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A study into how plants evolved to cope with climate changes millions of years ago could help scientists develop modern-day crops that are more productive and resilient to global warming. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the SALK Institute in California have uncovered genetic changes in the evolution of a more efficient form of phot…

The spread of bark beetle could have a major impact on the UK’s forestry industry and cause significant ecological damage, particularly in Scotland where around 75% of spruce trees in Britain are grown. Researchers from the University of Cambridge in collaboration with Forest Research have been supporting the UK government’s efforts to understand a…

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 LukeLuke Browning gr…

Two thirds of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in tropical forests are experiencing new temperature conditions as our climate changes, research co-authored by David Edwards from the Department of Plant Sciences shows.KBAs identify the most important places on Earth for species and their habitats.The new study – by Exeter, Manchester Metropolitan and C…

Nicola Patron, head of the Plant Molecular Engineering group at the University of Cambridge, has received a five-year grant to fund a new International Research Center for Enhancing Plant Resilience. The grant is from the recent call, ‘Global Centres (GC) addressing global challenges through bioeconomy’. This is a multinational call led by the Nati…

We welcome approaches from candidates who are thinking of applying for externally funded Post-Doctoral Fellowships, such as Royal Society University Research Fellowships, BBSRC Discovery Fellowships, NERC Independent Research Fellowships, European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants or EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action awards. The Department of P…

The Department of Plant Sciences is delighted to announce that Sebastian Eves-van den Akker has been appointed as Professor of Biotic Interactions from 1 October 2024. In parallel, Christine Miller has also been appointed as a Professor of Biotic Interactions in the Department of Zoology. Together these two co-ordinated appointments are designed to…

Leonie Luginbuehl from the Department of Plant Sciences is one of nine Cambridge researchers to receive a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant in the latest round.The grant will support her research on harnessing mechanisms for plant carbon delivery to symbiotic soil fungi for sustainable food production. Dr Luginbuehl, head o…

One of the most serious threats to global wheat producers comes from the airborne spores of fungal pathogens known as wheat rusts (Puccinia spp.). Wheat rusts can devastate harvests across sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, threatening food security and livelihoods in regions under pressure from climate change. Early warning forecasting models a…

Climate change will move and reduce the land suitable for growing food and timber, putting the production of these two vital resources into direct competition, a new study has found.The sight of vineyards in Britain is becoming more common as hotter summers create increasingly suitable conditions for growing grapes. But behind this success story is…

Jen McGaley, from the Cereal Symbiosis Group at the Crop Science Centre, has been awarded the ‘Best Paper in Applied Agricultural Mycorrhizal Research’ at the International Conference on Mycorrhiza (ICOM) 2024 . This recognition highlights Jen’s work in advancing our understanding of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, a vital interaction betwee…

Researchers from the Plant-Parasite Interactions group at the Crop Science Centre have made a significant breakthrough in understanding how plant-parasitic nematodes infect crops. These tiny parasitic worms pose a serious threat to global food security by secreting special proteins, called effectors, from their pharyngeal gland cells. These effecto…

A next generation biosensor has revealed gibberellin’s critical role in legume nitrogen-fixation – paving the way for more productive legume crops and self-fertilising cereals.Researchers at the University of Cambridge have demonstrated that the plant hormone gibberellin (GA) is essential for the formation and maturation of nitrogen-fixing root nod…

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a new family of photosynthesis-controlling gene regulators which could impact crop development for sustainability and global food security.The study by Natasha Yelina and Eftychios Frangedakis was published in Cell on 23 July 2024. It was led by Professor Julian Hibberd, head of the Molec…

Our increasing demand for metals and minerals is putting over four thousand vertebrate species at risk, with the raw materials needed for clean energy infrastructure often located in global biodiversity hotspots, a study has found.New research has found that 4,642 species of vertebrate are threatened by mineral extraction around the world through m…