Learning to love plants

By Penny Hundleby

Penny is a senior scientist at the John Innes Centre.

She uses genetic transformation in brassicas to develop new better understanding of their genetics and identifying genes responsible for growth and yield is useful to both scientists, crop breeders and food producers. Brassicas, as oilseed rape and as vegetable crops, have an annual UK market value in excess of £800m.

Penny also has an interest in the current regulatory and political landscape of GM crops at a global level, particularly in the general history and current market status of biotech crops, GM regulation at the EU level, biosafety issues, and science communication in this area. Penny actively engages with scientists, breeders, farmers, policy makers and the public.