News

Viral transmission of Cassava mosaic disease by B. tabaci whitefly on a leaf

A new perspective on insect transmission of cassava pathogens

18 October 2023

Whitefly transmission efficiency of a potentially devastating pathogen of cassava - a staple food-source for millions across sub-Saharan Africa – is substantially higher than previously thought. A new approach developed by the Epidemiology and Modelling Group , using model-based Bayesian methods to analyse access period...

Phaseolus vulgaris bean plants in a field

Breeding for soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi resistance affects diversity of rhizosphere viruses and viroids

11 October 2023

Breeding for resistance against soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi unintentionally affects the diversity of viruses and viroids in the Phaseolus vulgaris rhizosphere A study by Dr Lucas Braga and colleagues in the Ecosystems and Global Change group shows that breeding for resistance against Fusarium oxysporum affects the...

Drier savannas and grasslands store more climate-buffering carbon than previously thought

30 September 2023

Savannas and grasslands in drier climates around the world store more carbon than scientists previously thought and are helping to slow the rate of climate warming, according to a new study. Because drier savannas are more sensitive to changes in fires, the decreases in burned area in those ecosystems has resulted in soils...

Modeling the developmental processes of petal cuticle ridges

21 September 2023

New model boosts understanding of how petals develop nanoscale patterns that provide optical guides for pollinators The nanoscopic patterns found on the surface of petal and leaf epidermal cells are known to influence several types of interaction with visiting insects, for example by providing optical and tactile clues for...

MPhil in Planetary Sciences and Life in the Universe illustration

Plant Sciences features in new MPhil in Planetary Sciences and Life in the Universe

17 September 2023

The Plant Sciences department contributes to new MPhil in Planetary Sciences and Life in the Universe This week sees the launch of Cambridge’s new MPhil qualification in Planetary Sciences and Life in the Universe . The new programme will be jointly taught and led by astronomers, chemists, zoologists, plant biologists, and...

Cambridge researchers announced as programme directors for new UK funding agency

14 September 2023

ARIA, the UK’s new R&D funding agency, has announced its line-up of new programme directors – and three of them are current or former researchers from the University of Cambridge.

Predicting the spread of invasive pests and pathogens through urban forests

8 September 2023

Avenues of trees of a single species are a striking feature in many towns and cities across England and Wales. These magnificent landscape features are frequently threatened by the arrival of invasive pests and pathogens which in the case of Dutch Elm Disease, saw the devastating loss of a single species from urbanised...

Cassava crop field in Sub-Saharan Africa

Developing a predictive model for an emerging epidemic on cassava in sub‑Saharan Africa

22 August 2023

Cassava ( Manihot esculenta ) is one of the most important staple food crops produced globally, primarily grown in low-input subsistence farming systems in the tropics and subtropics. In Africa alone, an estimated 800 million people rely on cassava for their primary calorific intake. Threatening food production In recent...

citrus orchards near segunto from wikicommons

Modelling the spread and mitigation of an emerging vector-borne pathogen: citrus greening in the U.S.A.

17 July 2023

Modelling the spread and mitigation of an emerging vector-borne pathogen: citrus greening in the U.S.A. Citrus are one of the most popular classes of fruits with an estimated 75 million metric tons consumed globally each year, of which 70% is grown in Brazil, China and U.S.A. One of the most serious threats to citrus...

Type specimens in the University Herbarium

New initiatives boost access to the University Herbarium collection

8 June 2023

New initiatives boost access to the University Herbarium collection The University Herbarium has taken a major step towards making more of its collections available to the world’s research community with the appointment of Dr Anne Dubéarnès as its first Special Collections Researcher. Dr Dubéarnès will focus on identifying...

A new perspective on insect transmission of cassava pathogens

Breeding for soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi resistance affects diversity of rhizosphere viruses and viroids

Drier savannas and grasslands store more climate-buffering carbon than previously thought

Modeling the developmental processes of petal cuticle ridges

Plant Sciences features in new MPhil in Planetary Sciences and Life in the Universe

Cambridge researchers announced as programme directors for new UK funding agency

Predicting the spread of invasive pests and pathogens through urban forests

Developing a predictive model for an emerging epidemic on cassava in sub‑Saharan Africa

Modelling the spread and mitigation of an emerging vector-borne pathogen: citrus greening in the U.S.A.

New initiatives boost access to the University Herbarium collection

Find us

Contact us

More

Social media

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge