News

Dr Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert investigates the demise of our rainforests' biggest characters.A giant has fallen.In the depths of the Amazon, a centuries-old tree has crashed to the earth. While its impact and absence are seismic for nearby species, the death is soon absorbed by the immensity of the rainforest. The tree’s precious ecological informat…

Warmest congratulations to Farahnoz Khojayori, the winner of the 2025 Agnes Arber Prize in Comparative Plant Biology - an annual prize supporting the next generation of pioneering botanists, following in the footsteps of Agnes Arber.The inaugural Agnes Arber Prize in Comparative Plant Biology has been awarded to Farahnoz Khojayori, a PhD student at…

Human-driven changes to landscapes worldwide are ‘thinning out’ the ecological services supplied by wild birds, eroding the functions that support stable and resilient ecosystems. A new study co-authored by Professor David Edwards, Head of the Tropical Ecology and Conservation group at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, has …

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 studying here, how it shaped their careers and what they are doing now. If you would like your alumni story featured, please email us at alumni@plantsci.cam.ac.uk.About NielsDr Simon ‘Niels…

Last month 28 students and staff from the Departments of Plant Sciences and Zoology along with 6 Malaysian students from local universities, travelled to the Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo for this year’s tropical field course.The course is a great opportunity for students about to start the third year of their undergraduate s…

A new film showcases how the Crop Science Centre (CSC)’s collaboration with partners in the Global South is pioneering sustainable solutions in agriculture to feed the world and improve lives.The film will be premiered at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) taking place in Belém, Brazil in November 2025.It shows how CSC’s partnersh…

A new tool to fine-tune plant genomes without changing their DNA could offer a fast and precise alternative to GM breeding and play a key role in developing resilient crops in response to climate change.  A study led by members of the Chromatin and Memory group at the University of Cambridge has uncovered a new way to reprogramme plant genomes usin…

The Enabling Nutrient Symbioses in Agriculture (ENSA) research project enters a new phase with the University of Cambridge and Aarhus University at the helm driving innovation for sustainable agriculture.ENSA – an international research programme using symbiotic associations with nitrogen fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to sustaina…

A recent review led by Dr Alison Scott-Brown from the Epidemiology and Modelling group, University of Cambridge, explores how farmland trees and shrubs can contribute to integrated pest management – potentially helping farmers reduce the impact of chemical use while boosting biodiversity.The study considers how a wide range of ecological and landsc…

A global research team co-led by the University of Cambridge’s Crop Science Centre (CSC) is unlocking the potential of Bambara groundnut in a pioneering project to combat food insecurity and climate change.Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is a crop with huge potential to address global food and nutrition security challenges. It thrives in poor…

2025 marks 200 years since John Stevens Henslow (1796-1861) became Professor of Botany and went on to revitalise the study of plants at the University of Cambridge.He was elected fourth Professor of Botany in 1825, taking an oath before the Vice Chancellor as 'King's Reader in Botany' on 10 October that year. He held the position for 36 years until…

The Crop Science Centre (CSC) International Partnerships event 2025 brought together partners and collaborators from around the world to celebrate scientific progress and explore the challenges and opportunities of translating discovery science into impact in the field.The event took place on 2-3 October 2025 at the Møller Institute, Churchill Coll…

Extreme weather events, from heavy rainfall to heatwaves and droughts, are increasingly threatening crop yields globally, so new solutions are needed for agriculture.An international team from the University of Cambridge, University of Adelaide, University of Western Australia and NASA have reimagined how we grow food into the future.The paper was …

Average tree size across the Amazon has increased by 3.2% every decade consistent with a response to rising carbon dioxide levels, a new study suggests. The study, co-led by Dr Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, incoming Associate Professor of Ecology at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, found that big trees are increasing in size …

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 studying here, how it shaped their careers and what they are doing now. If you would like your alumni story featured, please email us at alumni@plantsci.cam.ac.uk.About BelindaBelinda Clark…