The Gatsby Plant Science Summer School Lecture Collection: Recent Episodes
Cambridge University
The Gatsby Plant Science Summer School is a unique opportunity for first year undergraduates to discover the challenge and opportunities of studying plant science, through talks from leading scientists, careers sessions, eye-opening practicals and thought-provoking discussions with researchers and peers.
This collection brings together highlights of the lecture programme.
Dr Ed Mitchard of the University of Edinburgh speaks about his work developing new methods to map changes in forests, especially using radar and LiDAR data, with a view to supporting policy efforts to reduce and reverse deforestation.
Dr Cristobal Uauy of the John Innes Centre speaks about his work using the latest understanding of wheat genetics to increase the yield of wheat for the world's poorest farmers.
Professor Ottoline Leyser, Director of the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, speaking at the Gatsby Plant Science Summer School 2015.
Omega-3 fatty acids - obtained from fish oils - are vital for human health, but there is no sustainable production system in place for them. Fisheries are not run sustainably, and the marine environment is suffering from pollution which can accumulate in fish. Unfortunately, popular plant oils such as flax and linseed lack the bioactive omega-3 fatty acids that humans need. We need an alternative and sustainable source of these important compounds to tackle the health issues of the 21st century.
Prof Johnathan Napier works at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire, a government-funded insitution and the oldest agricultural research station in the world. He and his group have been working to engineer transgenic plants to accumulate omega-3 fatty acids.
Western agricultural systems are reliant on the application of inorganic nitrogen fertilisers to greatly enhance yield. However, production and application of nitrogen fertilisers account for a significant proportion of fossil fuel usage in food production and the major source of pollution from agriculture.
Prof Giles Oldroyd studies the mechanisms by which some species of plants are capable of forming beneficial interactions with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which provide a natural source of nitrogen for plant growth. In this lecture, filmed at the Gatsby Plant Science Summer School 2014 (for 1st year undergraduates from UK universities), Prof Giles Oldroyd discusses the potential to reduce agricultural reliance on nitrogen fertilisers.