We undertake fundamental research, using model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum, to understand how the growth and development of plants is influenced by their environment.

This knowledge is translated to wheat and brassicas, both commercially important crops, to influence productivity traits including grain size, yield and vigour. We focus on understanding how temperature influences crop productivity as climate scenarios predict a global mean increase in temperature of 2°C and more frequent climatic extremes that are predicted to reduce crop productivity dramatically.

The outcomes of our research will support crop breeding and agricultural biotechnology industries directly and accelerate the pace and precision of technology uptake in agriculture and academia. Our discoveries will have a major impact on how food crops of the future are produced, both in the UK and globally.

Through collaborative projects with both academia and industry we apply our knowledge of the genetic mechanisms underpinning diversity to benefit agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being. Partnerships with key stakeholders across the supply chain ensure that we target agronomic and economically important traits and guarantee our results are effectively communicated to the breeder, grower, retail market and consumers.

Examples of research projects and our impacts can be found below.