J. William (Will) Allwood

LC-MS and GC-MS technologist and senior research scientist
Environmental and Biochemical Sciences
T: +44 (0)344 928 5428 (*)
For over 19 years Will has made major contributions in the field of metabolomics and metabolite profiling. He is interested in the study and development of chromatography - linked - mass spectrometry (LC and GC) for a range of applications in the fields of plant-physiology, pathology and insect interactions, as well as natural product discovery. Will was a core researcher within the two teams who were first recognised for applying metabolomics approaches to the study of plant disease and insect interactions. Will has previously run and provided metabolic profiling services within the Universities of Manchester and Birmingham across many plant science, microbiological and clinical, studies.  Will is currently responsible for the LC-MS and GC-MS metabolomics services at James Hutton Institute – Dundee, where he serves as both an analytical technologist and a research scientist. Will collaborates within a large international network (e.g. Max Plank Institute for molecular plant physiology – Golm, Plant Research International - Wageningen University, and INRAe Bordeaux), he has a strong track record of producing high impact publication outputs (H index 35, i10 index 71 (23/04/24)).  Dr Allwood currently serves as the chair of the Scottish Metabolomics Network as well as being a member of the Springer Metabolomics journal editorial board. Measures of esteem:
    • The Scottish Metabolomics Network (chair 2019-2023; outgoing chair 2024-2025)
    • The Scottish Metabolomics Network (Board Member 2017-present)
    • Springer Metabolomics journal (Editorial Board Member 2011-present)
    • Springer Metabolomics journal (Guest editor for themed collection on Food and nutrition, 2017-2018)
    • MDPI Metabolites (Section editor, Plant metabolomics: 2020-2022)
    • Local organiser for the International Metabolomics Society conference, Manchester 2007.
    • Local organiser for The Metabolic Profiling Forum – MetaboMeeting, International Conference, Manchester 2012.
    • Local organiser for The Scottish Metabolomics Network – annual meeting, Dundee, 1-2nd November 2018.
    • Reviewer for the following SCI journals: Analytical Chemistry, Journal of Proteome Research, Journal of Natural Products, Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, Analytical Biochemistry, Analyst, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Journal of Chromatography A, Journal of Chromatography B, Metabolomics, Metabolites, Frontiers in metabolomics, Plant Physiology, Plant Cell, Plant Journal, Journal of Experimental Botany, Phytochemistry, Physiologia Plantarum, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Phytochemical Analysis, Environmental and Experimental Botany, Plant Methods, Frontiers in plant biology.
  • 2020-2023:  Scottish Government.  Endophyte grasses: assessing the risk to Scotland (EndoScot). Total value £117,457 (Co-I)
  • 2020-2021: IN-U-Bar: Improving nitrogen utilisation in barley for the Scottish distilling and brewing industry. Hutton Seedcorn. Total Value £25K (Lead-I)
  • 2016-2021. Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme, Theme 3 – Food, health and Wellbeing, WP 3.1 – Improving Food and Drink Production
  • 2016-2020. H2020: GOODBERRY – Improving the Stability of High-Quality Traits of Berry in Different Environments and Cultivation Systems for the Benefit of European Farmers and Consumers. EU, £3.5M (Co-I)
  • 2018-2019. Feasibility of developing a novel breeding methodology to improve berry flavour. Innovate UK, Co-I. £210.5K (Co-I)
  • 2016-2018. Strategies to reduce waste due to greening in potato tubers. Innovate UK, £237K (Co-I)

Journals

Prior to appointment

Conference papers

Conference posters

  • Allwood, W.; Austin, C.; Wright, S.; Plummer, C.; McDougall, G. (2022) Characterisation of phlorotannins and other phenolic components from brown seaweeds, International Conference on Polyphenols and Health, 20-23 April 2022, London
  • Allwood, J.W.; Woznicki, T.L.; Xu, Y.; Foito, A.; Aaby, K.; Sungurtas, J.; Freitag, S.; Goodacre, R.; Stewart, D.; Remberg, S.F.; Heide, O.M.; Sønsteby, A. (2020) Application of HPLC-PDA-MS metabolite profiling to investigate the effect of growth temperature and day length on blackcurrant fruit., RFMF-MPF MetaboMeeting 2020, University of Toulouse, 22-24 January 2020. Poster.
  • McDougall, G.J.; Allwood, J.W.; Dobson, G.; Stewart, D.; Crozier, A.; Gill, C.I.R. (2018) Novel bioactive triterpenoids in Rubus: Variation due to tissue, extraction and genotype., 2nd International Conference on Food Bioactives and Health, Lisbon, Portugal, 26-28 September 2018. (Poster)
  • Allwood, J.W.; Xu, Y.; Palau, R.; Shepherd, T.; Howarth, C.; Martinez Martin, P.; Marshall, A.; Clarke, S.; Goodacre, R.; Stewart, D. (2017) Application of metabolomics approaches to study the effect of nitrogen elevation on winter oat metabolite composition and quality traits., Scottish Metabolomics Network 3rd Annual Symposium, City of Glasgow College, Glasgow, 2-3 November 2017. Poster 6.
  • Austin, C.; Stewart, D.; Allwood, J.W.; McDougall, G.J. (2017) Edible seaweeds inhibit pancreatic lipase in vitro., International Conference on Natural Product Biotechnology, AECC, Aberdeen, 25-26 September 2017. Book of Abstracts, p24. (Poster)
  • Dobson, G.; Shepherd, T.; Allwood, W.; Palau, R.; McRae, D.; Pont, S.; Sungurtas, J.; Alexander, C.; Verrall, S.; Stewart, D.; Shepherd, L. (2017) Comparison of rapeseed grown sustainably and conventionally. A comparison of the quality of oil and meal from winter oilseed rape grown under sustainable and conventional practices., International Conference on Natural Product Biotechnology, AECC, Aberdeen, 25-26 September 2017.
  • Munir, H.; Benjamin, A.; Allwood, J.W.; Dunn, W.B.; He, S.; Nash, G.B.; McGettrick, H.M. (2016) A1.18 Mesenchymal stem cells lose their immuno-protective effects upon changes in their local microenvironment., 36th European Workshop for Rheumatology Research, York, UK, 25-27 February 2016. Special Issue of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 75, A8.
  • Mackie, F.L.; Dunn, W.B.; Allwood, J.W.; Van Mieghem, T.; Morris, R.K.; Fox, C.E.; Kilby, M.D. (2016) OC09.03: Metabolomic changes in amniotic fluid from Twin-twin transfusion syndrome recipient twins in relation to treatment and fetal cardiovascular risk., 26th World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rome, Italy, 25-28 September 2016. Special issue of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 48, 16-17. Oral communication and Abstract OC09.03.