| Email: | david.burritt@otago.ac.nz |
| Telephone: | +64 3 479 9057 |
Fields of Research
- Oxidative stress and redox biology
- Plant based foods and bioactive molecules
- Plant breeding and biotechnology
- Cryopreservation of germplasm
- The stress biology of plants, animals and algae, including the impacts of pollution and climate change
Researcher Summary
My research is focused on answering fundamental questions associated with how organisms survive under environmental stress and when exposed to toxins and other pollutants, both increasing global problems.
Much of my research has applications in the biotechnology, crop, food and biomedical industries.
Selected Research Overviews
Plant and seaweed bioactives
Plants and seaweeds (macroalgae) contain a wide range of bioactive molecules of potential valuable to the food, wine and pharmaceutical industries.
We are investigating effective ways of extracting these molecules and the ability of bioactive molecules to improve the quality of foods and wine, and to protect human cells from stress-induced damage.
Plant tissue culture and cryopreservation of plant and animal cells
Plant tissue culture involves a wide range of techniques used to grow plant cells, tissues or organs on a nutrient culture medium under sterile conditions.
We investigate and develop tissue culture techniques that can be used to efficiently clone commercially important plants and to store valuable germplasm at ultra-low temperatures, using a technique called cryopreservation.
Oxidative stress biology
While oxygen is important for life is can also be harmful. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are small highly reactive molecules formed as a by-product of the normal metabolism of oxygen in cells. However, under conditions of stress, which can be caused by pollutants or adverse environmental conditions, ROS levels can increase past the point that they can be neutralized. Oxidative damage occurs and an organism is said to be under oxidative stress.
We investigate the importance of ROS production and oxidative stress in plants and other organisms exposed to pollutants and a range of other environmental stressors.
Postgraduate students
| Tingting (Lily) Lui | PhD | Food Sci |
| Nusyanna Cham Pi | PhD | Botany |
| Paulo Lagos Jimenez | PhD | Marine Science |
| Mi Tang | PhD | Botany |
| Amirreza Zarekarizi | PhD | Botany |
| Chelsea Kerr | MSc | Botany (PLBI) |
| Madeleine Post | MSc | Botany (PLBI) |
| Cecila Richardson | MSc | Marine Science |
| Yuta Ogawa | MSc | Botany (PLBI) |
| Oscar Yip | MSc | Botany |
| Jessica Fitzgerald | BSc Hons | Botany (PLBI) |
| Joshua Rich | PGDP Sci | Botany (PLBI) |
Research Theme/Centre Involvement
David is involved with the Ag@Otago research theme, and the Otago Global Health Institute.
Teaching
| BIOL123 | Plants: How They Shape the World |
| BTNY201 | Plant Functional Biology and Biotechnology |
| BTNY461 | Plant Physiology and Biotechnology |
| PLBI301 | Applied Plant Science |
| PLBI302 | Plants for the Future |
| PLBI351 | Special Topics |
| PLBI401 | Plant Biotechnology |
Publications
Young, T., Gale, S. L., Ragg, N. L. C., Sander, S. G., Burritt, D. J., Benedict, B., … Alfaro, A. C. (2023). Metabolic regulation of copper toxicity during marine mussel embryogenesis. Metabolites, 13, 838. doi: 10.3390/metabo13070838
Journal - Research Article
Kelly, E. R. M., Trujillo, J. E., Setiawan, A., Pether, S., Burritt, D., & Allan, B. J. M. (2023). Investigating the impacts of biofouled marine plastic debris on the olfactory behaviour of juvenile yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 192, 115079. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115079
Journal - Research Article
Zarekarizi, A., Hoffmann, L., & Burritt, D. J. (2023). The potential of manipulating light in the commercial production of carotenoids from algae. Algal Research, 71, 103047. doi: 10.1016/j.algal.2023.103047
Journal - Research Article
Yi, F., Song, A., Cheng, K., Liu, J., Wang, C., Shao, L., … Burritt, D. J., … Cai, Y. (2023). Strigolactones positively regulate Verticillium wilt resistance in cotton via crosstalk with other hormones. Plant Physiology, 192, 945-966. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad053
Journal - Research Article
Li, L., Li, L., Cui, S., Qian, D., Lyu, S., Liu, W., … Burritt, D. J., … Zhang, Y. (2023). PDC1 is activated by ABF4 and inhibits seed germination by promoting ROS accumulation in Arabidopsis. Environmental & Experimental Botany, 206, 105188. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2022.105188
Journal - Research Article
Hossain, M. A., Kamiya, T., Burritt, D. J., Phan Tran, L.-S., & Fujiwara, T. (Eds.). (2018). Plant micronutrient use efficiency: Molecular and genomic perspectives in crop plants. London, UK: Academic Press, 302p. doi: 10.1016/C2016-0-03180-7
Edited Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Kamiya, T., Burritt, D. J., Tran, L.-S. P., & Fujiwara, T. (Eds.). (2017). Plant macronutrient use efficiency: Molecular and genomic perspectives in crop plants. London, UK: Elsevier, 418p.
Edited Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Mostofa, M. G., Diaz-Vivancos, P., Burritt, D. J., Fujita, M., & Tran, L.-S. P. (Eds.). (2017). Glutathione in plant growth, development, and stress tolerance. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 421p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-66682-2
Edited Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Munné-Bosch, S., Burritt, D. J., Diaz-Vivancos, P., Fujita, M., & Lorence, A. (Eds.). (2017). Ascorbic acid in plant growth, development and stress tolerance. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 511p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-74057-7
Edited Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Wani, S. H., Bhattacharjee, S., Burritt, D. J., & Tran, L.-S. P. (Eds.). (2016). Drought stress tolerance in plants (Vol. 2): Molecular and genetic perspectives. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 604p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-32423-4
Edited Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Wani, S. H., Bhattacharjee, S., Burritt, D. J., & Tran, L.-S. P. (Eds.). (2016). Drought stress tolerance in plants (Vol.1): Physiology and biochemistry. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 526p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-28899-4
Edited Book - Research
Burritt, D. J. (2018). Crop plant adaption to climate change and extreme environments. In G. Smithers (Ed.), Reference module in food science. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22333-0
Chapter in Book - Research
Leong, S. Y., Burritt, D. J., & Oey, I. (2018). Utilising pulsed electric fields processing to modify the characteristics of plant-based foods. In G. Smithers (Ed.), Reference module in food science. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.21347-4
Chapter in Book - Research
Sharmin Hoque, T., Burritt, D. J., & Anwar Hossain, M. (2018). The glyoxalase system: A possible target for production of salinity-tolerant crop plants. In V. Kumar, S. Hussain Wani, P. Suprasanna & L.-S. Phan Tran (Eds.), Salinity responses and tolerance in plants, volume 1: Targeting sensory, transport and signaling mechanisms. (pp. 257-281). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-75671-4_10
Chapter in Book - Research
Gaber, A., Burritt, D. J., & Hossain, M. A. (2017). Transgenic plants over-expressing glutathione biosynthetic genes and abiotic stress tolerance. In M. A. Hossain, M. G. Mostofa, P. Diaz-Vivancos, D. J. Burritt, M. Fujita & L.-S. P. Tran (Eds.), Glutathione in plant growth, development, and stress tolerance. (pp. 397-412). Cham, Switzerland: Springer International.
Chapter in Book - Research
Kumar, V., Shriram, V., Hoque, T. S., Hasan, M. M., Burritt, D. J., & Hossain, M. A. (2017). Glycinebetaine-mediated abiotic oxidative-stress tolerance in plants: Physiological and biochemical mechanisms. In M. Sarwat, A. Ahmad, M. Z. Abdin & M. M. Ibrahim (Eds.), Stress signaling in plants: Genomics and proteomics perspective (Vol. 2). (pp. 111-133). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-42183-4_5
Chapter in Book - Research
Leong, S. Y., Liu, T., Oey, I., & Burritt, D. J. (2017). Ascorbic acid in processed plant-based foods. In M. A. Hossain, S. Munné-Bosch, D. J. Burritt, P. Diaz-Vivancos, M. Fujita & A. Lorence (Eds.), Ascorbic acid in plant growth, development and stress tolerance. (pp. 431-469). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-74057-7_17
Chapter in Book - Research
Burritt, D. J., & Lamare, M. D. (2016). The cellular responses of marine algae and invertebrates to ultraviolet radiation, alone and in combination with other common abiotic stressors. In M. Solan & N. M. Whiteley (Eds.), Stressors in the marine environment. (pp. 117-134). Oxford University Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Hoque, T. S., Hossain, M. A., Mostofa, M. G., Burritt, D. J., & Fujita, M. (2016). Signalling roles of methylglyoxal and the involvement of the glyoxalase system in plant abiotic stress responses and tolerance. In M. M. Azooz & P. Ahmad (Eds.), Plant-environment interaction: Responses and approaches to mitigate stress. (pp. 311-326). Oxford: Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781119081005.ch17
Chapter in Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Bhattacharjee, S., Chakrabarty, A., Burritt, D. J., & Fujita, M. (2016). Hydrogen peroxide mediated salt stress tolerance in plants: Signalling roles and possible mechanisms. In S. H. Wani & M. A. Hossain (Eds.), Managing salt tolerance in plants: Molecular and genomic perspectives. (pp. 207-221). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Burritt, D. J., & Fujita, M. (2016). Cross-stress tolerance in plants: Molecular mechanisms and possible involvement of reactive oxygen species and methylglyoxal detoxification systems, in abiotic stress response in plants. In N. Tuteja & S. Gill (Eds.), Abiotic stress response in plants. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH. doi: 10.1002/9783527694570.ch16
Chapter in Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Burritt, D. J., & Fujita, M. (2016). Proline and glycine betaine modulate cadmium-induced oxidative stress tolerance in plants. In M. M. Azooz & P. Ahmad (Eds.), Plant-environment interaction: Responses and approaches to mitigate stress. (pp. 97-123). Oxford, UK: Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781119081005.ch6
Chapter in Book - Research
Oey, I., Faridnia, F., Leong, S. Y., Burritt, D. J., & Liu, T. (2016). Determination of pulsed electric fields effects on the structure of potato tubers. In D. Miklavcic (Ed.), Handbook of electroporation. Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-26779-1_151-1
Chapter in Book - Research
Uddin, M. N., Hossain, M. A., & Burritt, D. J. (2016). Salinity and drought stress: Similarities and differences in oxidative responses and cellular redox regulation. In P. Ahmad (Ed.), Water stress and crop plants: A sustainable approach (Vol. 1). (pp. 86-101). Oxford, UK: Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781119054450.ch7
Chapter in Book - Research
Hossain, M. A., Hoque, M. A., Burritt, D. J., & Fujita, M. (2014). Proline protects plants against abiotic oxidative stress: Biochemical and molecular mechanisms. In P. Ahmad (Ed.), Oxidative damage to plants: Antioxidant networks and signaling. (pp. 477-522). London, UK: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-799963-0.00016-2
Chapter in Book - Research
Burritt, D. J. (2013). The influence of pre- and postharvest environmental stress on fruit bioactives. In M. Skinner & D. Hunter (Eds.), Bioactives in fruit: Health benefits and functional foods. (2nd ed.) (pp. 409-428). Oxford, UK: Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781118635551.ch18
Chapter in Book - Research
Burritt, D. J. (2012). Proline and the cryopreservation of plant tissues: Functions and practical applications. In I. I. Katkov (Ed.), Current frontiers in cryopreservation. (pp. 415-430). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. doi: 10.5772/36249
Chapter in Book - Research
Thimm, J. C., Melton, L. D., & Burritt, D. J. (2012). Single-molecule force microscopy: A potential tool for the mapping of polysaccharides in plant cell walls. In C. L. Frewin (Ed.), Atomic force microscopy investigations into biology: From cell to protein. (pp. 283-296). Rijeka, Croatia: InTech. doi: 10.5772/37377
Chapter in Book - Research
Lamare, M., Burritt, D., & Lister, K. (2011). Ultraviolet radiation and echinoderms: Past, present and future perspectives. In M. Lesser (Ed.), Advances in marine biology (Vol. 59). (pp. 145-187). Oxford, UK: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-385536-7.00004-2
Chapter in Book - Research
Burritt, D. J. (2008). Gluthione metabolism in bryophytes under abiotic stress. In N. A. Khan, S. Singh & S. Umar (Eds.), Sulfur assimilation and abiotic stress in plants. (pp. 303-316). Berlin, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-76326-0_14
Chapter in Book - Research