News 2011
Plant Science in Top Ten
Wed, 6 Jul 2011
Do you want to study one of the hottest areas of science?
According to the Financial Times, Plant Science is in the 'Top Ten Hottest Fields in Science'. It's up there alongside the search for 'dark matter' at CERN; pioneering stem-cell research and the cutting-edge area of 'quantum computing'.
"With the population set to pass 7 billion this year and rising to 9 billion in mid-century, the world faces a formidable challenge. If everyone is to be fed without appalling environmental consequences, the yield of staple crops must increase enormously", says the FT.
The article notes the intensified effort to breed better plants for growers and consumers alike. "This involves both direct genetic modification to make plants more resistant to stress and disease and the use of genomic information to accelerate improvement through conventional breeding."
The School of BEES has a long and distinguished history in Plant Science research and teaching. Elements of Plant Science are taught within may of the degrees offered by the School. BEES also offers a dedicated Plant Science degree programme - .
BEES conducts a large amount of research in Plant Science including the development of better and novel crop plants, the sustainable control of plant pests and diseases, the interaction between plants and the environment (including UV and soil microorganisms), the control of non-native plant species and more.