Dr Eleanor Gilroy

Commercialisation and Licensing Manager
James Hutton Ltd
E: eleanor.gilroy@huttonltd.com
T: +44 (0)1382568827
  • BSc Genetics (Hons) (1997-2001) Edinburgh University
  • PhD Molecular Plant Pathology (2001-2005) Edinburgh University/SCRI
  • Researcher specializing in plant immune responses to Phytophthora diseases affecting potato and raspberries (2005- 2024) SCRI/James Hutton Institute
  • Published 32 papers (with 6 in preparation)
  • Google Scholar h-index=31
  • Commercialisation and Licensing Manager in James Hutton Limited the trade mark name for James Hutton Institute Scientific Services (2024- present)

Biography

I studied Genetics at the University of Edinburgh from 1997 to 2001, where I developed a passion for plant immunity and the ongoing arms race between plants and pathogens thanks to Prof Gary Loake. My PhD research focused on the functional genetics of plant immunity, specifically investigating candidate genes in both potato and the model plant Arabidopsis (Prof Gary Loake/ Dr Christophe Lacomme/Prof Paul Birch).

For nearly 20 years, I worked as a Molecular Plant Pathologist, specializing in plant immune responses to Phytophthora diseases affecting potato and raspberries. My research contributed to a deeper understanding of plant-pathogen interactions and helped advance disease management strategies.

I started my current role as Commercialisation and Licensing Manager in 2024. I oversee a diverse portfolio of plant propagation licenses and royalties. I manage the writing, negotiation, and renewal of agreements with both commercial and academic partners. Additionally, I support our experienced teams of potato and soft fruit breeders with various types of interactions with industry, helping them develop innovative plant varieties that are tailored to meet the evolving needs of the agricultural industry. 

My passion is to make the world a better place through promoting the importance of excellent plant science research and communicating the importance of developing new, environmentally resilient plant varieties and safe disease management strategies.

Please contact me if you have any queries regarding licences, royalties, agreements or concerning existing or potential breeding programmes, projects and related research.

Publications

Journals

Books / chapters

  • Feechan, A.; Turnbull, D.; Stevens, L.J.; Engelhardt, S.; Birch, P.R.J.; Hein, I.; Gilroy, E.M. (2015) The hypersensitive response in PAMP- and effector-triggered immune responses., In: Gunawardena, A. & McCabe, P. (eds.). Plant Programmed Cell Death. Springer, New York, Chapter 10, pp235-258.
  • Toth, I.K.; Moleleki, L.N.; Pritchard, L.; Liu, H.; Humphris, S.N.; Hyman, L.; Axelsen, G.W.; Brurberg, M.B.; Ravensdale, M.; Gilroy, E.M.; Birch, P.R.J. (2006) Erwiniae: genomics and the secret life of a plant pathogen., In: Bailey, M.J., Lilley, A.K., Timms-Wilson, T.M. & Spencer-Phillips, P.T.N. (eds.). Microbial Ecology of Aerial Plant Surfaces. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, pp191-201.

Technical / contract reports

  • Hrubikova, K.; Gilroy, E.M.; Faivre-Rampant, O.; Loake, G.; Birch, P.R.J.; Taylor, M.A.; Lacomme, C. (2003) Viral induced gene silencing in crop species., Annual Report of the Scottish Crop Research Institute for 2002/2003, pp98-99.

Conference papers

  • Chen, X.; Bayer, M.; Harrower, B.; Stevens, L.; Chapman, S.; Gilroy, E.; van Weymers, P.; Jupe, F.; Witek, K.; Jones, J.; Birch, P.; Bryan, G.; Hein, I. (2014) Using the potato genome to map and clone durable resistance genes more rapidly., Crop Protection in Northern Britain, Environmental Management and Crop Protection, West Park Conference Centre, Dundee, 25-26 February 2014.
  • Turnbull, D.; Breen, S.A.; Naqvi, S.; Armstrong, M.R.; Engelhardt, S.; Brunner, F.; Birch, P.R.J.; Gilroy, E.M. (2014) Phytophthora infestans effector PiAVR2 targets StBSL1 to activate the Brassinosteriod pathway., XVI International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 2014, Rhodes, Greece, 6-10 July 2014.
  • Turnbull, D.; Breen, S.A.; Naqvi, S.; Yang, L.; Murphy, F.S.; Armstrong, M.R.; Engelhardt, S.; Welsh, L.; Hein, I.; Zhan, J.; Birch, P.R.J.; Gilroy, E.M. (2014) Pumped up on (brassino) steroids: multiple Phytophthora infestans effectors manipulate the Brassinosteroid pathway in potato., FESPB/EPSO 2014 Congress, The Convention Centre, Dublin, 22-26 June 2014.
  • Whisson, S.C.; Gilroy, E.M.; Avrova, A.O.; Tian, Z.D.; Breen, S.; Armstrong MR.; Squires, J.; Vieeshouwers, V.; McLellan, H.; Seman, Z.; Kandel, K.; Boevink, P.C.; Pritchard, L.; Hein, I.; Cooke, D.E.L.; Birch, P.R.J.; (2011) Phytophthora infestans effectors in late blight disease development and exploitation for disease control., 18th Triennial Conference of the European Association for Potato Research, Oulu, Finland, 24-29 July 2011.
  • Toth, I.K.; Birch, P.R.J.; Pritchard, L.; Liu, H.; Hedley, P.E.; Humphris, S.; Douglas, E.; Gilroy, E.M.; Moleleki, L.N.; Ravensdale, M.; Hardy, D.; Mayer, C.; Husmeier, D.; Lin, K. (2010) From bully to master tactician: a genomics approach reveals unexpected traits in the life of the bacterial plant pathogen Pectobacterium., IFR Seminar Series. Institute of Food Research, 4 March 2010.
  • Toth, I.K.; Birch, P.R.J.; Pritchard, L.; Humphris, S.N.; Douglas, E.; Gilroy, E.M.; Morris, J.; Hedley, P.E. (2010) Using genomics approaches to investigate the life of the bacterial potato pathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum., COST 872 Nemagenics. Exploiting genomics to understand plant-nematode interactions, 4th Annual Meeting. Lisbon, Portugal, 24-27 May 2010.
  • Jantsch, C.; Chen, Y.; Gilroy, E.M.; Birch, P.R.J.; Brunner, F. (2010) Identification of Phytophthora infestans RXLR-(EER) effectors suppressing PAMP-triggered immunity., Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network Congress, Toulouse, France, 6-8 June 2010.
  • McLellan, H.; Tian, Z.D.; Avrova, A.O.; Gilroy, E.M.; Pritchard, L.; Whisson, S.C.; Birch, P.R.J. (2010) Identification of RXLR effectors essential for virulence in Phytophthora infestans., Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network Congress, Toulouse, France, 6-8 June 2010.
  • Breen, S.; Gilroy, E.M.; Armstrong, M.R.; Morales, J.G.; Hein, I.; Douglas, E.; Boevink, P.; McLellan, H.; Randall, E.; Tian, Z.D.; Avrova, A.O.; Pritchard, L.; Lokossou, A.A.; Govers, F.; van der Vossen, E.A.G.; Vleeshouwers, V.G.A.A.; Brunner, F.; Whisson, S.C.; Birch, P.R.J. (2010) Avr2, an RXLR effector from Phytophthora infestans., Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network Congress, Toulouse, France, 6-8 June 2010.
  • Armstrong, M.R.; Boevink, P.; Bukharova, T.; McLellan, H.; Ramos, M.; Gilroy, E.M.; Pritchard, L.; Whisson, S.C.; Beynon, J.; Birch, P.R.J. (2010) Identifying candidate host ‘targets’ of Phytophthora infestans translocated RXLR proteins., Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network Congress, Toulouse, France, 6-8 June 2010.
  • Engelhardt, S.; Armstrong, M.R.; Boevink, P.; Ramos, M.; Gilroy, E.M.; Birch, P.R.J. (2010) R3a-mediated recognition of AVR3a: Cell biological and biochemical characterisation., Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network Congress, Toulouse, France, 6-8 June 2010.
  • Gilroy, E.M.; Hein, I.; McLellan, H.; Breen, S.; Engelhardt, S.; Tian, Z.D.; Seman, Z.A.; Pritchard, L.; Armstrong, M.R.; Randall, E.; Avrova, A.O.; Cooke, D.E.L.; Lees, A.K.; Vleeshouwers, V.G.A.A.; van West, P.; Whisson, S.C.; Birch, P.R.J. (2010) Using knowledge of RXLR effectors to seek durable resistance., Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network Congress, Toulouse, France, 6-8 June 2010.
  • Gilroy, E.M.; Breen, S.; Hein, I.; Tian, Z.D.; Armstrong, M.R.; Douglas, E.; Lokossou, A.A.; Boevink, P.; McLellan, H.; Randall, E.; Morales, J.G.; Avrova, A.O.; Pritchard, L.; van der Vossen, E.A.G.; Whisson, S.C.; Birch, P.R.J. (2009) Amino acid polymorphisms upstream of the RXLR motif in Phytophthora infestans effector Avr2 condition R gene recognition., The Fungal Cell, British Mycological Society Meeting, Westpark Conference Centre, Dundee, 1-4 September 2009.
  • Gilroy, E.M.; Armstrong, M.R.; Bos, J.; Taylor, R.; Morales, J.; Hein, I.; Douglas, E.; Boevink, P.; Avrova, A.O.; Breen, S.; van West, P.; Pritchard, L.; Whisson, S.C.; Sadanandom, A.; Kamoun, S.; Birch, P.R.J. (2009) Functional analysis of Phytophthora infestans RXLR effectors Avr2 and Avr3a., Fungal Genetics Conference, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California, USA, 17-22 March 2009.
  • Wawra, S.; Phillips, A.J.; Minor, K.; Grouffaud, S.; Bain, J.; Gilroy, E.M.; Robertson, E.J.; Anderson, V.L.; Bruce, C.R.; Grenville-Briggs, L.J.; Homer, N.R.; Whisson, S.C.; Birch, P.R.J.; Porter, A.J.; Secombes, C.J.; van West, P. (2009) Unravelling the mechanism of RXLR mediated translocation of oomycete effector proteins., Fungal Genetics Conference. Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California, USA, 17-22 March 2009.
  • Hein, I.; Gilroy, E.M.; Whisson, S.C.; Pritchard, L.; Bryan, G.J.; Birch, P.R.J. (2009) Exploiting the Phytophthora infestans genome to determine targets for sustainable potato protection., XIV MPMI Conference, Montreal, Canada, 19-23 July 2009.
  • Birch, P.R.J.; Armstrong, M.R.; Gilroy, E.M.; Bos, J.; Taylor, R.M.; Morales, J.G.; Hein, I.; Douglas, E.; Boevink, P.; Breen, S.; Pritchard, L.; Whisson, S.C.; Sadanandom, A.; Kamoun, S. (2009) Localisation and function of Phytophthora infestans RXLR effectors and their host targets., XIV MPMI Conference, Montreal, Canada, 19-23 July 2009.
  • Boevink, P.; Ramos, M.; Armstrong, M.R.; Allen, R.; Gilroy, E.M.; Donovan, S.; Rehmany, A.; Beynon, J.; Birch, P.R.J. (2009) Evolutionarily distinct RXLR effectors from distantly related oomycetes target the plant exocyst., 14th International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Quebec, Canada, 19-23 July 2009.
  • Toth, I.K.; Birch, P.R.J.; Pritchard, L.; Moleleki, L.N.; Ravensdale, M.; Robert, C.; Liu, H.; Humphris, S.N.; Hedley, P.E.; Gilroy, E.M. (2008) What will a genome sequence do for fire blight research? Pectobacterium atrosepticum and potato – a case study., 11th International Workshop on Fire Blight, Portland, Oregon, 12-17 August 2007.
  • McLellan, H.; Gilroy, E.M.; Hein, I.; Boevink, P.; Birch, P.R.J.; Loake, G. (2007) The roles of cathespin B-like proteases in plant disease resistance., XIII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Sorrento, Italy, 22-26 July 2007.
  • Whisson, S.C.; Boevink, P.; Moleleki, L.N.; Avrova, A.O.; Morales, J.G.; Gilroy, E.M.; Armstrong, M.R.; Toth, I.K.; Pritchard, L.; Birch, P.R.J. (2007) A translocation signal for delivery of oomycete effector proteins into host plant cells., XIII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Sorrento, Italy, 22-26 July 2007.
  • Armstrong, M.R.; Gilroy, E.M.; Birch, P.R.J. (2006) Gene signalling in the Phytophthora infestans-potato interaction., Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network, Wageningen, 4-7 May 2006.
  • Gilroy, E.M.; Venter, E.; McLellan, H.; Hein, I.; Hrubikova, K.; Holeva, M.C.; Boevink, P.; Loake, G.J.; Lacomme, C.; Birch, P.R.J. (2006) Inducible disease resistance involves an apoplastic cysteine protease Cathepsin B., Proceedings of IOBC/wprs Joint Working Group Meeting: Breeding for Inducible Resistance against Pests and Diseases, Heraklion, Crete, 27-29 April 2006.
  • Toth, I.K.; Hyman, L.J.; Moleleki, L.N.; Ravensdale, M.; Robert, C.; Liu, H.; Humphris, S.N.; Hedley, P.E.; Gilroy, E.M.; Pritchard, L.; Birch, P.R.J. (2006) What has genomics ever done for us? A study of Erwinia and blackleg disease., Proceedings of Crop Protection in Northern Britain, Dundee, 28 February – 1 March 2006, 239-242.
  • Venter, E.; Gilroy, E.M.; Avrova, A.O.; Kamoun, S.; Whisson, S.C.; Birch, P.R.J. (2004) Functional screening of Phytophthora infestans protease inhibitors in potato., Molecular Biology of Fungal Pathogens XV, University of Wales, 13 (Talk).
  • Rokka, V.; Avrova, A.O.; Hein, I.; Gilroy, E.M.; Cardle, L.; Birch, P.R.J. (2002) Unravelling signalling processes in the potato R gene resistance response to Phytophthora infestans., GILB GILB’02 conference – Late Blight: Managing the Global Threat, Hamburg, Germany, 11-13 July 2002, 152.

Conference posters / abstracts

  • Hein, I.; Gilroy, E.; Hornyik, C.; Bryan, G.; Milne, I.; Toth, I.K.; Ducreux, L.; Torrance, L.; Milne, L.; Cock, P.; Pritchard, L.; Sharma, K.; MacFarlane, S.; Zhang, R.; Hedley, P.; Jones, J.; Birch, P.; Taylor, M.; Dale, F.; McNaughton, I.; Wright, J.; Prashar, A.; Blok, V.; Carnegie, P.; Chapman, S. (2013) Utilising the potato genome., Potatoes in Practice 2013, Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie, Dundee, 8 August 2013.
  • Birch, P.R.J.; Boevink, P.C.; Gilroy, E.M.; Hein, I.; Pritchard, L.; Whisson, S.C. (2012) Effectors from the potato late blight pathogen: their roles in suppressing or triggering the plant immune system., EPS Autumn-school, Wageningen, 6 March 2012.
  • Birch, P.R.J.; Boevink, P.C.; Gilroy, E.M.; Hein, I.; Pritchard, L.; Randall, E.; Whisson, S.C. (2011) Effectors from the potato late blight pathogen: their roles in suppressing or triggering the plant immune system., British Mycological Society Meeting, Exeter, September 2011.
  • Boevink, P.; Bukharova, T.; McLellan, H.; Armstrong, M.R.; Gilroy, E.M.; Birch, P.R.J. (2010) Imaging plant-pathogen interactions: Phytophthora infestans RXLR effector localisation in planta., 9th International Mycological Congress,The Biology of Fungi, Edinburgh, 1-6 August 2010 (Poster).
  • Hein, I.; Whisson, S.C.; Armstrong, M.; Gilroy, E.M.; Avrova, A.O.; Tian, Z.; Chapman, S.N.; Birch, P.R.J.; Bryan, G.J. (2010) Identifying key Phytophthora infestans effectors as targets for more durable late blight resistance., 7th Solanaceae Conference 2010, Dundee, 5-9 September 2010, 155 (Poster).
  • Gilroy, E.M.; Breen, S.; Morales, J.G.; Lokossou, A.A.; Ramos, B.; Armstrong, M.R.; Hein, I.; Boevink, P.; Pritchard, L.; van der Vossen, E.A.G.; Vleeshouwers, V.G.A.A.; Whisson, S.C.; Birch, P.R.J. (2009) Cloning and functional analysis of Phytophthora infestans RXLR effector, Avr2., 22nd New Phytologist Symposium on Effectors in Plant-Microbe Interactions, INRA Versailles Research Centre, Paris, France, 13-16 September 2009 (Poster).
  • Blok, V.C.; Phillips, M.S.; Booth, A.; Smith, A.; Holt, A.; Gilroy, E.M.; Jones, J.T. (2007) Chorismate mutases of Globodera pallida: genetic and functional characterisation., XIII International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Sorrento, Italy, 22-26 July 2007 (Abstract).
  • Lacomme, C.; Faivre-Rampant, O.; Gilroy, E.M.; Valentine, T.A.; Shaw, J.; Hrubikova, K.; Blok, V.C.; Hein, I.; Haupt, S.; Loake, G.; Birch, P.R.J.; Taylor, M.A.; Oparka, K.J. (2004) Virus-induced gene silencing vector development for functional studies in Solanaceae., 1st Solanaceae Genome Workshop. Wageningen, The Netherlands, 19-21 September 2004 (Abstract).