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BBSRC and Climate Change

BBSRC and Climate Change. Nigel Brown Director of Science & Technology BBSRC SSAP meeting 21/22 May 2007. BBSRC overview. Fundamental research on: Adaptation of biological systems crops, crop pests and diseases animal production and disease mitigating climate change

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BBSRC and Climate Change

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  1. BBSRC and Climate Change Nigel Brown Director of Science & Technology BBSRC SSAP meeting 21/22 May 2007

  2. BBSRC overview Fundamental research on: • Adaptation of biological systems • crops, crop pests and diseases • animal production and disease • mitigating climate change • biofuels for energy and transport • predicting future needs and options

  3. Climate change spend 1997/98 – 2006/07 £k Includes research on climate change, global warming and greenhouse gases, responses to elevated CO2 or increased temperature, for plant or crop species, soil microflora and biodiversity. Also includes modelling studies and sustainable land use changes in response to climate change *Forecast spend 2006/07 and 2007/08 excluding 2007/08 institute projects

  4. Adaptation – crops, pests and disease • Scientists at the University of Bristol are using genomics technology on wheat genes to find those that confer tolerance to climate change • RRes are seeking genes that give natural resistance to Fusarium ear blight that could be bred into wheat reducing need for fungicide use • RRes are also monitoring aphids (previously killed off in cold winters) to have early warning of possible attacks Warmer wetter winters increase the likelihood of fungal diseases and reduced growth and yield

  5. Adaptation – animal disease Climate affects both the life cycle and geographical spread of disease-causing organisms and the species that carry them • Bluetongue virus thought of as a tropical disease spread by the midge Culicoides, now identified in European species • current vaccines not suitable for European breeds • School of Pharmacy and IAH scientists investigating components of BTV that could be used for vaccine • IAH predicting how and when BTV might reach the UK and how it could be stopped • Mathematical models being developed at University of Bristol to predict possible changes in the susceptibility of sheep to nematode infection

  6. Biofuels – biomass for energy Biofuels are considered to be carbon neutral. The ideal crop grows quickly and has the right combustion properties BBSRC funded work concentrating on willows and perennial grasses • Scientists at IGER and Rothamsted are evaluating the potential of short rotation coppice willow • IGER working with collection of Miscanthus genotypes

  7. Biofuels – petrochemical replacement Crops and food waste can be used to generate fuel replacements. Brewing technologies may be suitable for biofuel production (if made cost effective) • scientists at Broom’s Barn study sugar beet’s drought resistance and other genetic aspects • a group at the University of Birmingham is developing technology to reprocess sugary food waste to produce hydrogen for fuel cells • JIC scientists have built a synthetic core of one of the key enzymes for microbial generation of hydrogen with a view to replacing v expensive industrial catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells • BBSRC supports research on the biology of yeast cells during fermentation and an MSc course of Brewing Science at the University of Nottingham

  8. Bioenergy • Bioenergy review • understanding photosynthetic conversions • optimising biomass processing efficiencies • Bioenergy Initiative 2007 • £20M for capacity building

  9. Bioenergy Initiative Up to £20M is available for capacity building activities to underpin research in bioenergy to support: • at least one multidisciplinary bioenergy research centre • programme-type grants with industrial input • networking activities to build UK capacity in bioenergy research Expressions of interest to be submitted by 31 May 2007. Decisions on full applications will be known at the end of 2007.

  10. Examples of current funding (1) Accelerating breeding for biomass yield in short rotation coppice willow by exploiting knowledge of shoot development in Arabidopsis (Crop Science Initiative - RRes and York) The contribution of ammonification to N2O emissions from soils (Aberdeen & East Anglia)

  11. Examples of current funding (2) Climate and the transmission of arboviruses by biting midges (Culicoides) (IAH) Testing the heat constraint hypothesis of limits on maximal energy intake in mice (Aberdeen)

  12. Examples of other collaborations • Universities of Glasgow and Sheffield collaborating with Japanese research centres to explore the potential of the light-harvesting complex in photosynthetic bacteria to be copied into novel solar panels and sensors • JIC in partnership with US Dept of Agriculture and Dept of Energy is mapping the genome of Brachypodium (purple false broom) as a guide to the potential of related species such as wheat as a biofuel source • Sirius - a model that predicts wheat yield under different climates – developed by RRes and Crop and Food Research, New Zealand

  13. Appointments to BBSRC Strategy Panels and Research Committees • We are looking to appoint high calibre, individuals from the academic and user sectors to develop and deliver the BBSRC research portfolio and are currently seeking to fill a number of vacancies on our Strategy Panels and Research Committees. • Please note that the deadline for applications is Friday 8 June 2007. See link at http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/

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