International crop science experts join University of Nottingham

PA 275/10 The University of Nottingham has announced the arrival of two of the world's leading experts in crop cytogenetics, further strengthening the University's research priority group for global food security. Professor Ian King and Dr Julie King, who will work in the School of Biosciences, will make a crucial contribution to this research. Their work on grasses and grain crops has already led to a generation of wheat and forage grass material exhibiting resistance to a range of abiotic stresses — damage caused by non-living factors such as intense sunlight or wind. Global food security is the challenge of ensuring that the world's population has access to adequate amounts of safe, nutritious food to meet its needs. By 2050 the population of the planet could reach nine billion leading to a doubling in the demand for food and making the issue of food security of increasing national and international importance. The researchers' ground-breaking work on chromosome introgression in monocots is an excellent example of the impact of fundamental research on plants leading to the development of better commercial varieties. Their move from Aberystwyth University has been supported by BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) through a Memorandum of Understanding signed with The University of Nottingham earlier in the year in relation to global food security.