Food security news: 2012

December

Poultry and cattle farming to benefit from new funding - Press release - 17 December
Moredun leads new BBSRC funded project to investigate the association of novel Chlamydia-like organisms with reproductive failure in cattle…
Turning up the heat on plant sex - Feature - 14 December
Sex is a fundamental part of life. It's easy to think of it as an activity confined to the higher animals such as mammals, or that it's just giving birth to offspring…
Food chain quality given Royal launch - Press release - 13 December
A major new scientific collaboration between East Malling Research (EMR) and the University of Greenwich (UoG) was launched today by HRH The Duke of Kent KG…
Improving plant photosynthesis to increase crop yields - Press release - 11 December
An important new project, funded Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been launched today which will seek to explore new ways to improve plant…
£11M food technology funding puts innovation back on the menu - News - 7 December
Over thirty major collaborative business-led food processing and manufacturing development projects have received more than £11M worth of government…
Ancient regions of DNA show short cut to crop advances - News - 6 December
Scientists have discovered 100 million-year-old regions in the DNA of several plant species which could hold secrets…
Towards a universal avian influenza vaccine - Press release - 4 December
Researchers at The Pirbright Institute, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Oxford…

November

New multinational wheat initiative aims to raise global yields and develop new varieties - News - 30 November
Representatives from governmental and non-governmental organisations across the world have agreed to establish a new multinational initiative…
Major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat’s genetic code - Press release - 29 November
Scientists have unlocked key components of the genetic code of one of the world’s most important crops. The first analysis of the bread wheat genome…
Industry responds to wheat genome research - News - 29 November
In response to scientists unlocking key components of the genetic code of one of the world's most important crops, bread wheat, industry and farming…
Rapeseed oil gets biotech boost - Press release - 23 November
Vegetable oils are obtained from the seeds and fruits of crop plants such as oilseed rape, sunflower, soybean and palm. They are a major global commodity…
Major international push to maximise bioscience research to help world’s poorest farmers - Press release - 20 November
Over 40 international research organisations are joining forces in a unique £16M initiative that will harness bioscience to improve food security in developing…
Coordinating Action in Plant Sciences – call will boost molecular plant sciences - News - 20 November
The European Research Area Network for Coordinating Action in Plant Sciences (ERA-CAPS) has launched its first joint call for proposals…
£12M funding to tackle devastating livestock and poultry viruses - Press release - 19 November
Two new research projects have been awarded funding to tackle some of the world's most devastating livestock and poultry viruses…
Pig genome could save our bacon - Press release - 15 November
An international consortium of scientists, including experts from three BBSRC-funded institutes, has published a high-quality analysis of the pig genome…
The Pirbright Institute opens new laboratory doors to the public - News - 13 November
This weekend, pupils from Pirbright Village Primary School, Pirbright Parish Council and more than 120 other visitors from the local community…
Could chloroplast hold key to fruit ripening in crops? - Press release - 2 November
Biologists may have unearthed the potential to manipulate the functions of chloroplasts, the parts of plant cells responsible for photosynthesis…

October

Combined pesticide exposure linked to impaired bumblebee colony success - Press release - 22 October
Individual worker behaviour and colony success are both affected when bees are exposed to a combination of pesticides, according to research…
Barley genome could hold key to better beer - Press release - 18 October
An international consortium of scientists has published a high resolution draft of the barley genome. The research, published in the journal Nature…
Chris Packham helps test cutting edge soil sampling - News - 17 October
Chris Packham is helping scientists to unlock the secrets of soil by unravelling its genetic fingerprint. His garden soil has had its ‘DNA’ sequenced in a race…
Declines in ground beetle biodiversity found in UK - Press release - 15 October
Scientists at Rothamsted Research, working with the NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and a range of other partners contributing to…
Small weed helps unravel complex plant defence system - News - 12 October
Arabidopsis thaliana, or thale cress as it is commonly known, made history back in 2000 by becoming the first plant to have its entire genetic code read…
Bristol researchers help reveal the true magic of mushrooms - Press release - 11 October
Adaptable Button Mushroom Serves Up Biomass-Degrading Genes Critical to Managing the Planet’s Carbon Stores…
Shaping a UK agri-tech strategy: call for evidence - News - 11 October
The Government is developing a strategy for agri-technologies to help promote UK economic growth and international development by making…
DNA sequencing to create new rice variety with greater health benefits - Press release - 9 October
DNA techniques are being used to analyse genes in rice in pioneering research which aims to develop a new variety of the grain with greater health benefits…
Plant eating insects can drive the evolution of plants - News - 8 October
In a paper published in the journal Science today, scientists have discovered that plants naturally evolve to protect themselves from insect attack…

September

High risk of disease in oilseed rape predicted for this season - Press release - 25 September
Rothamsted Research has updated its oilseed rape online disease risk forecasts for light leaf spot and phoma leaf spot for the 2012/13 growing season…
Bumblebees find efficient routes without a GPS - Press release - 21 September
Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London have tracked bumblebees for the first time to see how they select the optimal route to collect nectar…
Big questions in agriculture need bigger experiments - Feature - 18 September
Multi-million pound North Wyke Farm Platform to compare agricultural methods at an epic scale…
Assessing a new technique for ensuring fresh produce remains Salmonella-free - Press release - 17 September
Researchers at the Institute of Food Research have tested a new technique to ensure fresh produce is free of bacterial contamination…
Bid to help save our trees from pests and diseases - Press release - 11 September
Significant funding for a new tree health and plant biosecurity initiative…
Rothamsted scientists identify growing threat to cereal crops - Press release - 11 September
Scientists at the world-renowned Rothamsted Research, which receives strategic funding from the BBSRC, have identified a growing threat from the grain aphid…

August

10–240 million migrant moths will reach the UK this spring - Press release - 29 August
Scientists combined data from entomological radars and ground-based light-traps to show that annual migrations…
Food prices and waste are hot topics of public survey - Press release - 21 August
Public views on tackling food crises: Price of food is focus of concern for many, majority agree UK wastes too much food…
Untangling nature’s secrets - Feature - 15 August
Ecologists studying food webs reveal the importance, and fragility, of pollination networks…
Bioscience to battle global hunger - Press release - 14 August
A high-level Global Nutrition Event marked the closing of the Olympics and called on the world to improve malnutrition in the world…
Scientists confirm Schmallenberg still circulating - Press release - 7 August
Researchers have confirmed that Schmallenberg virus is still circulating in the UK as the current midge season approaches its peak…
Natural magic to counter witchweed crop menace - Feature - 2 August
Striga, a root parasite of cereal crops such as maize, sorghum, rice and millet, is considered the major biological constraint to crop production in sub-Saharan…

July

Report highlights impacts of Rural Economy and Land Use programme - News - 30 July
A new report published today has found that the Rural Economy and Land Use programme has successfully generated a significant number and a diversified…
Sequencing technology helps reveal what plant genomes really encode - Press release - 23 July
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute and the University of Dundee have teamed up with researchers in the USA to use a new technique to sequence…
DNA vaccines and the future of disease control - Feature - 17 July
BBSRC-funded researchers advance techniques to protect animal health…
Midge genome: Reinforcing the war against viruses - Press release - 9 July
Researchers at the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) have been awarded £680K by BBSRC to sequence and study the genome of a biting midge…
Training could improve value of agri-environment schemes, say researchers - Press release - 9 July
The effectiveness and value for money of agri-environment schemes have been questioned by some academics and commentators…
$12M UK-US collaboration to rethink fertilisers for farming - Press release - 9 July
UK and US researchers are being invited to participate in an 'Ideas Lab' that will radically rethink approaches to producing crops without the reliance…
$3 million earmarked for Pirbright to coordinate world FMD reference labs - Press release - 4 July
The world reference laboratory for foot and mouth disease (FMD) at Pirbright has been acknowledged by the FAO and OIE as the centre of global expertise…
Agri-Food Course is 'Training Scheme of the Year' - News - 3 July
A postgraduate course being provided by the Agri-Food Advanced Training Partnership (ATP) has been honoured at an industry award ceremony in London…

June

Researchers discover potential new weapon against African crop pests - Press release - 26 June
A team of scientists has made a novel discovery that could provide a new strategy for controlling armyworms and other insect crop pests around the globe…
New website to support wheat research - News - 18 June
A new wheat research information resource was launched today in a bid to help coordinate worldwide research efforts in the fields of wheat genetics…
New programme brings companies together to combat animal disease - Press release - 13 June
A new research club, launched today (13 June), will unite farmers, breeders and pharmaceutical companies in the fight against animal diseases…
The Arab Spring and the spread of animal disease - Feature - 13 June
The Arab Spring has changed many people's lives in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. But the revolutionary spirit has brought wider, unforeseen problems…
Rothamsted and BBSRC launch "20:20 Wheat ®" - Press release - 13 June
Plans to help increase potential wheat yields in the UK to 20 tonnes per hectare within the next 20 years have been launched by Rothamsted Research scientists…
New insight gained into how plants may fight diseases - Press release - 13 June
A breakthrough discovery that has shown how plants may defend themselves in the face of pathogen attacks could hold the key…
Why is it so difficult to trace the origins of food poisoning outbreaks? - Press release - 1 June
As illustrated by the E. coli outbreak in Germany in 2011, any delay in identifying the source of food poisoning outbreaks can cost lives and cause considerable…

May

International consortium sequences tomato genome - Press release - 31 May
A group of over 300 scientists from 14 countries has sequenced the genomes of the domesticated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and its wild ancestor…
Launch of globally unique farm research platform - Press release - 24 May
A new ‘Farm Platform’, launched today (24 May 2012) at Rothamsted Research North Wyke in Devon, aims to help farmers to optimise productivity…
How plants chill out - Press release - 22 May
Plants elongate their stems when grown at high temperature to facilitate the cooling of their leaves, according to new research from the University of Bristol…
New insights into Campylobacter food poisoning bug - Press release - 22 May
Researchers at the Institute of Food Research have discovered why the micronutrient selenium is important to the survival of Campylobacter bacteria…
Foot-and-mouth scientist receives international award - Press release - 21 May
Yesterday (Sunday 20 May 2012) Dr Nigel Ferris MBE was presented with the 2012 OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) Meritorious Award…
Plans for China-UK Centre of Excellence for plant research - Press release - 16 May
A new centre of excellence for plant research is planned in China following a joint symposium in Shanghai between researchers from…
Barley takes a leaf out of reindeer’s book in the land of the midnight sun - Press release - 10 May
Barley grown in Scandinavian countries is adapted in a similar way to reindeer to cope with the extremes of day length at high latitudes…

April

Fine mapping wheat genes - Press release - 25 April
The use of new genomic techniques and increased sequencing power promise to help breeding crops, but for wheat the pipeline from the laboratory to the field…
Plant perfumes woo beneficial bugs - Press release - 25 April
Scientists funded by BBSRC have discovered that maize crops emit chemical signals which attract growth-promoting microbes to live amongst their roots…
Science and industry club together to deliver better crops - Press release - 24 April
Today, BBSRC is announcing nine new industry-relevant crop science projects as part of the Crop Improvement Research Club (CIRC)…
Findings on aphid symbiosis could provide new insecticide targets - Press release - 18 April
Research led by biologists at the University of York reveals potential new targets for aphid-specific insecticides…
New global assessment on soil biodiversity - Press release - 16 April
The Department for Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems at BBSRC-funded Rothamsted Research is launching a new global scientific sssessment…
Feeling the heat - Feature - 16 April
Plant scientists are gathering evidence on the precise ways in which plants are affected by rising temperatures and falling rainfall levels…
Pan-European programme launches first food security initiative - Press release - 12 April
Impacts of climate change on European agriculture and food security…
Tackle fungal forces to save crops, forests and endangered animals, say scientists - Press release - 12 April
More than 600 million people could be fed each year by halting the spread of fungal diseases in the world's five most important crops, according to research funded by BBSRC and others published today in the journal Nature…
Feeding wild birds shown to reduce insect pests - Press release - 4 April
The common British past-time of feeding wild birds has been shown to reduce…
Exposure to stomach acid primes Campylobacter for intestinal infection - Press release - 4 April
Campylobacter is a major cause of foodborne gastroenteritis, with an estimated 500,000 infections annually in the UK…

March

Aphid-resistant wheat trial begins - Press release - 30 March
Rothamsted Research are conducting a controlled experiment to test whether wheat that can repel aphid attack works in the field…
Puzzle solved as maize pest reveals its Achilles heel - Press release - 23 March
Scientists identify crucial controls of population cycles of the European corn borer pest…
Why spring is blooming marvellous (and climate change makes it earlier) - Press release - 22 March
Scientists have unpicked why temperature has such a powerful affect on how plants flower…
Ideas Lab aims to reduce reliance on fertilizers - News - 16 March
Joint BBSRC and NSF ‘Ideas Lab’ in development to provide new approaches to producing crops with minimal input of nitrogen fertilizers…
New £15M programme to stimulate food industry sector growth - Press release - 14 March
Invested in major R&D projects that aim to increase the efficiency, sustainability…
New research could make it easier to grow health-promoting blood oranges - Press release - 13 March
Researchers at JIC have identified the gene for blood orange pigmentation…
Clock gene helps plants prepare for spring - Press release - 9 March
University of Edinburgh researchers tested computer models of gene…

February

BBSRC funding at forefront of fight against livestock disease - News - 27 February
IAH contributes to national response to Schmallenberg threat…
Joining forces to defeat wheat disease - Feature - 24 February
UK-South Africa collaboration to tackle global threat…
Farm ‘weeds’ have crucial role in sustainable agriculture - Press release - 24 February
Plants often regarded as common weeds such as thistles, buttercups…
New research to help eliminate most common food poisoning bug - Press release - 15 February
New research funded by BBSRC and world-leading poultry breeding…
£7M public funding available for research to deliver better fruit and veg - Press release - 9 February
New initiative to bring academic researchers together with industry…

January

Discovery of plant ‘nourishing gene’ brings hope for increased crop seed yield and food security - Press release - 13 January
University of Warwick, with the University of Oxford, identify gene…
Predators hunt for a balanced diet - Press release - 12 January
University of Exeter and Oxford-led study shows for the first time that…
World-class facilities for virus research - Feature - 5 January
IAH's new high-tech interim laboratory is packed with…