BBSRC Impact Showcase 2022

Meet some of the talented people BBSRC are investing in

Dr Alex McVey, OGI Bio Entrepreneur

OGI Bio is a University of Edinburgh biotech start-up company who are producing retrofittable automation devices and increased analytics for the microbiology community.

Dr Antonia Sagona explains the benefits of BBSRC funding

Dr Antonia Sagona, Associate Professor at the University of Warwick, seeks to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Her research focuses on engineering synthetic phages for different applications and in vitro model systems of phage therapy.  She co-founded Lucidix with Dr Richard Amaee and closely collaborates with him, including exploring the use of bacteriophages as the basis for rapid bacterial diagnostic systems.

Professor Pippa Hawes - Value of technicians

Professor Pippa Hawes is the Head of Bioimaging at The Pirbright Institute- where she currently juggles her joint responsibilities of being a technician as well as a group lead.

Raymond Kirk - From PhD to CTO

Raymond Kirk, a BBSRC-funded PhD student, has created a successful spin-out, FruitCast, from his research. FruitCast is developing state-of-the-art crop forecasting systems for the global fresh produce sector that integrates powerful image analysis tools with the latest ensemble weather forecasts. FruitCast offers Artificial Intelligence (AI) crop scanning for characteristics like load and performance as well as labour and yield forecasting. These services are offered via various platforms, including handheld devices, phones and autonomous mobile robots. 

Raymond Kirk was funded by the BBSRC and industry-funded Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) for Fruit Crop Research, as well as Innovate UK funding for commercialisation. He is now the Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Fruitcast. The technology can reliably detect, count and estimate the weight of over 3.5 million strawberries a day and could assist in reducing waste, help match supply and demand, and plan labour.

Supporting inclusivity within the Babraham Institute

The equality4success team at the BBSRC strategically funded Babraham Institute unites all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion work to create a working environment that recognises the contribution and potential of all individuals. Investment and dedicated support have resulted in a number of initiatives, two of which are described here.

The Roving Researcher scheme was launched in 2020 to minimise the impact of long-term leave. Between April 2020 and March 2022, it has supported nine projects, providing cover for long-term leave and pandemic pressures on staff resourcing and recruitment. Both individual researchers and newly established research groups were supported.

The scheme recognised that the most common reason for prolonged leave is parental leave, which disproportionately affects the careers of female scientists.

“The Roving Researcher cover enabled my research to continue when it would otherwise have come to a complete stop. This has helped me keep up to date and competitive in such a fast-paced field.”
Dr Melanie Eckersley-Maslin, former BBSRC Discovery Fellow

Read Babraham’s blog posts to find out more on individual experiences with the scheme.

The ‘Black in Academia’ seminar series launched in October 2021 with funding from the British Society of Immunology. It highlighted the experiences of three Black scientists who shared their journeys through academia, the barriers they faced, and their thoughts on what could be done to support Black academics.

The talks raised awareness, revealing barriers often not seen and prompted discussions about how staff can create a more inclusive and diverse workplace.

Protecting pigs and people through collaboration in Southeast Asia

International collaboration between UK and Southeast Asian institutions has accelerated the development of therapeutics for both humans and animals.

Via training and knowledge sharing between the University of Kent, which led the project, Thailand’s King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and others, the project built upon existing infrastructure to grow Thailand’s capacity in biopharmaceutical production.

The project has been very successful, with progress being made on several animal or human biopharmaceuticals, including:

• a vaccine for Porcine Circovirus-2
• a recombinant interferon therapy for African Swine Fever virus, which preliminary farm trials have shown to be highly effective
• Scale-up tests are in progress 
• antiviral molecules to combat shrimp disease
• vaccines for bacterial infections in fish
• upscaling antibody production for Dengue fever
• Herceptin production for cancer treatment

The project has also been instrumental in the establishment of a state-of-the-art Biopharmaceutical Characterisation Laboratory at KMUTT, capable of serving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region's biopharmaceutical industry.

Technology to accelerate cultured meat

Cultured meat faces two technological challenges: producing enough cells and getting them into the right structure. Professor of Tissue Engineering, Che Connon, from Newcastle University has received several awards from BBSRC. Using his technical knowledge developed with BBSRC support, he has founded two companies to deliver technology for growing meat in a lab: CellulaREvolution, which has created a bioreactor for large-scale cell production, and 3D Biotissues, which engineers structured tissues like skin and muscle.

BBSRC has supported Professor Connon’s work through historic responsive mode funding, including through the Bioprocessing Research Industry Club, Joint Synthetic Biology Initiative, and an Enterprise Fellowship for Martina Miotto.

The challenges faced and solutions implemented when spinning out a company are discussed by Professor Connon on the UKI2S site, or his reflections on entrepreneurship in this podcast.

With Innovate UK, BBSRC will jointly invest at least £20 million to help develop alternative, more sustainable protein sources, with an upcoming call this December.

Protecting our potato crop

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Innovation Club (SARIC) was a £10 million partnership between BBSRC, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and industry to improve the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of UK crop and livestock sectors.

One SARIC project involving the University of Leeds and Harper Adams University undertook a series of experiments to update the currently available advice for controlling potato cyst nematodes (PCN), which can cause major economic losses. Potato growers are seeking alternative PCN control methods helping to reduce their dependence on pesticides, which can be costly and impact the environment.

The results provided the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and potato growers with more detailed information on the factors that influence PCN multiplication, such as temperature and potato variety, and the effectiveness of new control strategies.

Newton Bhabha Industrial Challenge finds value in waste 

The programme supported five projects with funding from BBSRC, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK, together with the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology.

Newton Bhabha supported partnerships between academic and industrial partners from across the UK and India. These projects identified a current waste product and worked to identify processes that unlock the potential value within it.

One project, led by the University of York, studied the waste product bagasse, which is material left after crushing sugarcane plants and a major by-product of the sugarcane industry, into bio-based citric acid.

Watch this video, produced by the Biorenewables Development Centre, to find out more, or read their case study.

A second collaboration, the Newton Bhabha industrial waste BioReview project, is led by David Bryant from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (strategically funded by BBSRC). This project has worked to turn sugar industry wastes into new sustainable products, such as the sweetener xylitol, industrial chemicals, filters for polluted water, and microcrystalline cellulose for food and pharmaceuticals.

The Roslin Institute measures economic contribution to UK

An economic analysis has calculated that research at the Roslin Institute, one of BBSRC’s strategically funded institutes, contributes almost £20 billion annually to the global economy, largely through productivity improvements in agriculture and aquaculture.

This figure includes a contribution of almost £325 million to the UK economy, more than £80 million to Scotland, and almost £50 million to the local economy, according to the report from BiGGAR Economics.

Their report finds that Roslin’s work supports more than 1,600 jobs worldwide, including 1,325 in the UK and more than 1,000 in Scotland.

For every £1 of public funds received, Roslin generates £3.40 in Scotland and £13.50 for the UK.

Beebytes is a social enterprise founded by two Roslin Institute scientists and a scientist from the University of Edinburgh and is a great example of a spin-out from the Roslin Institute. Currently located at the neighbouring Roslin Innovation Centre on the Easter Bush Campus, the company specialises in honeybee genetics and DNA analysis of pollinators and their environment.

The community interest company helps beekeepers and bee farmers select and breed their preferred type of honeybee. By giving more information about their bees, keepers can breed preferred stock themselves. This reduces the need for imports which risks introducing unwanted traits and new pests and diseases.

Beebytes also works with groups looking at issues of genetic diversity, health, forage and habitat for both honeybees and other pollinators.

Supporting the translation
of great ideas

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease and a leading cause of disability in the UK. More than 8.5 million people have this painful condition, with an estimated annual cost to the NHS of £5.2 million. There is currently no cure other than pain relief or joint replacement.

Research conducted at the University of East Anglia shows that sulforaphane, gained from eating broccoli, slows down the destruction of cartilage in joints associated with painful and often debilitating osteoarthritis. Trials are now underway in patients with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis to apply this knowledge.

The initial research was supported through the Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC) led by BBSRC. DRINC has helped the food industry to develop products that deliver health benefits.  

In April of this year, BBSRC launched the Diet and Health Open Innovation Research Club, providing further funding for solutions to UK diet, health, and nutrition challenges.

Invasive weed provides solution to clean energy

Across many developing countries, there is a lack of suitable fuel for energy needs, particularly in rural areas. An international team of UK, Indian, and Ugandan scientists and industry partners, through a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project, have developed biodigesters that break down waste biomass through anaerobic digestion to generate biogas. Led by the University of Leeds, the project is delivering demonstration units in rural areas of India and Uganda that are now being used by local communities for cooking.

Water hyacinth was used because it invades waterways, damaging the ecosystem and preventing communities from using the water for fishing or other activities.

Supplied with different mixes of biomass, four demonstration digesters have been built for the use of local communities. Locals have been engaged in the process, educated, and trained in this work, helping to build their knowledge of anaerobic digestion for producing biogas. The team are now developing the technology further and exploring its potential for use in other countries.

Utilising the proteins found in Quorn waste

Quorn Foods has worked with Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh to reduce waste. Quorn production generates waste containing a range of molecules which have great potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

By assessing these "waste" products and identifying their value, Quorn has ensured the maximum value is extracted, helping to make their process sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective. 

The work was supported by BBSRC, EPSRC, and Innovate UK funding, including the joint BBSRC-Technology Strategy Board (now Innovate UK) funding.

Professor Anastasia Callaghan, University of Portsmouth, talks about her research

Professor Anastasia Callaghan and Dr Charlotte Henderson from the University of Portsmouth discuss their research on a new array technology for gene expression analysis of multiple targets, as well as the spin-out RevoNA Bio. This is being applied to wastewater sampling for COVID-19 surveillance.

Upcycling household waste

A project led by the University of Southampton and supporting the technology of Fiberight Ltd received support from BBSRC, EPSRC and Innovate UK to mine the value in household waste.

An innovative resource recovery platform, HYDRACYCLE™, has been developed to increase the capture of materials from waste and upcycle them into market-ready products.

The platform recovers materials from mixed, contaminated waste from households and businesses. The materials can then be converted into products such as industrial non-food sugars and renewable energy (biogas), using enzymes and anaerobic digestion.

A test plant in Wales can handle 15,000 - 20,000 tonnes of waste per year and recover 70-80% of the resources. The team are seeking to scale this up to 150,000 tonnes to demonstrate the potential impact on the 15 million tonnes of waste going to landfill each year.

Public engagement for new biotechnologies

The examples included in this impact showcase demonstrate the breadth of agricultural and food research supported by BBSRC, from traditional breeding approaches to the exploration of new biotechnologies. All with the end goal of improving food security through crop and livestock improvement.

The UK Government consulted on the regulation of genetic technologies, and in September last year published its plans to unlock the potential of gene editing approaches that enable precise and efficient targeted modification of an organism’s genome, now being developed through the Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Bill.

This year, BBSRC, together with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and with the support of UKRI’s Sciencewise programme, commissioned a public dialogue on genome editing in farmed animals. The outcomes of the report will help to shape research strategy, wider policy, regulation, and responsible research and innovation pathways as the technologies develop.

Supporting sustainable farming

Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems (ASSIST) was a six-year project jointly funded by BBSRC and the NERC, bringing together farmers and scientists to provide scientific evidence informing the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in the UK.

The project team, comprised of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, BBSRC strategically funded Rothamsted Research strategically funded by BBSRC and the British Geological Survey, have produced a free suite of tools and apps to help farmers and land managers:

• E-Planner helps farmers plan where to put environmental options on their farm, such as where to plant flower-rich pollinator habitats.

• E-Viewer allows users to explore future landscapes in virtual reality and see what nature-rich, carbon neutral farms of the future might look like.

• E-Surveyor is a mobile phone app (available on Android and iOS), launched in 2022, and is helping farmers and landowners to assess the quality of wildlife habitats on the land they manage.

Amongst their many achievements, the team calculated that 51 km of flower-rich field margins have been established during the project. Read more about the research here.

Working with nature to reduce fertiliser use and boost crop yields

Researchers at BBSRC strategically funded institute Rothamsted Research have been exploring ways to reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers. Long-term investment by BBSRC has funded a variety of different projects with the aim of developing integrated, sustainable systems that reduce and optimise inputs whilst maintaining food supply. One major study published in 2022 analysed data from 30 long-term farm experiments in Europe and Africa.

The work showed that low levels of fertiliser can produce high crop yields if supplemented by practices that support farmland ecosystems, such as growing a greater range of crops, growing legumes that enhance soil fertility, and adding organic matter to the soil. Yields of wheat, maize, oats, barley, sugar beet and potatoes were tested in these experiments.

The lead author, Dr Chloe MacLaren, said: “Reducing reliance on chemical fertilisers would help to buffer farmers and consumers against economic shocks, such as the current spike in fertiliser costs and consequent increase in food prices.”

More broadly, SugaROx, a spin-out founded by Rothamsted Research and the University of Oxford, are developing biostimulants to help farmers optimise productivity and improve the resilience of crop systems to adverse weather conditions.

Insect survey's insights aid vital decision-making for farmers and environment

Find out how the long-term Rothamsted Insect Survey, which has catalogued more than 30 million insects across the UK since 1964, is informing a wide range of stakeholders including researchers, growers, conservation organisations, policy makers and others.

Supporting food security through aquaculture investments

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing agri-food areas globally, helping to support food security for a growing world population. 2022 is the international year of artisanal fishing and aquaculture.

See below for a collection of short case studies celebrating the importance of aquaculture in our world and demonstrating how BBSRC research is having an impact.

Combating antimicrobial resistance

AMR is a major global health threat. Find out more about how the Quadram Institute, strategically funded by BBSRC, is adopting a one health approach to AMR, recognising how the interconnected nature of human, animal and environmental health is crucial to tackling this global challenge.

 In November, coinciding with World Antimicrobial Awareness week, BBSRC published an Evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of BBSRC’s investments in antimicrobial resistance research with a few highlights selected below:

• Research at the University of Birmingham has added to a growing evidence base demonstrating how biocide use can select for antibiotic resistance. The results directly fed into policy change, informing the EU biocides regulation. This requires new products to assess the risk of cross-resistance and, as a result, the basic science has reduced the risk of developing antibiotic resistance from biocide use. One of the original researchers, Mark Webber, previously a BBSRC David Philips Fellow, was awarded a University of East Anglia (UEA) Professorship in 2022 and is now group leader at the Quadram Institute, where he continues to study how biocides affect the evolution of antibiotic resistance in biofilms.

• Professor Ritu Kataky and Dr Gary Sharples at the University of Durham have led research into the development of electrical devices that monitor bacterial biofilm formation. A hybrid bio-battery device was produced, which can generate a current that destroys the biofilm. This research was supported by Northern Accelerator and Medical Research Council (MRC) funding and has involved collaboration with Smith and Nephew, Admedsol, Northumbrian Water and DeLaval. BBSRC funding supported the commercialisation of the devices, and a spin-out, SmartBiofilm, is being formed.

• Research led by Professor Mathew Upton, researchers at the University of Plymouth have pioneered a drug discovery programme focused on developing a new class of antibiotics and the formation of the spin-out Amprologix. They discovered Epidermicin, which can rapidly kill harmful bacteria, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) at very low doses. With funding from BBSRC, a successful market scoping report led to further research to validate the compound and how it works, with BBSRC and Innovate UK funding to help develop the expression system. Having partnered with Ingenza, this strong academic-industrial collaboration led to further funding with Innovate UK and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), accelerating their new antibiotic candidate through pre-clinical trials towards the first phase of human clinical trials.

Supporting livestock farmers in Nigeria tackle disease

The Pirbright Institute, a BBSRC strategically funded institute, and the Royal Veterinary College in London have been working with scientists at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), farmers, and policymakers in Nigeria to tackle the devastating effects of sheeppox and goatpox.

These viral diseases cause suffering for the animals, a loss in wool and cashmere and can have a 40% mortality rate, causing large economic losses in a country with one of the largest sheep and goat populations.

Led by Dr Georgina Limon-Vega, the researchers identified the main disease risk factors and then assessed the impact of control measures. To make the research accessible for farmers, the team created an online vaccine cost calculator. The tool is making it simpler for farmers to evaluate the cost of disease and the financial benefits of vaccination for their animals.

In March of this year, Dr Limon-Vega travelled to Nigeria to present the results to field vets and policymakers, visit livestock markets, and share knowledge with the young scientists at the NVRI in Jos, Nigeria. She has now been awarded an Impact Acceleration Account award to continue the rollout of the tool.

Read the full case study here.

Supporting careers and fundamental science in vector control

Vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases and can cause more than 70,000 deaths a year. Climate change could exacerbate the problem by influencing the size and spread of mosquito populations.

Professor Luke Alphey, with funding from BBSRC, has spent over 20 years researching genetic pest control for vector-borne diseases.

His group at the University of Oxford applied their fundamental research in insect genetics to mosquito control. They created an alternative to the traditionally used radiation method for sterilising insects.

Trialling the method against Aedes aegypti, a key vector of dengue, had impressive reductions of over 90% in the targeted mosquito populations.

The science was commercialised via a spin-out called Oxitec. BBSRC funding enabled industry-academia partnerships and early-stage innovative research, which, dovetailed with funding from other sources and risk capital from UK and international investors, contributed to the foundation of Oxitec in 2002.

Oxitec spearheaded the world’s first-ever field trials involving the release of genetically modified mosquitoes, kickstarting the development of new regulations and guidance frameworks.

After a decade at Oxitec, Professor Alphey moved to the Pirbright Institute in 2014, and this year he moved his research group to the University of York, where he continues his fundamental research on localised and flexible methods of genetic mosquito control.

Read more

Human milk oligosaccharides improve 'leaky' guts in adults

Globally, more than 40% of people of all ages suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, that affect their quality of life and healthcare use. New therapies are urgently required and could have a significant social and economic impact.

A collaboration between Professor Nathalie Juge’s group at the Quadram Institute and three industry partners (ProDigest, DSM, and Emulate) confirmed the potential of manufactured Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) to provide health benefits in adults. 

Using human-based in vitro models and an observational study, the research team demonstrated that HMOs supported the growth of beneficial gut bacteria in the adult gut, modulated immune function, and made the gut barrier less ‘leaky’. This work has supported the translation of infant-focused products to adult ones and specifically informed the development of two digestive health products: Holigos^® IBS Restore and Holigos^® Maintain.

“Although until now HMOs have been studied in the context of infant health, this work shows the potential application of HMOs for adults with disorders linked to a 'leaky' gut - such as IBS.”
Professor Nathalie Juge, QI Group Leader

Modelling helps inform disease intervention policy

A research collaboration between the University of Warwick and Pennsylvania State University, led by Professor Michael Tildesley, has developed mathematical models that can combat disease outbreaks by determining the most beneficial control policy. The collaboration also involved the European Commission for the control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), the Ministry of Agriculture in Turkey, and the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya.

The project used data from previous outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), historical data on livestock movements, and epidemiological information.

One of the FMD models showed that vaccination is the most effective cost-saving method for control if there is capacity. The project also simulated the process of real-time decision making by fitting an epidemic model to data from previous outbreaks of FMD. The simulation successfully identified optimal control policies from an early stage.

The project is ongoing, aiming to develop and share rapid-use protocols and models with East African countries for use.

Synthetic biology centres make their mark

Over the past decade, over £400 million of public funding has been invested in synthetic biology research and innovation in the UK, putting us amongst the world’s leaders in this field.

Included in this investment are six synthetic biology research centres - centres of excellence that have boosted UK capacity, grown UK expertise, and stimulated innovation in the synthetic biology sphere. The infographic below summarises just some of the outcomes and impacts of these investments.

For example, C3 Biotechnologies, which spun out from SYNBIOCHEM at The University of Manchester, led by Professor Nigel Scrutton, brought together scientists to design and engineer biological parts, devices and systems for sustainable fine and speciality chemicals and production.

The spin-out is using synthetic biology to design new production routes for biofuels, working to deliver next-generation renewable and cost-effective fuels. Their technology could reduce reliance on petrochemicals, which can have a major impact on climate change.

Building on its earlier synthetic biology investment, BBSRC is now leading, on behalf of UKRI and government partners, the development of a National Engineering Biology Programme to consolidate and further grow the UK’s global leadership. 

Engineering biology encompasses the entire innovation ecosystem, from breakthrough synthetic biology research to translation and application, and has the potential to offer solutions to a range of global societal challenges. It is globally acknowledged to be one of the top disruptive technologies for the coming decades and is predicted to add $4 trillion per annum value to the global economy by 2030-2040.

Using artificial intelligence to improve pig welfare and health

Technology that spots and interprets small changes in pig behaviours can help keep them healthy, improve animal welfare and boost farm productivity. 

Read the full case study here.

Mesolab brings microscopy breakthrough to UK researchers

Obtaining clear images below the level of the cell for large specimens has long been a challenge in bioimaging. This makes connecting the detail within cells, along with the broader context of the whole organ or organism, very difficult.

Gail McConnell, Professor of Biophotonics at the University of Strathclyde, has received BBSRC support to develop new imaging techniques that answer this problem. She has established a new imaging centre known as the Mesolab, where her team are harnessing the capabilities of the Mesolens technology.

The original prototype Mesolens was developed in the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Cambridge, with subsequent support from an EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Agreement Funding, as well as the University of Strathclyde enabling the formation of Mesolens Ltd. A £1.5 million award from the MRC/EPSRC/BBSRC Next Generation Optical Microscopy Initiative subsequently facilitated the creation of the Mesolab, with further support provided by NC3Rs and the Leverhulme Trust.

The Mesolab is a powerful example of transformative technology at the interfaces of engineering, biomedicine and biology, providing UK researchers with a unique technology that will position them as international leaders in this emerging area of optical imaging.

Find out more about Mesolab and Gail’s career in an interview on this podcast from The Microscopists.

Open source software tool to visualise complex data

BBSRC funding has led to the creation of an open-source tool, lcmsWorld, for visualising complex liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) data. The project has been led by Professor Andy Jones and his team at the University of Liverpool.

LC-MS, a commonly used technique that can separate and analyse a wide range of molecules, produces large amounts of data. lcmsWorld was created to overcome the current lack of existing visualisation tools for LC-MS data. Such a tool will enable researchers to better use LC-MS data and further our understanding of cell, tissue, and organ function, as well as disease processes.

The user-friendly software is currently available in beta, and the team is searching for licencing partners to take it forward to market.

Groundbreaking discoveries in biology, from the structure of DNA to the processes by which cells divide and replicate, have had wide-ranging and long-term impacts to our lives. BBSRC invests in this fundamental research, uncovering new knowledge across all of bioscience. 
We share some examples below.  

Darwin Tree of Life draws public interest

The Darwin Tree of Life Project aims to sequence the genomes of 70,000 species of eukaryotic organisms in Britain and Ireland. It is a collaboration between biodiversity, genomics and analysis partners and is transforming the way we do biology, conservation, and biotechnology. The project is part of a global Earth Biogenome Project, which aims to document and understand all eukaryotic life - every animal, plant, fungus and protist - on Earth.

Funded by Wellcome, the Darwin Tree of Life Project involves several partners across the UK, including the Earlham Institute. This institute, which receives strategic funding from BBSRC, is applying its expertise in single-cell genomics, bioinformatics, and data management to support the sequencing of novel organisms and to enable partners to share genomic data.

This ambitious project is also reaching out to engage wider audiences, including schools and local nature groups, interested in learning how the latest DNA sequencing approaches can increase our understanding of biodiversity in the UK. The work was a central activity at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.

Check out the Royal Society’s video on the project here.

Beetle iridescence deceives predators

A team of researchers from the University of Bristol set out to understand why iridescence has evolved so many times in the animal kingdom. It was shown to reduce a predator’s willingness to attack. The team has now shown it has benefits in camouflage as well as a deceptive warning to potential predators. Find out more here.

Why does grass grow back when you cut it?

What is the secret to the remarkable regenerative powers of grass? It is mowed or grazed by livestock and yet continues to grow back. Our staple crops, such as wheat, rice and maize, are also members of the grass family with the same type of leaf, so understanding this challenge is important to global food security too.

A team of scientists led by BBSRC strategically funded institute, the John Innes Centre, have found the answer. Using recent advances in computational modelling and developmental genetics, the team revisited the problem of grass development.  

“By formulating and testing different models for its evolution and development, we’ve shown that current theories are likely incorrect and that a discarded idea proposed in the 19^th century is much nearer the mark.”
Professor Enrico Coen, John Innes Centre

Grass grows back because of the unique shape of the leaves. In grasses, the base of the leaf forms a sheath (a tube-like structure), which allows the plant to increase in height while keeping its growing tip close to the ground and protected from nibbling herbivores or lawnmower blades. Find out more here.

What can the origins of life tell us? 

Professor Nick Lane from University College London has used BBSRC funding to conduct some fascinating research around the origins of life. For example, exploring how, before complex genomes and cells arose, simple molecular systems could have driven metabolism similar to basic processes seen in living systems today. Read the journal article here.

He can also claim to have informed space missions via his research and writing. A former chief scientist and astronaut has written that he was inspired by Nick’s work to create the Icy Worlds Research Programme and Europa Clipper mission.

Read more about his work on the UKRI blog.