Welcome to the John Innes Centre, an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology. Our mission is to generate knowledge of plants and microbes through innovative research, to train scientists for the future, to apply our knowledge to benefit agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and engage with policy makers and the public.

The John Innes Centre contributes over £170M annually to the UK economy, demonstrating the impact and relevance of the excellent scientific research we undertake, and validating the investment of public funding to support this (2008 data from an independent report by DTZ). An economic impact brochure highlights the key achievements of the institute during the 100 years of its existence, the impact of its science and how it has been of benefit to society.

News from JIC

	First plants caused ice ages February 2012 Research rooted in Norwich science has revealed how the arrival of the first plants 470 million years ago triggered a series of ice ages. Scientists set out to identify the effects that the first land plants had on the climate during the Ordovician Period, which ended 444 million years ago. During this period the climate gradually cooled, leading to a series of ‘ice ages’. This global cooling was caused by a dramatic reduction in atmospheric carbon which this research suggests was triggered by the arrival of plants.
	Adapting wheat for a changing climate January 2012 Dr Simon Griffiths has received over £500,000 of funding from the 7th framework program for research from the European Commission, to investigate ways that wheat can be adapted to cope with climate change. The project, which involves working with plant breeders, will focus on the way wheat times when it flowers, and look at how variations in this could be exploited to produce crops adapted to our climate in the future. This will be vital in ensuring food security in the future.
	Investment in bioscience skills and training to help meet economic and social challenges for the future January 2012 The John Innes Centre is leading a group of research institutes on the Norwich Research Park that are to receive almost £4million of new funding from BBSRC to support the training of the next generation of scientists. The investment will fund 39 PhD students through a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) award, coordinated by the JIC, and involving the University of East Anglia, the Sainsbury Laboratory, the Institute of Food Research and the Genome Analysis Centre.
	Natural Factories January 2012 Plants and microbes produce a wide spectrum of natural products, which give them their huge range of colours, flavours and scents. These chemicals are used to repel pests, diseases or competitors or to attract pollinators, but for humans they represent a potential source of new medicines, flavourings, antimicrobials or other useful compounds. A major area of study at the John Innes Centre is in understanding how and why plants and microbes make these natural products and how to exploit them to help maintain our health, to improve crops plants and to maintain a safe, nutritious food supply.
	Scientists and teachers unite to bring cutting-edge science to Lynn Grove High School January 2012 Lynn Grove High School in Gorleston, Norfolk, has been chosen by The Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science, to receive a Partnership Grant that will enable local scientists to work with teachers from the school to implement an innovative science project. The project offers young people the chance to meet and work with local scientists from JIC and allows them to build and develop their scientific understanding.
	Investment in cereal genomics to breed better varieties December 2011 Two new research projects aim to make an important contribution to global efforts to breed improved cereal crops. The projects hope to shed further light on the genomes of wheat and barley, the two most widely grown cereal crops in the UK. Researchers hope that this will provide breeders with the tools to develop new varieties more quickly and efficiently and so help to provide sustainable and nutritious food for a growing world population.
	Legumes give nitrogen fixing bacteria special access pass December 2011 A 120-year debate on how nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to breach the cell walls of legumes has been settled. A paper published by John Innes Centre scientists reports that plants themselves allow bacteria in.
	Recognition for early career scientist December 2011 Dr Cristobal Uauy of the John Innes Centre has been awarded the “Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award” 2011 for Biology for his work in the research area of wheat genetics. The Bayer Foundation presents the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award to talented young scientists in the early stages of their academic careers.
	New light on medicinal benefits of plants December 2011 Scientists are about to make publicly available all the data they have so far on the genetic blueprint of medicinal plants and what beneficial properties are encoded by the genes identified. The release of the resources follows a $6 million initiative to study how plant genes contribute to producing various chemical compounds, some of which are medicinally important.
	Chocks away as entrepreneurial students launch business December 2011 PhD students Stuart King and Simon Lloyd, who won the UEA Eureka Business Plan competition, have returned from an internship at Hotel Chocolat’s base in St Lucia with a greater perspective on the world of business. They are now developing their business idea, based around protecting crops from disease, with a grant from the Biosciences Knowledge Transfer Network (BKTN) to enable them to head into proof of concept trials.
	Tuberculosis drug target's structure to point to new therapies November 2011 Scientists at the John Innes Centre led by Dr Stephen Bornemann and Dr Dave Lawson have worked out the structure of a class of enzyme that has been genetically validated as a new drug target in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a pathogenic bacterium which is responsible for 2 million tuberculosis deaths worldwide each year. The scientists have been awarded over £500,000 by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to work out how this enzyme works and is regulated, which will help in the development of new therapies against tuberculosis.
	Structural biology clues to the success of plant diseases November 2011 Dr Mark Banfield and his group, in collaboration with scientists on the Norwich Research Park, have deciphered the structures of protein molecules used by some of the most destructive plant pathogens to promote host infection. In doing so, they uncovered common features of these proteins that may be responsible for making the pathogens so aggressive and adaptable. It’s hoped that these findings could point to new ways of controlling plant diseases that currently threaten global food security.
	Vicky Ford MEP visits Norwich Research Park November 2011 Vicky Ford, Member of the European Parliament for the East of England, visited Norwich Research Park on Friday 18th November to see for herself the latest developments in science and innovation coming from the institutes and companies based on the park.
	Brassica research boosted by transformation resources November 2011 The genetic modification of plants is an invaluable tool used by scientists globally to gain a better understanding of the functions of certain genes in plants. The John Innes Centre has been at the forefront of developing efficient transformation technologies in a variety plant species, and now new funding is to help develop this technology for an important Brassica species.
	Plant scientists to explore genetics to halt spread of crop diseases November 2011 New and more virulent crop diseases are predicted to emerge as a result of climate change. Scientists from the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory are at the front line of fundamental research to understand the impact of temperature on pathogens, plants and how they interact. They will mine genetic diversity in crop relatives for new sources of disease resistance.
	Genome sequence sheds new light on how plants evolved nitrogen-fixing symbioses November 2011 The genome of Medicago, a close relative of alfalfa and a long-established model for the study of legume biology, has been sequenced by an international team of scientists, capturing around 94 per cent of its genes. The research gives new insights into the evolution of the Papilionoid subfamily of legumes, which includes peas, soybean and all legumes grown as crops.
	May 18, 2012, will be the First International "Fascination of Plants Day" November 2011 The UK’s plant lovers will be in for a treat next year when the first ever “Fascination of Plants” day takes place. Organisations such as Kew Gardens, the Natural History Museum, The Eden Project, The British Science Association, universities, botanic gardens and plant research labs will open their doors to highlight the amazing world of plants, and the vital roles they play in our lives.
	How parasites modify plants to attract insects November 2011 Scientists from the John Innes Centre on Norwich Research Park have identified for the first time a specific molecule from a parasite that manipulates plant development to the advantage of the insect host.
	Applications open for the Undergraduate Summer Programme October 2011 Applications are now open for the International Undergraduate Summer Research Training Programme. The 8 week programme provides UK and non-UK students with the unique opportunity to spend the summer of 2012 on the Norwich campus, gaining invaluable experience working with world-leading plant and microbial scientists.

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