This issue explores some of the fabulous breakthroughs in pea research, including the semi-leafless and the super-sweet pea, and the identification of the first of Mendel’s genes and rediscover the work of pioneering female scientists who forged careers in genetics research

One type of wrinkled pea currently under scientific scrutiny contains a high amount of so-called ‘resistant’ starch

Gregor Mendel, the founding father of genetics, used pea plants for his experiments which set out the universal rules of heredity, the means by which organisms pass on traits to their offspring

A round-up of recent plant and microbial research from the John Innes Centre

This everyday plant is part of the history of research at the John Innes Centre

Genetic research offered a route into science for women, thanks to William Bateson

Pea is Europe’s foremost legume crop. Professor Claire Domoney, discusses the past, present and future of pea genetic research

All plants require nitrogen to make proteins. Most get it from the soil in the form of compounds such as ammonium and nitrates. As we grow higher-yielding crops, they demand more and more nitrogen

Nick Saltmarsh is on a mission to revive peas, the forgotten pulse of the British Isles

Genetics is a thread that runs through modern research at the John Innes Centre. We explore how genetics became fundamental to our research by looking back at some key points in our history

We caught up with Rosanne Maguire, who joined the John Innes Centre as a MSc student working with Professor Claire Domoney on the genetic diversity of the ‘stay-green’ gene.