The John Innes Centre receives strategic funding from BBSRC
The John Innes Centre receives strategic funding from BBSRC
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The aster leafhopper (Macrosteles quadrilineatus). News Releases
Boost for research to reduce pesticide useJune 2007 The John Innes Centre (JIC) in Norwich is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Saskia Hogenhout, an expert in insect-borne microorganisms that cause disease in plants. These tiny parasitic bacteria, called phytoplasmas, live in the sap of plants and are spread by insects such as leafhoppers. Phytoplasmas cause a wide variety of diseases in economically important crops, the full range of which is still not fully known. Dr Hogenhout’s research will look at the complex interactions between parasites, insects and plants. To survive, the phytoplasma must overcome the natural resistance of both plants and insects. The phytoplasma does not simply hide from the hosts’ immune system; it is able to manipulate both plants and insects to its own advantage. Resistance to insect attack is an important area of research, as pressure to reduce the use of harmful pesticides means that finding other ways of boosting a crop’s resistance to pests is of great economic and environmental importance. Saskia has joined the JIC from The Ohio State University in the US where she has been an Assistant and Associate Professor for the past 8 years. Her work spans the fields of genetics, biochemistry, genomics, and microscopy and will make use of the JIC’s Insectary facilities. She says: “The JIC has an outstanding reputation in plant research worldwide providing an excellent environment for integrative molecular studies on plants, microbes and insects. My aim is to strengthen the JIC research portfolio with regards to the topics of insects and insect-transmitted microbes.” http://www.jic.ac.uk/staff/saskia-hogenhout/default.htm
Notes for editors The John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK is an independent, world-leading research centre in plant and microbial sciences with over 800 staff. JIC is based on Norwich Research Park and carries out high quality fundamental, strategic and applied research to understand how plants and microbes work at the molecular, cellular and genetic levels. The JIC also trains scientists and students, collaborates with many other research laboratories and communicates its science to end-users and the general public. The JIC is grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. http://www.jic.ac.uk/
Contacts Zoe Dunford, Media Manager John Innes Centre Tel +44 (0)1603 255111 Mobile +44 (0)7768 164185 Email zoe.dunford@jic.ac.uk
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