News

A new study led by the University of Cambridge has revealed that as our springs and summers get hotter and drier, the UK wildfire season is being stretched and intensified.More fires, taking hold over more months of the year, are causing more carbon to be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.Fires on peatlands, which are carbon-rich, can …

The world’s botanic gardens must pull together to protect global plant biodiversity in the face of the extinction crisis, amid restrictions on wild-collecting, say researchers.A major study of botanic gardens around the world has revealed their struggles with one fundamental aim: to safeguard the world’s most threatened plants from extinction.Resea…

A new tool that predicts the behaviour of desert locust populations will help national agencies to manage huge swarms before they devastate food crops in Africa and Asia. Desert locusts typically lead solitary lives until something - like intense rainfall - triggers them to swarm in vast numbers, often with devastating consequences. This migratory …

Research into forest dynamics under the influence of typhoons in Hong Kong shows that natural rainforests in East Asia are surprisingly resilient to the storms.Currently, nearly half of the forest restoration commitments globally are achieved by monoculture plantations. Previous research has shown that monocultures fail to provide the biodiversity …

A study into global wildfires and ecosystem water cycling has shown for the first time the large-scale effects of fire on plant and soil water dynamics. The research team from the University of Cambridge used microwave satellite datasets to observe the effects of fire on plant and soil water content across the globe.They found that fire fundamental…

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 TrisnaDr Trisna Tung…

The Centre for Global Wood Security has launched a new website to promote and support the Centre’s work. The cross-disciplinary research centre led by Professor David Edwards from the University of Cambridge brings together over 50 partners from academic, industry, NGO and policy organisations. The aim is to deliver research and build capacity to e…

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…