Dr Penny Hundleby

Senior Scientist Research Partnerships and HP3 Hub Lead

As the Research Partnerships and HP3 Hub Lead for the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, Penny drives collaborative initiatives in line with our shared vision: “Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet” (HP3).

Her focus is to advance plant and microbial sciences through partnerships with scientists, industry leaders, and policymakers, addressing critical global challenges in sustainability, food security, and public health.

 

Key Focus Areas

Healthy Plants: Innovating resilient crops through advanced breeding and genetic technologies to meet the demands of a changing climate.

Healthy People: Exploring plant and microbial biochemistry to identify and enhance compounds that improve health and nutrition.

Healthy Planet: Promoting sustainable agricultural practices with a focus on plant-soil-microbe interactions to reduce environmental impact.

 

The HP3 Hub and Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI)

As part of the £400M Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI) project, set to open in 2030, the HP3 Hub will serve as a state-of-the-art facility uniting researchers from the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory. This Hub will foster collaboration, support training, and provide a foundation for impactful partnerships across the UK and global bioscience communities.

Focus Areas of the Hub:

  1. Ecosystems and Knowledge Exchange: Cultivating a collaborative ecosystem that encourages knowledge-sharing and innovation.
  2. People, Skills, and Training: Investing in training and development to nurture skilled researchers, leaders, and agri-tech professionals.
  3. Facilities, Resources, and Services: Providing cutting-edge resources to support transformational research and scientific discovery.

“Achieving More Together” – our commitment to collaborative progress for a sustainable, healthier world.

Penny previously led the Crop Transformation group and continues to closely follow the evolving global regulatory and political landscape surrounding GM and gene-edited (precision-bred) crops. Her expertise spans the history and status of biotech crops, with a particular focus on regulatory frameworks, biosafety concerns, and effective science communication.

Penny is deeply engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including scientists, breeders, farmers, policymakers, and the public. She has a particular interest in the legislative developments related to the UK Precision Breeding Act and its implications for the future of crop innovation. Additionally, Penny serves as a member of the Norwich Research Park Policy Advisory Group.

Efficient Targeted Mutagenesis in Brassica Crops Using CRISPR/Cas Systems | SpringerLink

Plant molecular farming in the wake of the closure of Medicago Inc | Nature Biotechnology

Regulatory Constraints and Differences of Genome-Edited Crops Around the Globe | SpringerLink

Regulation of Molecular Farming Products – PubMed (nih.gov)

Selected Publications

See all of Dr Penny Hundleby's publications