News

A study from the University of Cambridge Department of Plant Sciences sheds new light on how one of the world’s oldest land plants, the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, builds and fills its specialised chemical storage units. The research advances our understanding of how the plant produces and stores valuable natural compounds and could transform …

We are devastated to share the news that former Part II student, friend and collaborator Professor Philippa Borrill died over the Easter weekend following a rare immune system disorder (HLH). Philippa graduated in Plant Sciences in 2010 before moving directly to the John Innes Centre for her PhD.  She was a fantastic scientist, collaborator and men…

An international cohort of data scientists, plant researchers, and engineers gathered at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Accra, Ghana, in March for an international hackathon aimed at securing the future of food. The five-day event from 9 to 13 March 2026, was co-led by the University of Cambridge and challenged interd…

From Plant Sciences Part II to painting the road verges of Britain – award-winning botanical painter Nessie Ramm shares how her time at Cambridge has inspired her art and community work. Studying Plant Sciences at Cambridge can open up a wealth of career opportunities. In this series, we hear from Plant Sciences alumni about their experiences of st…

Malcolm Barrett Wilkins (1933–2025), renowned plant physiologist and former Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow, died in September 2025.Dr Jennifer Deegan, a volunteer researcher at the Department of Plant Sciences, shares a tribute in celebration of his life and the scientific achievements he made. Dr Deegan specialises in the photography of gam…

From a Cambridge PhD on hippo grazing to a life in tropical ecology - 1963 Cambridge Botany graduate and distinguished botanist, Mike Lock, shares his varied career in the natural sciences.Studying Plant Sciences at Cambridge can open up a wealth of career opportunities. In this series, we hear from Plant Sciences alumni about their experiences of …

We are delighted to share that Professor John Carr, Head of the Virology and Molecular Plant Pathology group at the Department of Plant Sciences, has been awarded a prestigious University of Cambridge Pilkington Prize.The award recognises Professor Carr’s exceptional contribution to teaching, practical training and public engagement during over 30 …

Payments that enable landowners to rewild ecologically degraded land - in the form of biodiversity credits bought by investors wishing to offset their impact on nature - could be an effective component of the emerging market for nature recovery, but will not work as a stand-alone approach.A University of Cambridge-led team involving Professor David…

Congratulations to Professor John Carr, Head of the Virology and Molecular Plant Pathology group at the Department of Plant Sciences, who has been elected this year’s new Honorary Member of the British Society of Plant Pathology (BSPP). This award recognises Professor Carr’s significant contributions to plant pathogen research and to the plant path…

On 12-13 February 2026, the Crop Science Centre (CSC) welcomed world-leading researchers and development partners for the inaugural UK-CGIAR Bambara groundnut consortium meeting at St John’s College, Cambridge.The two-day event brought together members of the UK-CGIAR Centre project for the genetic improvement of Bambara groundnut for future nutrit…

Decades of conflict devastated Somalia’s food systems, but scientists like Dr Ahmed Warsame, Head of the Legume Crop Resilience and Quality group at the Department of Plant Sciences, are helping restore them. Marta Millere from the Crop Trust profiles Dr Warsame’s work to revive Somalia’s cowpea diversity.By retrieving seeds collected before the 19…

Dr Emily Servanté from the Cereal Symbiosis group, Department of Plant Sciences, writes about her research into using soil fungi as natural biofertilisers to improve crop performance and reduce environmental impact in rice farming.  It’s an exciting time to be a microbiologist working in rice research. A global push towards the cultivation of water…

An international group of researchers says that biodiversity conservation and scientific research are not benefiting from the vast knowledge about the world’s plants held by botanic gardens, because of fragmented data systems and a lack of standardisation.In a new report led by Professor Samuel Brockington from the Department of Plant Sciences, Cam…

When we think about protecting crops from disease, the spotlight usually falls on high-tech fixes – new pesticides, genetic engineering, advanced fungicides. But there’s a powerful, low-tech ally we often ignore: the landscape itself.Recent theoretical studies carried out by the Epidemiology and Modelling group at the University of Cambridge indica…

A team at the University of Cambridge have developed new tools to predict disease risk in cassava and help protect a vital food security crop in sub-Saharan Africa.Cassava, a staple food grown widely across sub-Saharan Africa, is severely threatened by diseases such as Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD). Whiteflies…