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Maliogka, Varvara I. and Rigas, Stamatis (2023) Plant Biology, 25 (4). pp. 529-540. doi: ISSN 1435-8603.

Sheikh, Arsheed H., Zacharia, Iosif, Pardal, Alonso J., Dominguez-Ferreras, Ana, Sueldo, Daniela J., Kim, Jung-Gun, Balmuth, Alexi, Gutierrez, Jose R., Conlan, Brendon F., Ullah, Najeeb

(2023) Nature Communications, 14 (1). 2568. doi: ISSN 2041-1723.

Sertedakis, Matthaios, Kotsaridis, Konstantinos, Tsakiri, Dimitra, Mermigka, Glykeria, Dominguez鈥怓erreras, Ana, Ntoukakis, Vardis and Sarris, Panagiotis F. (2022) Molecular Plant Pathology, 23 (1). pp. 148-156. doi: ISSN 1364-3703.

Tsitsekian, Dikran, Daras, Gerasimos, Karamanou, Konstantina, Templalexis, Dimitris, Koudounas, Konstantinos, Malliarakis, Dimitris, Koufakis, Theologos, Chatzopoulos, Dimitris, Goumas, Dimitris, Ntoukakis, Vardis, Hatzopoulos, Polydefkis and Rigas, Stamatis (2021) International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22 (16). e8442. doi: ISSN 1422-0067.

Greer, Shannon F., Vicente, Joana, Hussain, Rana Muhammad Fraz, Harrison, Jamie, Smith, Julian, Teakle, Graham R., Studholme, David J., Ntoukakis, Vardis and Grant, Murray (2021) In: Management of Diseases and Pests of Oilseed Rape, University of Hertfordshire, 16 Jun 2021. Published in: Proceedings of Management of Diseases and Pests of Oilseed Rape, University of Hertfordshire, 16 June 2021 p. 64.

Gkizi, Danai, Gonz谩lez Gil, Anna, Pardal , Alonso Javier, Piquerez, Sophie J., Sergaki, Chrysi, Ntoukakis, Vardis and Tjamos, Sotirios E. (2021) Journal of Experimental Botany, 72 (12). pp. 4565-4576. doi: ISSN 0022-0957.

Pardal, Alonso J., Piquerez, Sophie J. M., Dominguez-Ferreras, Ana, Frungillo, Lucas, Mastorakis, Emmanouil, Reilly, Emma, Latrasse, David, Concia, Lorenzo, Gimenez-Ibanez, Selena, Spoel, Steven H., Benhamed, Moussa and Ntoukakis, Vardis (2021) PLOS Pathogens, 17 (5). e1009572. doi: ISSN 1553-7374.

Lee, Morgan, Dominguez-Ferreras, Anna, Kaliyadasa, Ewon, Huang, Wei-Jie, Antony, Edna, Stevenson, Tracey, Lehmann, Silke, Sch盲fer, Patrick, Knight, Marc R., Ntoukakis, Vardis and Knight, Heather (2021) Frontiers in Plant Science, 12 . 649720. doi: ISSN 1664-462X.

Bender, Kyle W., Couto, Daniel, Kadota, Yasuhiro, Macho, Alberto P., Sklenar, Jan, Derbyshire, Paul, Bjornson, Marta, DeFalco, Thomas A., Petriello, Annalise, Font Farre, Maria, Schwessinger, Benjamin, Ntoukakis, Vardis, Stransfeld, Lena, Jones, Alexandra M. E., Menke, Frank L. H. and Zipfel, Cyril (2021) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118 (38). e2108242118. doi: ISSN 0027-8424.

Kim, Soonkap, Piquerez, Sophie J. M. , Ramirez-Prado, Juan S., Mastorakis, Emmanouil, Veluchamy, Alaguraj, Latrasse, David , Manza-Mianza, Deborah, Brik-Chaouche, Rim , Huang, Ying, Rodriguez-Granados, Natalia Y.

(2020) Nucleic Acids Research, 48 (11). pp. 5953-5966. doi: ISSN 0305-1048.

Lehmann, Silke, Dominguez-Ferreras, Ana, Huang, Wei-Jie, Denby, Katherine J., Ntoukakis, Vardis and Sch盲fer, Patrick (2020) PLoS One, 15 (6). e0234154. doi: ISSN 1932-6203.

Bianchet, Chantal, Wong, Aloysius, Quaglia, Mara, Alqurashi, May, Gehring, Chris, Ntoukakis, Vardis and Pasqualini, Stefania (2019) Journal of Plant Physiology, 232 . pp. 12-22. doi: ISSN 0176-1617.

Sheikh, A.H. and Ntoukakis, V. (2018) In: V INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON TOMATO DISEASES: PERSPECTIVES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN TOMATO PROTECTION , Malaga,Spain, June 13- June 16 2016. Published in: Acta Horticulturae (1207). pp. 99-104. doi: ISSN 0567-7572.

Gimenez-Ibanez, Selena, Boter, Marta, Ortigosa, Andr茅s, Garc铆a-Casado, Gloria, Chini, Andrea, Lewsey, Mathew G., Ecker, Joseph R., Ntoukakis, Vardis and Solano, Roberto (2017) New Phytologist, 213 (3). pp. 1378-1392. doi: ISSN 0028-646X.

脺st眉n, Suayib, Sheikh, Arsheed, Gimenez-Ibanez , Selena, Jones, Alexandra M., Ntoukakis, Vardis and B枚rnke, Frederik (2016) Plant Physiology, 172 (3). 1941-1958 . doi: ISSN 0032-0889.

Couto, Daniel, Niebergall, Roda, Liang, Xiangxiu, B眉cherl, Christoph A., Sklenar, Jan, Macho, Alberto P., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Derbyshire, Paul, Altenbach, Denise, Maclean, Dan, Robatzek, Silke, Uhrig, Joachim, Menke, Frank, Zhou, Jian-Min and Zipfel, Cyril (2016) PLoS Pathogens, 12 (8). e1005811. doi: ISSN 1553-7374.

Ntoukakis, Vardis and Gimenez-Ibanez, S. (2016) Science, 353 (6298). pp. 442-443. doi: ISSN 0036-8075.

Patron, Nicola J., Orzaez, Diego, Marillonnet, Sylvestre, Warzecha, Heribert, Matthewman, Colette, Youles, Mark, Raitskin, Oleg, Leveau, Aymeric, Farr茅, Gemma, Rogers, Christian

(2015) New Phytologist, 208 (1). pp. 13-19. doi: ISSN 0028-646X.

Rosa, S., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Ohmido, N., Pendle, A., Abranches, R. and Shaw, P. (2014) The Plant Cell, 26 (12). pp. 4821-4833. doi: ISSN 1040-4651.

Piquerez, Sophie J. M., Harvey, Sarah E., Beynon, Jim and Ntoukakis, Vardis (2014) Frontiers in Plant Science, Volume 5 . pp. 1-13. Article number 671 . doi: ISSN 1664-462X.

Segonzac, C., Macho, A. P., Sanmartin, M., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Sanchez-Serrano, J. J. and Zipfel, C. (2014) The EMBO Journal, 33 . pp. 2069-2079. doi: ISSN 0261-4189.

Ntoukakis, Vardis, Saur, Isabel M. L., Conlan, Brendon and Rathjen, John P. (2014) Current Opinion in Plant Biology, Volume 20 . pp. 69-74. doi: ISSN 1369-5266.

Kadota, Yasuhiro, Sklenar, Jan, Derbyshire, Paul, Stransfeld, Lena, Asai, Shuta, Ntoukakis, Vardis, Jones, Jonathan D. G., Shirasu, Ken, Menke, Frank, Jones, Alexandra M. and Zipfel, Cyril (2014) Molecular Cell, Volume 54 (Number 1). pp. 43-55. doi: ISSN 1097-2765.

Macho, A. P., Schwessinger, B., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Brutus, A., Segonzac, C., Roy, S., Kadota, Y., Oh, M. -H., Sklenar, J., Derbyshire, P., Lozano-Duran, R., Malinovsky, F. G., Monaghan, J., Menke, F. L., Huber, S. C., He, S. Y. and Zipfel, C. (2014) Science, Volume 343 (Number 6178). pp. 1509-1512. doi: ISSN 0036-8075.

Piquerez, Sophie J., Balmuth, Alexi L., Sklen谩艡, Jan, Jones, Alexandra M., Rathjen, John P. and Ntoukakis, Vardis (2014) Journal of Visualized Experiments (Number 84). doi: ISSN 1940-087X.

Jones, Alexandra M., Monaghan, Jacqueline and Ntoukakis, Vardis (2013) Frontiers in Plant Science, Volume 4 . doi: ISSN 1664-462X.

Ntoukakis, Vardis, Balmuth, Alexi L., Mucyn, Tatiana S., Gutierrez, Jose R., Jones, Alexandra M. and Rathjen, John P. (2013) PLoS Pathogens, Vol.9 (No.1). Article no. e1003123. doi: ISSN 1553-7374.

Ntoukakis, Vardis, Schwessinger, B., Segonzac, C. and Zipfel, C. (2011) The Plant Cell, Vol. 23 (No. 11). pp. 3871-3878. doi: ISSN 1040-4651.

Guttman, David S., Schwessinger, Benjamin, Roux, Milena, Kadota, Yasuhiro, Ntoukakis, Vardis, Sklenar, Jan, Jones, Alexandra M. and Zipfel, Cyril (2011) PLoS Genetics, Vol. 7 (No. 4). e1002046. doi: ISSN 1553-7404.

Gutierrez, Jose R., Balmuth, Alexi L., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Mucyn, Tatiana S., Gimenez-Ibanez, Selena, Jones, Alexandra M. and Rathjen, John P. (2010) The Plant Journal, Vol. 61 (No. 3). pp. 507-518. doi: ISSN 09607412.

Ntoukakis, Vardis, Mucyn, T. S., Gimenez-Ibanez, S., Chapman, H. C., Gutierrez, J. R., Balmuth, Alexi L., Jones, Alexandra M. and Rathjen, J. P. (2009) Science, Volume 324 (Number 5928). pp. 784-787. doi: ISSN 0036-8075.

Gimenez-Ibanez, Selena, Hann, Dagmar R., Ntoukakis, Vardis, Petutschnig, Elena, Lipka, Volker and Rathjen, John P. (2009) Current Biology, Vol. 19 (No. 5). pp. 423-429. doi: ISSN 09609822.

Gimenez-Ibanez, Selena, Ntoukakis, Vardis and Rathjen, John P. (2009) Plant Signaling & Behavior, Vol. 4 (No. 6). pp. 539-541. doi: ISSN 1559-2316.

Research Projects

Title	Funder	Award start	Award end
A broadly accessible and versatile spinning disc microscope to probe biological processes across temporal and spatial scales (BBSRC Alert 2025)	BBSRC	01 August 2025	31 July 2026
Nucleoside counter-decoys; metabolic interference in plant defence	BBSRC	02 January 2022	31 March 2026
Xanthomonas plant diseases: mitigating existing, emerging and future threats to UK agriculture	BBSRC	01 October 2020	31 July 2024
Improvement of multiple agronomic traits by impediment of a histone acetyltransferase - extension and supplement (COVID-19) to Research Fellows Enhancement Award 2017 56308 current end date 2 Sept 2022	Royal Society	02 September 2022	31 March 2023
Phospho-proteomic Analysis of Microbe-Associated Molecular Patterns (MAMPs) Signalling in Plant Immunity - A small MLSRF grant	Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund	01 May 2021	30 April 2022
WISB extension Oct 21 - March 22	BBSRC	01 October 2021	31 March 2022
Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB) extension - related to 46082	BBSRC	01 April 2020	31 March 2022
Engineering synthetic 14-3-3 proteins to achieve broad-spectrum disease resistance in plants Royal Society Newton Advanced Fellowship Alberto Macho	Royal Society	30 December 2018	29 December 2021
Role of chromatin remodelling in Plant-Microbe interactions (Covid-19 Supplement to URF UF160546 costed under 55719 and renewal 52643)	Royal Society	01 October 2020	30 September 2021
Ion mobility mass spectrometer for proteomics facility. ALERT19	BBSRC	01 July 2020	30 June 2021
Research Fellows Enhancement Award 2017 - Improvement of multiple agronomic traits by impediment of a histone acetyltransferase	Royal Society	01 December 2017	31 March 2021
University Research Fellowship 2017 Renewal - Role of chromatin remodelling in Plant-Microbe interactions	Royal Society	01 October 2017	30 September 2020
Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB)	BBSRC	14 November 2014	31 May 2020
Enhancing food security in Ethiopia by breeding enset plants resistant to Xanthomonas Wilt	Royal Society	04 December 2017	31 July 2019
Royal Society Fellowship - Role of chromatin in plant microbe interactions	Royal Society	01 October 2012	30 September 2017
Royal Society Research Fellowship: Role of chromatin remodelling in plant microbe interactions	Royal Society	01 October 2012	30 September 2017
Vacation Studentship for Breagha Magill - The role of truncated R proteins in plant-pathogen interactions	British Society for Plant Pathology	19 June 2017	18 August 2017
Molecular mechanism regulating MAPKs activation within resistance complexes	BBSRC	01 July 2014	30 June 2017
Regulation of polar growth in plant roots: the interplay of signalling and vesicle trafficking	Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund	01 August 2015	31 July 2016
Study of defense mechanisms in Arachis hypogea against its major pests; British Council: Newton Bhabha PhD Placement Programme award - Pratyusha Sambangi	British Council	01 April 2015	29 February 2016
Developing interdisciplinary omics tools for organelle and cell type-specific analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana	New Phytologist Trust	01 September 2014	30 September 2014

Teaching / Student Supervision