Dr Olaf Kranse, Crop Science Centre, University of Cambridge
Global food demand is expected to increase by 35% to 56% by 2050. In severe cases, plant disease has been reported to cause over 50% reduction in yield. The field of plant pathology will have an increasingly important role in establishing global food security for a sustainable future.
Plant-parasitic nematodes are now among the most damaging pests to agriculture globally, costing world agriculture at least £80-125 billion per year. These animals are understudied, and as such, many laboratory techniques for these organisms are absent or suboptimal, limiting the speed and depth of research. Our lab builds tools and robots to accelerate research, which helps us increase our understanding of the disease, and come up with solutions to control the pest.
Come have a look and discover with us the microscopic world of plant-parasitic nematodes, and see this pest operate in a level of detail like no-one has ever seen before!
Science on Sundays
A programme of free, informal, monthly science talks bringing the latest discoveries in plant science, as well as research linked to the plant collection at CUBG to our visitors in a 30 minute nutshell.
We will be running these talks live from the Botanic Garden Classroom for those visiting the the Garden on the day.
Free with normal Garden admission.
Please check the website and social media for updates.
Suitable for adults and children aged 12+.
Talks run monthly March to August.
