Excellence in plant and microbial science
The gene FLC has long been studied as an important component in controlling when plants flower. Now an international study led by the John Innes Centre and collaborators in Sweden has uncovered evidence on how this floral suppressor allows plants to adapt to different winter climates around the world
Read the story
New UK Crop Microbiome Cryobank to safeguard future research and facilitate sustainable production of UK’s six major food crops
Read about for when the chips are down – preserving uk soil microbial biodiversity for sustainable agriculture
Cell polarity can arise within cells and likely orients their growth. Signalling between cells may then coordinate polarity, aligning the heads and tails of different cells in a tissue, guiding how they grow collectively and develop into a plant
Read about taking sides – internal and external factors that influence patterns in protein distribution
Genes which confer resistance to the deadly fungal disease stem rust have been successfully transferred from wheat into barley
Read about cloned stem rust resistance genes offer glimpse of future crop protection
Researchers have shed fresh light on the evolution and function of the shapes we see in nature - using as a model the heart shaped fruits of the Capsella genus
Read about research gets to the heart of organ shape in nature
Spanning eight research institutes and universities and aiming to develop new wheat germplasm containing the next generation of key traits
Read about designing future wheat
Developing a wider and deeper understanding of how the environment influences plant growth and development
Read about genes in the environment
Investigating the vast diversity of chemicals produced by plants and microbes
Read about molecules from nature
Understanding the molecular dialogue between plants and microbes, establishing how they communicate with each other and how they have evolved in relation to one another
Read about plant health
Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet (HP³) is our vision for achieving a safer, healthier and more sustainable future through the power of plant and microbial science
Read about ‘Healthy Plants - Healthy People - Healthy Planet’
PhD student Kathy Stratton, works with Dr Susan Schlimpert on understanding Streptomyces venezualae and specifically how cell division in Streptomyces is controlled in response to DNA damage. We asked Kathy, what are microbes, why are they interesting and where do you find them?
Read about ‘What are microbes and where are they found?’