Food security news: 2011

December
- From flat foot to fat foot: RVC-led research reveals nature of elephants' “sixth toes” - Press release - 23 December
  After 300 years of speculation, a study has revealed how what was once thought of as a sixth toe in elephants is actually a remarkable example…
- Helping cereal growers to play their cards right - Feature - 21 December
  You can't bluff nature. Diseases, droughts, floods and pests all take their toll on crop yields and, when choosing which cereal varieties to plant almost…
- Investment in cereal genomics to breed better varieties - Press release - 21 December
  Two new research projects announced today aim to make an important contribution to global efforts to breed improved cereal crops…
- Legumes give nitrogen-supplying bacteria special access pass - Press release - 20 December
  A 125-year debate on how nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to breach the cell walls of legumes has been settled thanks to research funded by BBSRC…
- Step forward in FMD understanding - Press release - 9 December
  Scientists have discovered a mechanism they believe may play a key role in the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in animals…
- Minister visits Institute for Animal Health in Pirbright - Press release - 2 December
  Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts MP, visited the Institute for Animal Health's Pirbright campus today to welcome the news of…
November
- Agriculture and industry react to £80M boost for IAH - News - 29 November
  Earlier today the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £80M of capital investment for the further development of research facilities…
- £100M+ investment to protect UK food security and rural economy - Press release - 29 November
  Major sectors of the UK economy and food chain have received a significant boost following the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer…
- Structural biology clues to the success of plant diseases - Press release - 25 November
  Dr Mark Banfield and his group, in collaboration with scientists from The Sainsbury Laboratory and the University of East Anglia on the Norwich…
- New insight into important chicken virus - Press release - 22 November
  Fresh discoveries about Marek's disease could have major implications for the poultry industry, making it possible to breed birds with greater resistance…
- Africa nearing epidemic of deadly cassava virus, first identified by Bristol bioscientists - News - 18 November
  As reported by the BBC yesterday, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is urging swift action to tackle a cassava virus…
- Genome sequence sheds new light on how plants evolved nitrogen-fixing symbioses - Press release - 17 November
  The genome of Medicago, a close relative of alfalfa and a long-established model for the study of legume biology, has been sequenced…
- How parasites modify plants to attract insects - Press release - 8 November
  Pathogens can alter their hosts, for example malaria parasites can make humans more attractive to mosquitoes, but how they do it has remained…
- UK food and farming benefits from research to combat animal diseases - Press release - 8 November
  Over £11M of research projects are announcing results today as part of a concerted effort to help UK farming combat endemic animal diseases…
- Scientists to use scent to control destructive rodent behaviour - Press release - 8 November
  Research on the scent signals of mice and rats will help inform future rodent-control strategies aimed at reducing the damage they cause to food…
October
- Cattle parasite vaccine offers hope to world’s poorest farmers - Press release - 28 October
  A new approach to vaccinating cattle could help farmers worldwide, research suggests…
- UK scientists come together to help feed the seven billion - Press release - 26 October
  The Universities of Exeter and Bristol, in partnership with Rothamsted Research, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC…
- Minister marks milestones in new £100M+ world-class laboratory build - Press release - 24 October
  Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, today led a ceremony to mark milestones in construction of a brand new high containment facility…
- Breakthrough in the production of flood-tolerant crops - Press release - 24 October
  This week thousands of families lost their homes and crops as flood waters swept across Central America…
- A step towards new vaccines for most important chicken parasite - Press release - 14 October
  Researchers funded by BBSRC, among others, have taken the first step in developing a new type of vaccine to protect chickens against coccidiosis…
- We must protect biodiversity while tackling food security, warns researcher - Press release - 12 October
  An increasing number of plant species are under threat from the demands being put on agriculture to produce more food to support…
- New research will help make foods healthier, safer and more nutritious - Press release - 12 October
  Over fifty research projects and studies aimed at developing healthier, safer and more nutritious food are to share over £7M…
- Researchers to identify the secrets of Salmonella’s survival - Press release - 7 October 2011
  The IFR, which is strategically funded by BBSRC, is to collaborate with the University of Sheffield to investigate how Salmonella survives…
- Defeating nematode worms with GM bananas - Feature - 5 October
  Researchers in the UK and Africa are using genetic modification technologies to make banana and plantain crops resistant to attack from nematode…
- British research leads to UK launch of Beneforté broccoli - Press release - 4 October
  A new variety of broccoli with higher levels of a key phytonutrient is now available in UK shops thanks to experts working on both the biology of…
- New insight into plant immune defences - Press release - 2 October
  Researchers funded by BBSRC, among others, have identified an important cog in the molecular machinery of plant immunity - a discovery that could…
September
- Pirbright scientist becomes a Visiting Professor of the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology - Press release - 29 September 2011
  Dr John Anderson MBE of the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) at Pirbright, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC, has this month…
- Increasing food and fuel production – thinking outside the box - Feature - 27 September
  New research projects, announced by BBSRC in September, aimed at overcoming some of the fundamental limitations to exploiting photosynthesis…
- Halting the armyworm march using biological control - Feature - 22 September
  Researchers studying how to control the rampage of armyworms that devastate crops have discovered key knowledge…
- Livestock sellers should provide more information about disease risk, say researchers - Press release - 21 September
  Scientists from the UK research councils' Rural Economy and Land Use programme say that better information for buyers could provide the key…
- Global Food Security Champion appointed by public partnership - Press release - 15 September
  The Global Food Security programme (GFS) has appointed a Champion to take on the key role of coordinator and spokesperson for the group…
- 12 projects to tackle most common food poisoning bacteria - Press release - 9 September
  12 projects, bringing together researchers from across disciplines, will study Campylobacter in the food chain, from field to plate…
- New form of resistance to light leaf spot discovered in oilseed rape - Press release - 2 September
  A team of researchers funded by BBSRC and KWS UK Ltd and led by Professor Bruce Fitt at the University of Hertfordshire…
August
- Tropical coral could be used to create novel sunscreens for humans or UV-tolerant plants, say scientists - Press release - 31 August
  Researchers at King's College London have discovered how coral produces natural sunscreen compounds to protect itself from damaging UV rays…
- New genome sequence could improve important agricultural crops - Press release - 30 August
  An international team of scientists, funded in the UK by BBSRC, has sequenced the genome of a Chinese cabbage variety…
- Bumblebee research: A day in the life - Feature - 25 August
  Scientists are engaged in a number of field studies to investigate the decline in pollinating insects such as bumblebees…
- Institute for Animal Health teams up with China - Feature - 23 August
  Animal diseases represent a major economic threat to countries worldwide and threaten global food security…
- Wheat can't stand the heat - Press release - 18 August
  Modelling by researchers funded by BBSRC predicts that heat stress during flowering (anthesis) may have a bigger impact on wheat yield in Europe…
- Africa and UK scientists make a significant breakthrough in protecting crops from pests - Press release - 11 August
  In research published today, a team of scientists from Africa and the UK have made a breakthrough that will help in developing novel and ecologically…
- Dissecting the genomes of crop plants to improve breeding potential - Press release - 1 August
  BBSRC-funded scientists on the Norwich Research Park, working with colleagues in China, have developed new techniques that will aid…
July
- Plant immunity discovery boosts chances of disease-resistant crops - Press release - 28 July
  Researchers funded by BBSRC have opened up the black box of plant immune system genetics, boosting our ability to produce disease…
- Beetles play an important role in reducing weeds - Press release - 25 July
  Researchers funded by the UK BBSRC and the French INRA have found that ground beetles reduce the amount of weed seeds in the soil…
- Growing plants with friendly fungi - Feature - 21 July
  Natural symbiosis can boost crop growth in dry spells and reduce chemical use…
- International knowledge hub to link climate change and food security research - Press release - 13 July
  BBSRC-funded researchers are invited to join a virtual knowledge hub in the area of agriculture, food security and climate change…
- UK scientists tackle food security - Press release - 13 July
  The Universities of Exeter and Bristol, in partnership with Rothamsted Research, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC…
- Potato genome set to revolutionise breeding and ensure food security - Press release - 10 July
  UK scientists, as part of an international consortium, have sequenced the genome of potato - the first major UK crop plant to be fully sequenced…
- New research suggests why some farms develop devastating pig disease - Press release - 8 July
  New research funded by BBSRC, published today (8 July), has identified the factors that make some farms more likely to develop an economically…
- Evolution and domestication of seed structure shown to use same genetic mutation - Press release - 7 July
  For the first time, scientists have identified a mutation in plants that was selected twice - during both natural evolution and domestication…
- Combating the superpests: the battle to save our food - Press release - 5 July
  Scientists from Rothamsted Research are presenting their research at the Royal Society's annual Summer Science Exhibition which opens today…
- Peste des Petits Ruminants could be next virus for eradication - Press release - 1 July
  In a scientific editorial in Veterinary Record to be published on 1st July 2011, top researchers have said that the Food and Agriculture Organization…
June
- G20 endorses international wheat improvement effort to improve food security - Press release - 29 June
  Agriculture Ministers from the G20 group of nations have adopted the IRIWI, which will be funded for coordination activity in part by BBSRC…
- Pest management: comparing conventional and organic farming - Feature - 16 June
  Large, farm-scale studies show greater biodiversity does not lead to better pest control…
- BBSRC at Cereals 2011: New projects to develop improved crops for food security - Press release - 15 June
  On the morning of the first day of Cereals 2011, BBSRC is pleased to announce the first of two tranches of projects to be funded by the £7M Crop…
- Genome sequence could reveal ‘Achilles' heels’ of important wheat disease - Press release - 9 June
  Research published in PLoS Genetics today (9 June) provides insights into how an important fungal disease is able to evade wheat's defences…
- Management of infectious animal and plant diseases is vital for food security - News - 9 June
  We face a future of uncertainty, and possible new threats to our food supplies, natural heritage, and even human health, from animal and plant diseases…
- Joint workshop to provide early input into Global Food Security priorities - News - 8 June
  Global Food Security and Foresight are holding a workshop in London today to explore how the GFS programme can address the findings of…
May
- Animal welfare and food security - Feature - 25 May
  The UK is home to the largest sheep farming industry in Europe. There are five million pigs on UK farms at any one time. 16M chickens are produced…
- Breeder’s tool kit to boost sustainable wheat farming - Press release - 24 May
  A new project being led by the John Innes Centre, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC, is to develop a 'breeder's tool kit' that will help breed…
- Developing innovative processes to ensure fresh food is safe - Press release - 11 May
  Researchers from IFR, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC, have recently reviewed the use of cold atmospheric plasmas to inactivate…
- Global science network to protect against animal diseases - Press release - 9 May
  The UK will be better protected against animal diseases like avian flu and foot and mouth thanks to a global network of scientific research…
- Better understanding of foot-and-mouth disease offers potential for alternatives to culling - Press release - 5 May
  Research published today in the journal Science shows that scientists have uncovered a window of opportunity when it is possible to identify cattle…
April
- BBSRC engaging with the agricultural community this spring and summer - Press release - 18 April
  BBSRC is hitting the road in coming months to exhibit at several major agricultural trade shows…
- Helping bees using flower power - Feature - 8 April
  Controlling grasses on wildflower strips encourages pollinator biodiversity. Farmers could help cut the decline in Britain's bumblebees…
- Defending crops with maths - Feature - 7 April
  A mathematical toolkit could dramatically reduce crop losses from pests and pathogens…
- Omega-3 acids could reduce bone breakage in laying hens - Press release - 5 April
  Researchers at the University of Bristol funded by BBSRC have found that adding the right combination of fatty acids to the diets of laying hens…
March
- Scientists aim to improve photosynthesis to increase food and fuel production - Press release - 28 March
  Scientists in the UK and USA have today (28 March) been awarded funding totalling £5.4M/$10.3M to improve the process of photosynthesis…
- A new approach to reduce the risk of take-all disease - Press release - 24 March
  The soil dwelling fungus 'take-all' inflicts devastating stress to the roots of cereals crops worldwide and is a major disease problem in UK wheat crops…
- Protecting UK livestock from the threat of viral disease - News - 23 March
  Over 130 leading representatives from the animal health industry, UK agricultural sector, scientists and Parliamentarians met last week to discuss…
- UK-Vietnam collaboration to improve world’s most important staple food - Press release - 22 March
  Today BBSRC announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on rice genomics research with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)…
- Jimmy’s Farm Science Festival: The Story of Milk - Press release - 18 March
  What do cows eat? How do we get milk from cow to breakfast table? When a cow is poorly, what happens? What's it like to milk a cow?…
- Tomato quality — more than a question of taste - Feature - 18 March
  The quest to develop new tomato varieties is benefiting from a systems biology approach to understand the ripening process…
- How Campylobacter grows in the gut could be key to its eradication from poultry - Press release - 18 March
  The Institute of Food Research, an Institute of the BBSRC, and the University of Sheffield have recently published new findings describing how well…
- Study shows how chickens keep their cool - Press release - 15 March
  Its head looks like a turkey's, its body resembles a chicken's - now scientists funded by the BBSRC…
- JIC geneticists find pea quality controls - Press release - 11 March
  Legumes, such as peas, are an economically important source of protein for food and animal feed…
- Modelling bee pollination: enter the ‘flight arena’ - Feature - 10 March
  BBSRC-funded researchers are engaged in a number of activities to investigate the decline in pollinating insects such as bees…
- The foundations of empathy are found in the chicken - Press release - 9 March
  A study funded by the BBSRC Animal Welfare Initiative has gained new insight into the minds of domestic hens, discovering, for the first time, that…
- Migrating moths and songbirds travel at similar rates - Press release - 9 March
  A study published today reports the surprising finding that night-flying moths are able to match their songbird counterparts for travel speed and direction…
- What is good for you is bad for bacteria - Press release - 4 March
  Plants are able to protect themselves from most bacteria, but some bacteria are able to breach their defences…
February
- BBSRC-funded science and institutes in The Economist - News - 25 February
  BBSRC-funded scientists featured heavily in a special report on feeding the world in yesterday's (24 February) Economist…
- Camera technology poised to improve farm animal welfare - Press release - 22 February
  With meat consumption rising worldwide and poultry meat the most popular by far, there is pressure to increase production…
- £7M for public wheat pre-breeding programme announced - Press release - 21 February
  BBSRC has today announced a £7 million grant to a consortium of researchers to increase the diversity of traits available in wheat…
- BBSRC and Global Food Security at the NFU conference 2011 - News - 18 February
  The Global Food Security partnership attended the NFU Conference 2011 with a display presented by BBSRC…
- Key to aphid invasion success found - Press release - 16 February
  Aphids are some of the most destructive insect pests of crop plants, not only through the damage they cause from feeding but also…
- Research strategy launched to help meet food security challenge - Press release - 10 February
  The UK's major public funders of national and international food-related research have today published their co-ordinated plan for research to help…
- International meeting to combat devastating pig disease - Feature - 8 February
  Researchers gather to formulate virus control strategies…
- Biologists discover ‘control centre’ for sperm production - Press release - 2 February
  Biologists funded by the BBSRC have published results of a new study into the intricacies of sex in flowering plants…
- Two genes better than one for important plant pest - Press release - 1 February
  Researchers funded by the BBSRC have revealed a novel molecular mechanism that triggers plant infection by Pseudomonas syringae…
January
- Cattle breeders to benefit from new genotyping tool - News - 25 January
  Researchers at The Roslin Institute, an institute of BBSRC, were part of an international consortium, which has led to the launch this month of…
- Future of Food and Farming report welcomed - News - 24 January
  The publication of the Foresight report 'The Future of Food and Farming' has been welcomed as a valuable contribution…
- GM chickens breakthrough to prevent spread of bird flu - Press release - 14 January
  Researchers funded by BBSRC have developed chickens that are genetically modified to prevent them from spreading bird flu to other chickens…
- Historic grain collections helps preserve future biodiversity - Feature - 13 January
  One key to maintaining world food security is to preserve biodiversity in food crop species, as highlighted by a recently published report from the FAO…
- Global Food Security and BBSRC at the Oxford Farming Conference 2011 - News - 11 January
  The Global Food Security Partnership attended the Oxford Farming Conference 2011 with a display presented by BBSRC…
- Major international research initiative launched to improve food security for developing countries - Press release - 11 January
  In a unique and important move to harness science to improve food security for millions of people in the developing world, research funders from…
- Gains in grain - Feature - 5 January
  Project to improve chicken feed efficiency could save energy and millions of pounds…

Food security news: 2011

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January