LOOKING TO THE FUTURE F FARMING ANNUAL REVIEW 2017 – 2018 CONTENTS DIRECTORʼS FOREWORD For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES + 12 “Future Farming” films 03 GeoNutrition 36 EcoProMIS 38 INSTITUTE STRATEGIC PROGRAMMES Rothamsted International 40 EVOLUTION, Tailoring Plant Metabolism 10 Designing Future Wheat 12 Flagship projects 20 Smart Crop Protection 14 Read all about us – In the news 22 ASSIST 16 Social Media – Posts + Tweets 24 ENGAGEMENT, Soil to Nutrition 18 Industrial collaborations 34 NEXT GENERATION: Q&As Studentships 42 Clarice Noleto-Dias, Natural Product Chemist 11 Scientists on film 44 Our people 46 ENTREPRENEURSH IP Pouria Sadeghi-Tehran, Computer Scientist 13 Rafael Homem, Molecular Biologist 15 Often in life, progress depends on successful evolution. David Comont, Weed Ecologist 17 At Rothamsted, we are always looking at how best Patricia Grau, PhD Student 19 the institute can evolve, particularly so at times “We’re trying to create a Hongtao Zhang, Proteomics Scientist 21 of great change all around us, writes Achim vibrant environment where Dobermann, the institute’s Director Jonah Prout, PhD Student 29 and Chief Executive. people feel inspired” Petros Sigales, PhD Student 41 And when better than 2018 to FILM #01: 175 YEAR: 1843 – 2018 reflect on our evolutionary path, ANGELA KARP Long-term experiments conference 26 175 years since Rothamsted’s Geneticist; Director for Timeline of influential publications 28 inception. It’s been an Science Innovation, Engagement Festival of Ideas 30 extraordinary celebratory year of and Partnerships engagement. Highlights were our Future Farming: international scientific conference Inspiring Innovation on long-term experiments, for which Angela is introducing a “lean” Rothamsted is renowned, and a approach to science at Rothamsted, fantastic “Festival of Ideas”, which where researchers engage early with was free and open to all. those who will use their work, such as farmers, and test their riskiest assumptions. “We’ve set up a new experiment, called the Large- Scale Rotation Experiment, comparing simple For more, see our online rotations with a greater diversity of crops, and Annual Review 2017–2018 ploughing versus not disturbing the soil at all” www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718 Cover: Changing the lighting in our FILM #02: JONATHAN STORKEY glasshouses, from sodium (yellow) Plant Ecologist; Leader, Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems to LED (purple) lamps, halved energy consumption Future Farming: Return to Crop Rotation In 1843, the founders of Rothamsted began testing different combinations Inside cover: A “wild” field margin on site where moths are being of fertiliser on crops in fields to gauge the effects on yield; these tests encouraged to flourish became our famous Long-Term Experiments. Now we’ve started a new one.

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FILM #03: KIM “Future farmers will be skilled the future of farming. In particular, science must accelerate FILM #06: STEVE MCGRATH HAMMOND-KOSACK growth in productivity so that farmers here in the UK are Soil and Plant Scientist; Head, Sustainable Molecular Plant Pathologist; with technology with access competitive in an increasingly challenging world market. Agriculture Sciences at Harpenden Biointeractions and Crop to knowledge. They will Future Farming: Tackling Hidden Hunger Protection For Rothamsted, this means we must continuously ensure really know their farm that our own research addresses the needs of others, Steve says farmers should be paid not only for Future Farming: namely the diverse clientele with whom we interact in delivering yield, but also for the nutrient content Fighting Fungi and which parts of fields the farming sector. And we must ensure that our research of their crops. He says this is a fascinating time Kim says the best produce well. Crops will programmes are focused, and deliver tangible products, to make a link from soil to diet to people. solutions to fungal disease be selected that are good not just scientific publications. In short, Rothamsted must will involve genetics. She’s evolve to be more entrepreneurial. “I’d like to see that what people exploring strategies in which for those positions” are growing and what they’re researchers select genes they know a fungus requires and consuming is good for them” “silence” these to stop it. For the conference, we welcomed nearly 200 delegates from 36 countries to our site. Conference sessions were followed by visits to the experiments and archives, and supper at Rothamsted Manor, the home of joint founder, John Bennet Lawes.

For the weekend Festival, we opened our doors to more than 8000 visitors keen to learn more about the science of feeding the world sustainably. We also created a 12-strong series of films on “Future Farming”, a thoughtful take from our scientists on where agriculture is heading (with online links from this review).

For this is our mission; we are focusing on solutions for improving the performance of agricultural systems through our new Science Strategy for 2017–22, now one year in.

But the process of change never ends. Nor should it. In FILM #05: SAM COOK the past 12 to 18 months, the political environment has Invertebrate Behavioural Ecologist; FILM #04: shifted worldwide. In the UK, as we ponder what the Biointeractions and Crop Protection ADIE COLLINS world could look like after a potential Brexit, Rothamsted Future Farming: Controlling Pests Biologically Catchment Scientist/Hydrologist; has been actively engaged in discussion with those in Sam imagines a future where lasers keep track of pests in a So, how do we ensure that research results are not only Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Government who are thinking about the future of farming field, and the countryside looks very different, with perhaps excellent, but are also translated faster into practical and the environment. a patchwork of flowers in fields, with crops in the middle. Future Farming: Solving the Future Farming Puzzle applications? Well, this year, we secured a grant from the Adie works on the movement of water and pollutants on Key to this is shaping policies differently to ensure not “Laser technology will allow us to European Regional Development Fund to do just that, land. His work is like a complex puzzle. Decisions happen on only that science addresses the right questions and is well through our Agri-Tech Research Innovation Accelerator individual farms, but what matters is connecting the jigsaw supported, but that it is also carried out in a different way. scan a whole field and tell the farmer: (AgRIA). We have formed a partnership with a number of pieces to deliver the future picture of the landscape. universities, which bring a very different kind of expertise, We have a fantastic, high-quality science system in the UK ‘in this place, you’ve got too many from the engineering and computational sciences sector, “ The beautiful thing about our research but we have not yet succeeded in making full use of this pests, but you’ve also got natural for example. The challenge is to merge this fresh expertise to tackle the key challenges in farming and in the wider with the biological sciences in exciting innovation projects is that it’s trying to identify real-world agri-food sector. Science must produce results faster and enemies and they will do the job with industrial partners and with small- and medium-sized solutions to feed government policy” provide solutions to real-world problems that determine for you’” enterprises to find new solutions, faster.

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We’re also working hard on giving people more space to FILM #07: JOHNATHAN NAPIER FILM #08: farmers in Colombia by 2021. This new project, known think and take more risk in trying out new ideas, and on Plant Biotechnologist; Flagship Leader, JANE WARD as EcoProMIS (Ecological Production Management mechanisms that might help. For instance, we’re looking Omega-3 Camelina Development Natural Products Chemist; Information System), will combine earth observation at seed funds and other support for scientists and students Computational and data from satellites and drones with in-situ observations Future Farming: Fish Oils from Plants who want to work in a more entrepreneurial way. We want Analytical Sciences from smart sensors. It will deliver that information to them to gain skills that enable them to be more mobile and Johnathan works on a sustainable source of Omega-3 hard-pressed farmers in near real-time and in a way that more flexible in their research, perhaps via placements with fish oils. He puts genes from marine microalgae into enables them to increase productivity and minimise the industry or other partners. Camelina to produce a plant-based source, environmental footprints of their crops. instead of relying on the oceans. As our researchers engage with the world beyond Rothamsted, that world also reflects on the work we do. Some of the technologies at the heart of our research are hotly debated in the public sphere. Most prominently, in “Climate change, legislation, politics, recent times, have been controversial views about genetic public opinion, these are all part of this modification and gene editing in crops, and discussion around pesticides and potential negative impacts on argument; it isn’t just the underpinning human health, the environment and biodiversity. science. And as scientists we often This year, we have continued to play a strong role in such don’t think of that” discussions, as a voice for science that looks at facts and evidence as opposed to adopting a lobbying position for or against new technologies. It is important that we continue to play this role, in an independent and trusted manner.

In the pesticides debate, for example, we play two roles. Future Farming: Willow 2.0 First, we conduct research that aims to find answers to Jane’s team has been taking a fresh look at willow the hotly-debated questions, though these are often and the compounds in different willows to spot complex. Second, together with partners including medicinal properties. Some show promising results industry, Rothamsted is convinced that the future lies in against drug-resistant cancer cell lines. bringing together genetic interventions with agronomical, “ The beauty of plants is that they agroecological and chemical approaches. are a green way of producing things, “Plants are pretty clever. They can This is the goal of our strategic programme, Smart Crop metaphorically and literally. There’s do reactions that if you tried to do Protection, funded by the government’s Industrial Strategy a real power in fusing synthetic in a lab might result in a mixture of Challenge Fund, through UKRI. We believe it is not possible in the foreseeable future to carry out highly productive biology, metabolic engineering and different variants, but plants can do agriculture without using chemicals at all. It’s a question agriculture to do things in a more these reactions very specifically” of using those that are the safest, and in the safest way. Rothamsted can play a huge role here, and I hope the sustainable fashion” FILM #09: debate can shift towards this more pragmatic ground. After Over this past year, we have taken steps to form new LIN FIELD all, we need to produce more food in the future, not less. spin-out companies that are based on decades of Insect Molecular Biologist; excellent science at the institute. These spin-outs aim Head, Biointeractions and Crop Protection It is also important that, occasionally, we clearly state that to commercialise Rothamsted’s scientific inventions we are in strong support of specific new technologies, It is not necessarily the case that gene editing, for directly…a path we need to take more often. Future Farming: Better and Safer Pest Control because we believe not only that they are scientifically example, will lead to concrete commercial products, Lin aims to understand how insects metabolise chemicals sound, but that they are also an important component of but it could, and I hope that more of our crop science This year also saw the launch of an ambitious collaborative and then design very specific molecules that, in the long- the variety of interventions needed to make agriculture innovations in the coming years will move towards project to harness space technology and crop modelling to term, target just the one pest you’re aiming at, with no more successful. commercialisation and wider use. bring sustainable productivity increases to rice and oil palm side-effects.

6 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 7 DIRECTORʼS FOREWORD For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

The project links Rothamsted’s expertise with that of UK- FILM #12: The year has seen a flurry of scientific publications. based SMEs and a variety of partners in Colombia in an ACHIM DOBERMANN Highlights include a landmark paper late last year from exciting new field, via the UK Space Agency. I believe we Agronomist; Director and Chief Executive our team at North Wyke, showing that individual cattle can learn lessons from this project for applications in the can have a significantly different carbon footprint. This UK as well. Future Farming: Solutions for an Expanding World is exciting because it suggests, with careful breeding and Achim says the big challenge until 2030 is to find solutions feeding, a potential to reduce that footprint. Here, the Government’s new Transforming Food Production faster, in the way we produce, process and consume food. Challenge clearly states a desire to make food production He sees fantastic challenges and opportunities for science. Early in 2018, our researchers isolated a natural resistance more productive, innovative, connected, resilient and gene, called Stb6, to Septoria, which is Europe’s most sustainable by 2030. And the primary way of doing so is economically damaging wheat disease and a fungal to make farming more precise by merging technology and “ The UK needs to define what it wants threat to wheat crops globally. What is so encouraging information with an understanding of biological systems. If its agriculture to be like, to achieve here is that this is the first successful unpicking of a we can do it for rice and palm oil with EcoProMIS, why not FILM #11: its food security, nutrition, health wheat gene that confers resistance to this particular for wheat in the UK, for which we already have a model? GIA disease. Perhaps we can now find more such genes, ARADOTTIR and environmental goals” en route to a natural barrier to infection, at a time when Internationally, too, we have been developing other the fungus has already developed tolerance to most Entomologist; ambitious plans that make use of the latest digital and types of fungicides. mobile technologies, notably through joint work with Biointeractions and Crop Protection our partners at the China Agricultural University on the Future Farming: Insect-Crop Communication In campus news, this year saw the completion of our transformation of Chinese agriculture across an entire Gia identifies plants that seem resistant to insects, then award-winning accommodation for visiting students and region. looks at their chemistry and genetics to understand why. staff, the Fisher and De Ramsey Courts, named in honour She takes those traits and breeds them into modern of two of the institute’s most illustrious figures. Ronald And, in the UK, how to keep our soils healthy has been varieties, to help protect crops. Fisher was an outstanding statistician of the first half another strong theme this year. We’ve been working with of the nineteenth century; John Fellowes, 4th Baron de the government on how best to define soil health in a “By delivering resistance in the seed for Ramsey, is a farmer who was the Environment Agency’s simple way that can be monitored, so that good practice first chair and a board member of both Rothamsted by farmers can be rewarded. farmers, they will not need to spray Research and the Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT), which pesticides; so it’s much less likely owns the campus site. FILM #10: MICHAEL LEE that they will, and this will be a more With our 175 year passing, we look forward to continuing Livestock Scientist; Head, Sustainable Agriculture sustainable way to protect our crops” to work with all those partners, new and continuing, with Sciences at North Wyke; Leader, Soil to Nutrition whom we have engaged, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, as we rise to the challenges ahead Future Farming: Learning from Livestock in the science of feeding the world. Michael’s vision is to move towards more environmentally-friendly production of meat, with quality in terms of the nutrients that meat provides, and in how that meat is produced. In our 12-strong “Future Farming” This showcase of their research and The series was produced under the film series, we challenged our senior vision for the future featured across BBSRC Agri-tech Catalyst Seeding “We look at different farming techniques, scientists to explain the work they are the weekend of the Festival of Ideas. Awards, made through the government’s doing and why it matters. We then The aim was to open up a dialogue Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. It was at which is the most efficient at asked them to imagine the future with audiences, including the general completed by Rothamsted Research in transferring nutrients, and report that of farming in their specialist area. public, farmers and policymakers. partnership with Tandem Productions. to the farming community at a farm Click here to watch all 12 films of the “Future Farming” series system level – as if it was their farm”

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CLARICE What is your typical day at work? Do you dream about science? Typically, I spend half of my time on a In my dreams, the machines we NOLETO-DIAS computer analysing data and writing have in the lab work beyond physical TAILORING NATURAL papers, and the other half in the lab and chemical boundaries, and performing experiments. unthinkable findings are possible, PRODUCT more like in sci-fi movies. How do you describe your work PLANT CHEMIST to a non-scientist friend? Which part of your job excites We discover and extract novel high-value you the most? products from willow plants that can The idea of being able to find some be used in the pharmaceutical and extraordinary way of helping society industrial sectors. to overcome some problem, such METABOLISM as a disease, or even to create How do you describe your work environmental solutions for the to scientists in your field? Exploiting molecular processes to supply future. Our work is focused on the isolation a wide diversity of high-value products “It is our duty as and characterisation of valuable novel How often do you shout “Eureka!”? 1 scientists to raise compounds from willow, using Not as often as I would like…and mostly Our goal is to exploit fundamental understanding of plant public awareness spectroscopic techniques, such as NMR when I am analysing my experimental metabolism to expand the value chains of crops; we are and mass spectrometry, with the aim data and I can finally find answers. of Science” of finding new natural products. delivering novel and improved traits in two bespoke crops, Do you ever think “I should be doing Camelina and willow, through predictive re-programming of something else”? Freddie Theodoulou leader of the plant metabolism, writes , This does cross my mind when things strategic programme, Tailoring Plant Metabolism . are not working as expected…after a Developing a new plant lipid fingerprinting platform and the good night’s sleep, everything is clear use of lipid imaging approaches have allowed us gain new again insights into the regulation of oil production in Camelina1,2. Is Science valued sufficiently highly We now have a better understanding of how plant metabolism by society at large? responds to manipulation by genetic modification (GM). We It is our duty as scientists to raise have identified new genes to enhance oil yield and have brought public awareness of Science; a new lipid traits into the development pipeline. Thanks to the greater understanding of its critical approval from the Department for Environment, Food and importance in every aspect of life Rural Affairs (Defra) for a field trial (granted in May 2018), we can make society value Science. are looking ahead to testing GM Camelina lines in real world conditions, in conjunction with the Camelina Flagship Project. Why are you working in this field of science? In willow, we have combined chemistry and genetics to discover Plants are fascinating. They avoid genes involved in the biosynthesis of salicinoids, valuable predators even though they cannot compounds with potential medical and industrial applications. run. They adapt and survive extreme A comprehensive metabolomic screen of the National Willow conditions. And they do most of it Collection has been completed, facilitated by enhancements to using chemical reactions that humans our Nuclear Magnetic Resonance capability. Chemical profiles have difficulty copying in the lab. have been aligned with extensive genetic, transcriptomic and 1 Usher et al., 2017, Sci Rep 7: 6570, Tailoring seed oil composition taxonomic data to provide a powerful, interactive discovery in the real world: optimising omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated What makes a great scientist? resource. Importantly, stability of lead compounds during fatty acid accumulation in transgenic Camelina sativa. Passion, critical thinking…and always ambient storage has been demonstrated, enabling progress in 2 Haslam et al., 2017, BBA Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids looking for answers even while scaling up isolation procedures, to enable functional testing. 1862(8):782–785, Green light for lipid fingerprinting. knowing there is no absolute truth.

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POURIA How do you describe your work Do you dream about science? to scientists in your field? I always dream about things that SADEGHI-TEHRAN I develop novel analytical paradigms I am passionate about! DESIGNING FUTURE COMPUTER to process high-throughput phenotyping data to help plant Do you ever think “I should be SCIENTIST scientists to better understand the doing something else”? physiology and genetic diversity Never. From an early age I’ve WHEAT of crops. always been deeply interested What is your typical day at work? in maths, computers and I work on the world’s first fully What is the most important programming languages. Making Delivering genes and traits for automated field phenotyping facility discovery (or revelation) yet to be computers to understand and [a tall, mobile platform on rails that made in your field? sustainable and resilient production solve complex problems without records images of growing plants Artificial intelligence is already a human intervention is a great 24/7]. My day-to-day job focuses big phenomenon. It has started to feeling. Wheat is one of the most important global crops, on developing computer vision transform every single industry; but being grown on more land than any other commercial techniques to extract information human intelligence and AI are yet to Is Science valued sufficiently crop; it currently provides 20% of total calories from the overwhelming amount of be one tightly-coupled cognitive unit. highly by society at large? consumed by humans daily worldwide, second only plant data recorded by the platform. What drives or inspires your best Science has always lifted the to rice. A 60% increase in demand is expected by 2050, How do you describe your work work? human spirit. I believe our modern as the global population increases towards 10 billion. to a non-scientist friend? My family is always my source of society is open to novel concepts This programme aims to screen existing and new wheat I make applications to build inspiration. Their unconditional love more than ever before, which germplasm for key traits, thereby identifying novel 2 intelligent machines that tackle and support have taught me so much encourages scientists to explore germplasm suitable for further exploitation. This germplasm, real-world problems. about compromise and sacrifice. and discover more. together with tools and information required for its exploitation, will be made freely available to the wider plant community in a readily accessible form. The five-year programme to 2022 comprises a new collaboration of several UK organisations, namely Rothamsted Research, John Innes Centre, the Earlham Institute, NIAB, Institute of Food Research, the University of Bristol, the University of Nottingham and EMBL-EBI.

“Making computers solve complex problems without human intervention is a great feeling”

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RAFAEL How do you describe your work How often do you shout “Eureka!”? to a non-scientist friend? That doesn’t happen very often. HOMEM I use the fruit fly to try to But what would be the fun if it were SMART CROP MOLECULAR understand how insects become shouted all the time... resistant to insecticides and why Do you ever think “I should be doing BIOLOGIST certain insecticides are more toxic something else”? than others to non-target insects, Yes. Science, as any other job, has such as bees. PROTECTION its ups and downs. Luckily, most What is your typical day at work? Do you dream about science? of the time, I enjoy what I do. Developing targeted and sustainable control I start (and end) by selecting virgin Yes, especially after a challenging Why are you working in this field of flies. On an “injection day”, I spend of insect pests, weeds and diseases day at work. science? a good few hours micro-injecting I wanted to apply the knowledge insect embryos; on a “cloning Which part of your job excites gained during my studies to something day”, I’m immersed in the lab; on you the most? Pests, pathogens and weeds destroy nearly a third of that could have a direct impact on a “bioassay day”, the flies meet I really enjoy doing functional crops grown worldwide; this five-year programme aims tackling one of the biggest challenges insecticides; on a “computer day”, genomics. Being able to manipulate to improve productivity by using the latest technology to facing agriculture…pesticide resistance. detect, monitor, predict and control these threats. The 3 I analyse data, write and catch up genes and genomes to try to work integrates chemical, genetic, biological, ecological, with the literature; on a “hectic answer a biological question is What makes a great scientist? mathematical and agronomic approaches to deliver more day”, I do a bit of everything. something that I find very exciting. Curiosity and perseverance. targeted control strategies. The aim is to deliver a new vision for managing crop health to limit the incidence, distribution, dispersal, evolutions and impact of crop biotic threats, and to maximise the efficacy and sustainability of control interventions. Support for three years, to 2020, is coming from the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Seven key principles define the strategy: pesticide- dominated crop protection strategies are prone to evolution of resistance; next-generation crop protection needs new tools and novel interventions; pests, weeds and pathogens will adapt to all interventions, and Smart Crop Protection is “evolution-smart”; a systems approach that integrates genetic, chemical, biological, ecological and agronomic interventions; more targeted delivery of crop protection using new technologies to provide a step-change in monitoring and surveillance; improved monitoring and surveillance will deliver evidence-based crop protection; Smart Crop Protection minimises trade-offs between production, sustainability and environmental objectives. “I wanted to apply my The programme has three main work packages. “Smart knowledge to tackling one Surveillance” of pests, weeds and diseases; “Resisting Resistance” on the evolution of pesticide resistance; and of the biggest challenges “Next Generation Crop Protection” addresses the challenge facing agriculture” of sustainable intensification of agricultural systems.

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“Plants can’t move. They can DAVID What is your typical day at work? There’s no typical day. It can vary make tissue out of thin air, COMONT from boiling in a glasshouse to ACHIEVING and they have to withstand WEED shivering in a cold store; crunching numbers on the PC to crunching everything that’s thrown ECOLOGIST leaves in the lab; or, occasionally, at them” I can be standing in a field of wheat SUSTAINABLE gesticulating wildly to convey weed abundance measurements to other researchers. 4 How do you describe your work AGRICULTURAL to a non-scientist friend? I kill plants in new and interesting ways…so we can understand how to control weeds in crops more SYSTEMS sustainably, and help to safeguard food security. Securing food production while reducing How often do you shout “Eureka!”? farming’s environmental footprint Very rarely; for a start, my office- mate wouldn’t like it. Besides, the The post war productivity gains of UK agriculture have been best discoveries often come when accompanied by negative unintended consequences for something hasn’t worked as expected, the environment, including dramatic declines in farmland and so are preceded only by the noise biodiversity and the pollution of water courses. of head-scratching and puzzlement. At the same time, there’s an increasing gap between the Is Science valued sufficiently highly potential of new crop cultivars and the yields achieved by society at large? in farmers’ fields. This may partly be a consequence of a Not always. There’s a worrying mistrust degraded natural environment and the “ecosystem services” of “experts”, with politicians and the that this environment provides to agriculture, including media placing more emphasis on pollination and the regulation of crop pest populations. language and balance than on evidence. But scientific innovation surrounds us The five-year ASSIST programme to 2022, supported by day-to-day. Its value is undeniable, and the BBSRC, will quantify the potential of these ecosystem there will always be someone asking services providers to improve the resilience of crop yields in “How does this work…?” the context of other constraints on productivity, including abiotic stress. What makes a great scientist? Having the courage to try something This will be done at a national scale across contrasting new, go “off-protocol” and look at cropping systems, landscapes and soil types, combining things in a different way. That won’t expertise from crop scientists from Rothamsted, ecologists always work, sometimes spectacularly from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and geologists so, but the reward when it does will from the British Geological Survey. compensate. An ability to cope with The programme will also explore opportunities for reducing long work hours, inconsistent funding the environmental footprint of agriculture while maintaining and the infuriating comments of peer yields, so-called sustainable intensification. reviewers also helps.

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PATRICIA Why are you working in this field “I dream a lot about of science? GRAU I’ve always found animal behaviour my research. During SOIL TO NUTRITION PhD STUDENT fascinating, and I’d like to contribute busy periods, I’m to the understanding of domestic Transferring nutrients more efficiently animals’ welfare; I’m also concerned even working during about our responsibility as a species my dreams” from soil to crops and livestock for preserving our planet and What is your typical day at work? reducing our carbon footprint. Society I don’t have a typical day; I have times and politics have a critical role in We are aiming to identify the key processes that drive nutrient of computer work, soldering at the environment conservation, but science flows through farming systems so that we can intervene to workshop, fitting data loggers on cattle can lead to better practices and 5 achieve sustainable intensification of food production at the or filming them at pasture... I can’t provide world changing discoveries. field, farm and landscape scales, writes Michael Lee, leader of complain about having a boring job! the strategic programme, Soil to Nutrition. How do you describe your work At the field scale, for instance, we have combined X-ray to a non-scientist friend? computed tomography with metagenomics to study the effects I study how cattle behave to have a of perennial and annual plants on the physical structure of soil. better understanding of their impact We also established a dry spectral laboratory and have begun to on the environment, and how changing calibrate soils from Africa and Europe for inorganic and organic their behaviour could help to make fertilisers and for plant materials1. livestock systems more sustainable. At the farm scale, we are developing metrics of sustainability How do you describe your work to for arable systems using data from long-term experiments in the scientists in your field? UK and in Uruguay. To develop metrics for grassland systems, I apply ethology and animal welfare we are using data from North Wyke Farm Platform and from science in beef cattle livestock using the international network, the Global Farm Platform2,3. cutting-edge technology, with the aim of mitigating emissions of GHGs At the landscape level, we are developing a Hierarchical Model (greenhouse gases). Framework (HMF) to understand the fundamental mechanisms and processes that govern interactions between soils, plants What is the most important discovery and microbes, and thereby the gaps that can be filled with new (or revelation) yet to be made in experimental data. your field? A deep understanding of animal communication (both intraspecific and human/animal) could provide us with useful information for management, welfare and productivity of livestock. Do you dream about science? 1 Neal et al., 2017, Environmental Microbiology 19: 2740–2753, I dream a lot about my research. Land‐use influences phosphatase gene microdiversity in soils During busy periods, I’m even 2 McAuliffe et al., 2018, Journal of Cleaner Production 171: 1672–1680, working during my dreams. Distributions of emissions intensity for individual beef cattle reared on pasture-based production systems What makes a great scientist? A mix of creative mind, perseverance, 3 McAuliffe et al., 2018, Data in Brief 17: 570–574, Data to calculate emissions intensity for individual beef cattle reared on pasture-based concrete goals, passion about production systems research…and luck.

18 Rothamsted Research Annual ReviewReport 2017—20182017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 19 FLAGSHIP PROJECTS For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

RISING TO THE CHALLENGES HONGTAO What is the most important Is Science valued sufficiently highly discovery (or revelation) yet to by society at large? Climate change, soil degradation, water shortage, fluctuating ZHANG be made in your field? People benefit from the outcome demand, accessibility of food, economic stability and PROTEOMICS Reliable detection and quantification of Science without fully realising it. inequity, loss of biodiversity… of low abundance protein using Our work is extremely important SCIENTIST The number and magnitude of risks facing agriculture are mass spectrometry. for the progress of human society unprecedented, as is their interconnectedness and the Do you dream about science? as a whole, which is not always sufficiently valued. rapidity with which the risk landscape is shifting. Finding What is your typical day at work? YES. solutions in isolation is no longer an option; we cannot Trying to meet the deadlines of Which part of your job excites Why are you working in this field optimise the agri-food system by tweaking its parts. different experiments, projects, you the most? of science? collaborations, manuscripts, proposals The progress of science requires Rothamsted’s answer is to invest in new scientific, social and Advanced technology allows us to et al (including this Q&A) at the same more interdisciplinary knowledge, technological approaches that can address the whole system do things yet to be done, which can time…and trying to generate more which is challenging and exciting. of risks simultaneously and seek synergistic interventions create more scientific questions. opportunities to create such deadlines! that deliver more from less and eliminate unintended Do you ever think “I should be What makes a great scientist? consequences. We call it the Integrated Systems Lab, and How do you describe your work doing something else”? Free thinking and integrity. the ISL Flagship is the project designed to translate those to a non-scientist friend? Our work is a learning process ideas into practice. I’m studying changes in the as we create new things, which “Our work is extremely abundance of plant proteins to generate a lot more opportunities solve agriculture-related problems. to be doing “something else”. important for the How do you describe your work What drives or inspires your best progress of human to scientists in your field? work? society, which is not FROM ALGAE TO FIELD Quantitative proteomics using Desperation for something new… Arabidopsis. and thinking as a non-scientist. always sufficiently valued” TO FISH TO HUMAN The Omega-3 Flagship was established to translate the previous fundamental science discoveries by which genetically modified (GM) Camelina plants were engineered to produce omega-3 fish oils, writes Johnathan Napier, leader of the Omega-3 Camelina Development Flagship Project. The ever-growing demand for these important nutrients cannot be met by oceanic sources and the goal of the Omega-3 Flagship is to help bring our plant-based source of fish oils to market and become a commercial product. Since most of the fish oils that are harvested from the oceans is used in aquaculture (fish farming), we have focused on understanding and delivering to the needs of that sector.

Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 21 OCTOBER 2017

READ ALL ABOUT US For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718 IN THE SEPTEMBER 2017 MARCH 2018 FEBRUARY NEWS 2018 APRIL 2017

JANUARY 2018

DECEMBER 2017

APRIL 2018

22 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 23 For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718 SOCIAL MEDIA Company 22:47

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24 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 25 175: LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTS CONFERENCE For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

By the time our 175 year began in January, preparations Delegates discussed ways to make better use of existing A principal aim of the conference was to determine the for its first major highlight, an international conference LTEs, the need for new LTEs and their relevance to farming in future direction of the Global Long-Term Experiments at the site on “The Future of Long-Term Experiments in the future. They covered technologies for making the most of Network (GLTEN), initiated in 2017. Delegates agreed BACK Agricultural Science”, were already in full swing, writes LTE data in line with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable that it should be in the context of the UN Sustainable Keith Goulding, Conference Chair and Rothamsted’s and Reusable) principles. Other issues included soil carbon, Development Goals and focus on three broad topics: Sustainable Soils Research Fellow. modelling, and the efficiency of the use of nitrogen in reactive nitrogen, soil carbon and biodiversity. agriculture, led by the EU Nitrogen Expert Group. Rothamsted was seen to have a key role in coordination We welcomed over 170 scientists from 36 countries. TO THE and training in the experimental design and management The conference celebrated the achievements of LTEs, During the conference, delegates visited Rothamsted’s own of LTEs, especially in statistics. at Rothamsted and elsewhere, but looked principally to LTEs, which were started in 1843 on Barnfield and Broadbalk the future. It engaged a wide research community in the fields, and the archive of annual samples of grain, grass, Rothamsted acknowledges the conference sponsors: debate about sustainable agriculture and how LTEs can fertiliser and soil, dating back to 1844, which they spawned. BASF, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences FUTURE inform that debate. The presentations were recorded, They were introduced to the electronic Rothamsted Archive Research Council, Fertilizers Europe, The International and are available online, and there was much social media (e-RA), our unique historical data repository, which is Fertilizer Association, The International Plant Nutrition activity around the proceedings. available online, free and open to all. Institute and The International Potash Institute.

Conference delegates gathered before dinner at Rothamsted Manor, the home of our joint founder, John Bennet Lawes

26 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 27 175: TIMELINE For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

JONAH How do you describe your work Is Science valued sufficiently highly to scientists in your field? by society at large? PROUT I’m using simulations to create indexes With increasingly better science RECORD OF PhD STUDENT for soil organic carbon in England, communication, the general Wales and Africa…as well as mid- awareness of problems, solutions and infrared spectroscopy to measure the value of research is improving, soil properties for determining the though a lot is still taken for granted. ACHIEVEMENT index value of a site. What is your typical day at work? Why are you working in this field Do you dream about science? As part of the celebrations to mark our 175 year in 2018, Data analysis from simulations of science? It depends how pressing a deadline is, we produced a vertical timeline of our most influential and coding or measuring infrared Soils are often overlooked despite otherwise science-fiction and flying. publications, nominated by staff and showcasing Rothamsted’s spectra of soil samples. being so important for life on Earth… iPad 9:45 AM 100% contributions to science and discovery across a diverse range How often do you shout “Eureka!”? and I like the good mix between desk, How do you describe your work of disciplines, writes Tim Wales, the institute’s Head of Library Most days, followed by “Oh, wait…” lab and field work. to a non-scientist friend? & Information Services, who co-ordinated the project. I’m creating a system to measure how Which part of your job excites you What drives or inspires your The initial starting point was a call for highly cited publications much organic carbon (carbon from the most? best work? of the past five decades but we quickly found that we were plants and animals) is in a soil, and to Learning new transferable skills in Trying to solve problems that surpassing that target. compare this finding with how much coding, and getting to grips with greatly impact the environment carbon the soil could hold. spectroscopy again. and the public. We had sought nominations from current and past staff, in part to harness the power of collective memory and also to ensure that influential works were not overlooked, especially those originating from the various independent institutes “I shout ‘Eureka!’ most days, that have merged with Rothamsted over the years. followed by ‘Oh, wait…’” We received more than 130 nominations and indexed them in our Soutron library catalogue. This archiving system provides the underlying metadata for the timeline, which we designed to focus on papers within a decade, from the 1850s to the 2010s, and within a subject, from agroecology to statistics, via biotechnology and entomology to livestock and plant sciences.

There are 21 subjects at present but the number and range can broaden, as demand dictates. We have also included some departmental histories and obituaries of eminent scientists. We welcome suggestions ([email protected]).

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our friends at Elsevier, Wiley and the Royal Society for working with LIS to enable free access to more than 400 of our publications for the duration of our anniversary year. This generous gesture is in recognition of Rothamsted’s contribution to the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and to our commitment to make as much of this knowledge as open and as free as possible.

28 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 29 175: FESTIVAL OF IDEAS STARTED EARLY, STAYED LATE Our anniversary year began early, well before 1 January 2018, after we decided to stage a celebratory Festival of Ideas, free and open to all…and it was worth it!

With eight months of planning and preparation, and the engagement of the majority of staff across our two campuses, we marked the start of formal experiments on site in 1843 with a celebration of today’s science here, science that looks to the future of sustainable food production. We had not done anything like this before, not on the same scale. More than 40 groups of staff devised and revised “Wow! Wow! Wow! What a ways of presenting their work to engage the most diverse of day…it is no surprise you are audiences, from knowledgeable stakeholders and technical collaborators to interested adults and inquiring children. world leaders” In the end, there were 35 exhibits across ten zones: Gene, Global, Health, Heritage, Wheat, Soil, Tech, Experiment, Grassland and Insect. Each offered well-crafted posters to help to explain what was going on, and many incorporated bespoke accessories, such as the “Tree of Trade-offs”. There were six tours: taking in the National Willow Collection; viewing the inside of the glasshouses and controlled environments; magnifying to grand scales in the BioImaging Lab; sleuthing in the Library; strolling through Manor Gardens; and riding around the farm on a tractor-trailer.

“The best bit for me was when I walked past a young boy who said to his dad: ‘Dad, I’m having such a good day’”

30 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2017—2018 31 175: FESTIVAL OF IDEAS For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

“It’s very motivating as an early

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22 - 24 June 2018

EVALUATION REPORT

Friday Focus

On Friday 22 of June, the day before the Festival weekend, we provided invited guests and students from six local primary and secondary schools with a sneak preview of the event and a chance to meet and speak with our scientists.

100 invited guests attended the preview, including 180 students from local schools were invited to the farmers, industry representatives, local and district preview and given an exclusive guided tour of the officials. In our auditorium, they heard short talks Festival. from students, directors and policy makers, and Harpenden Academy Sir John Lawes And there were two displays: one promoted our multi- were then taken on guided tours of the Festival St. Dominics Roundwood Park exhibits. Sundon Park Denbigh High talented and multi-cultural team, and the other showed off 16 17 our heavyweight farm machinery of tractors and sprayers, 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% We evaluated reactions to the Festival during and after the event. I understood the importance of Rothamsted science 72% 24% foragers and harvesters, drillers and cultivators. "Interesting", "informative" and "fun" were the top three words used Success to describe the event. I felt welcomed and that staff and scientists engaged with me 85% 12% I feel the science is relevant to my everyday life 58% 35% 7%

I enjoyed the way the science was presented 68% 31% A series of 12 films on “Future Farming” was also I was interested by the science on display 63% 37% I have a greater appreciation of the value of agricultural science 63% 32% 4% Goo d I became more aware of the challenge of feeding the world 61% 30% 7% 20 .5 commissioned to explore the broad range of Rothamsted’s More than 8000 people came onto the site over three days: % 80% of attendees had 47% did not know I had fun with science 59% 32% 8% heard of Rothamsted Rothamsted was involved I feel inspired by something I learned today 59% 33% 8% before the Festival in global food security 100% I became more aware of agricultural science in my daily life 64% 31% 5% expertise, with senior scientists describing the work that the first day, a preview on the Friday, was dedicated to local of respondents rated Today, I interacted with a scientist 73% 26% GRE 15 A E - 48% 39% 11% the Festival "Good" or 6 15-30 The Festival was what I expected based on promotion

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e c x E I had enough time to enjoy the Festival 44% 30% 11% 12% 55% of people travelled 100% of people agreed imagine the future of farming in their specialist areas. stakeholders; the weekend was open to everyone…and the less than 5 miles, while with the statement The timings of the Festival suited me 65% 26% 9% 12% traveled more than "I learned something The indoor and outdoor spaces were good 75% 23% 30 miles new"

Agree strongly Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Disagree strongly weather did not let us down. 14 15 We presented these films as part of a programme of activities for the Festival’s “Talk Tent”, in the Rothamsted Feedback from visitors and staff has been universally positive, Conference Centre. They ran alongside three-minute as the Festival’s Evaluation Report shows. It highlights the “It’s more hands on, more interesting and “flash talks” from a vibrant group of our early career tangible demand for knowledge about science, communicated scientists and longer presentations by invited speakers, in engaging and attractive ways, just as the staff of Rothamsted more currently relevant than a trip to the from inside and outside the institute. did over that wonderful weekend in June. Science Museum”

32 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 33 INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATIONS For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

Green fluorescent protein with two new projects signed off last year. Through a development of solutions to improve animal health and (GFP) under ultra-violet light multi-disciplinary project, we are bringing together our welfare, enhance soil, water and nutrient use efficiency highlights the green-yellow scientific knowledge of insect behavioural ecology and areas of a maize plant that in crop and livestock production, and to increase the CHALLENGES, have been “infected” with a pest management, FaunaPhotonics’ optics, engineering productivity of speciality crop production. new viral vector; the Foxtail and data science capabilities and Bayer’s expertise on mosaic virus (FoMV) transfers digital platforms for monitoring and decision support Last year, we set up projects with six SMEs. For instance, suspect genes into cereals, with Clean Grow Ltd, we are working on nutrient sensors quickly and cost effectively, services. PARTNERSHIPS enabling study of the effects for soil phosphorous; with Glas Data, we are developing of the proteins expressed by The aim is to develop new in-field sensors to monitor an app for yield prediction and nutrient management; the genes pest and beneficial insects automatically. This technology and, with Precision Grazing Ltd, we are studying the has the potential to help farmers reduce pesticide use benefits of cell grazing. and we are now at a stage where we will start sharing & INNOVATIONS results at scientific and industry conferences. The £6.4M ERDF-funded Environmental Futures and Big Data Impact Lab is giving Devon-based SMEs an Collaborations with industry are critical Through our Framework Agreement with Alltech, opportunity to access our expertise in soil, water, plants, to our ability to deliver innovations we are not only investigating novel applications for livestock, environmental sciences, data science and solutions in crop and forage production, but also machine learning. from our science as improved practices, fostering the next generation of scientists. Last year, Achilleas Christou, our joint PhD student, won a Last year, we launched a project with Elemental Digest products and technologies President’s Prize for a highly commended presentation Systems, a local SME that has developed a process to at the annual conference of the British Society of convert abattoir waste into a novel micronutrient-rich Although industrial collaborations constitute a small Animal Science. Achilleas is investigating how nutritional phosphate fertiliser. We are helping them to develop proportion of the work we do, typically 10% of our annual amendments, derived from microbial fermentation, application rate recommendations for different crops budget, they are an important means of ensuring that our can improve forage quality and crop productivity in and soil types. science delivers environmental and economic benefits maize and ryegrass. to society, writes Bianca Forte, Rothamsted’s Alliance With all these partnerships and programmes now in place, Manager for Knowledge Exchange & Commercialisation. “Without highly-trained talent that has the commercial we look forward to the joint work that we will do with awareness and multi-disciplinary skills to challenge how industry in the next few years to come. We look forward And what a great year 2017–18 was for industry we view traditional management practices, the industry to helping these businesses, and many others, to develop collaborations at Rothamsted Research. The projects would stand still,” says Mark Gaffney, Research Project more effective and sustainable solutions for British farmers. running under our Framework Agreement on wheat Manager at Alltech, and co-supervisor for the project. innovation with Syngenta, now almost close to their end, Perhaps later, we can even help them to adapt and take continued to yield excellent outputs. Finally, recognising the challenges that new tech- the best of British technologies to international markets. based companies face in the initial phases of product One area of work that is attracting great attention from development, we also invested considerable effort the global academic community is the development of last year into raising funds to improve our ability to a new rapid and cost-effective virus-derived system to collaborate with start-ups and small- and medium- 1 express proteins in plants . This new tool for studying the sized enterprises (SMEs). We could not be more function of genes will be particularly useful in plant species, pleased with the results. such as wheat and maize, for which transformation-based methods are unavailable or are too time- and labour- We are now a partner in two programmes, funded demanding. “This should allow a major leap forward in by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), scientific knowledge across a whole range of crops,” says “Without highly trained that will enable start-ups and SMEs to engage in Dave Hughes, Global Head of Technology Identification innovation projects. We also laid the groundwork and Evaluation for Crop Protection at Syngenta. talent to challenge traditional and are on track to launch a third programme. practices, the industry Our collaborations under the Framework Agreement Through the £10.2M ERDF-funded Agri-Tech Cornwall 1 Bouton et al., 2018, Plant Phys 177: 1352–1367, Foxtail mosaic virus: on smart crop protection with Bayer continued to grow, would stand still” initiative, we are supporting Cornish SMEs with the A new viral vector for heterologous protein expression in wheat and maize

34 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 35 INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: GEONUTRITION For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718 HIDDEN THREAT TO HEALTH Falling levels of essential nutrients in diets “We want to gain a better around the world demand urgent action, from understanding of the multiple soil-crop-human interactions in food chains factors that influence the transfer of to shifts in socio-economic-cultural policies nutrients from soil to crops to diets”

We have begun one of the most ambitious programmes to provide lasting improvements in nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, bringing our soil and crop expertise to bear on the falling levels of essential nutrients in diets around the world, writes Steve McGrath, a specialist in the bioavailability of nutrients and head of the Sustainable Agricultural Sciences Department at Harpenden. Rothamsted is part of a diverse multinational team of experts from agriculture to ethics that is working on a 43-month programme (from January 2018), known as GeoNutrition and funded with a grant of £4.4 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The programme is focusing on deficiencies in selenium and zinc, which impair growth, inhibit cognitive development and suppress the immune system. Its experts, from Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya and the UK, aim to map cropland, test the efficacy of micronutrient-enriched fertilisers, assess public health policies and strengthen training networks. In Ethiopia, there are Addis Ababa University, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); in Malawi, Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources (LUANAR); in Kenya, CIMMYT again and the World Agroforestry Centre Balem Melesse, left, and Wubie Mesfin, from the South Gondar Zone agriculture (ICRAF); and, in the UK, Rothamsted, the British Geological extension office, preparing to sample Survey (BGS), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical soil and wheat in the Amhara Region Medicine (LSHTM) and the University of Nottingham, of Ethiopia which is leading the programme. Edward Joy/LSHTM

36 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 37 INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: ECOPROMIS For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

Local workshops introduce farmers to SPACE-AGE TECH drone technology OFFERS CROP DATA RELIEF Satellites and drones are set to support Colombian farmers with timely data

We are leading a major collaboration project in South America to harness space technology, in the form of earth observation data from satellites and drones, and bring sustainable productivity to rice and oil palm farmers in Colombia. Fewer than one in ten of Colombian farmers have access to technical assistance to manage their land more efficiently. The new project, known as EcoProMIS (Ecological Production Management Information System), is designed to create a commercially viable solution for sustainable agriculture by April 2021; a solution that is free to farmers and funded by industrial stakeholders. EcoProMIS aims to combine space data with in-situ observations from smart sensors and to deliver that information to farmers in near real-time and in a way that enables them to increase productivity and minimise the environmental footprints of their oil palm and rice crops. Rothamsted signed the 38-month, £3.9M contract with UK Space Agency in February, and then appointed Agricompas, a data analytics company based in the UK, to jointly forge and manage a public-private partnership, which was established in mid-May. Rothamsted’s partners also include, from the UK, Elastacloud, for data science, and Pixalytics, for satellite earth observation; “Smart technology can deliver timely from Colombia, the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture data to farmers to increase their (CIAT), Cenipalma and Fedearroz, for local agricultural knowledge; and Solidaridad, the international organisation productivity and minimise their behind the Fair Trade movement, for socio-economic expertise. environmental footprints”

38 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 39 INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: RI For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

PETROS What is your typical day at work? How do you describe your work to It depends on the time of year but scientists in your field? SIGALES includes work in the laboratory or We focus on how plant nutrition SPRINGBOARD PhD STUDENT in the fields and, of course, work and applied chemicals affect wheat in the office analysing data or development, by analysing the just studying…different tasks, not expression of genes to understand routine. their regulation, and by combining TO GREATER “Great scientists results from both field and should be able to How do you describe your work hydroponic experiments. to a non-scientist friend? communicate their We’re aiming to better understand Which part of your job excites you DEVELOPMENT work effectively…and the factors that affect wheat the most? The part that challenges me the not focus only on their development and productivity; Our Fellowship Scheme has enabled our goal is higher yields and most. This is the interpretation of own field” improved quality. my results and my findings. I believe more than 200 researchers from this is the real challenge for every 35 countries to train with world-class scientist. scientists Do you ever think “I should be doing something else”? Not so far. In fact, I can’t imagine Rothamsted International (RI) is about advancing scientific myself doing anything else. I enjoy my understanding in low-to-middle income countries for long- work…and this is satisfactory proof term and sustainable solutions to emerging and persistent that I have made the right choice. challenges in food production, writes Simon Vaughan, Head of Grants and International Programmes. Is Science valued sufficiently highly Its primary activity is the RI Fellowship Scheme for the by society at large? early career development of agricultural researchers. Yes, it is. Most people, at least in RI fellows use state-of-the-art facilities at Rothamsted Greece, appreciate Science and its where exceptional networking opportunities often form contribution to society. There are the basis of long-term international partnerships. always some others who argue the opposite, that it is a waste of money. In 2018, RI celebrates its 25th anniversary with ambitious plans to increase the number of fellowships and to expand What drives or inspires your its in-country support for RI fellows following their return best work? home. We also expect to announce a new joint scheme My curiosity about plants’ abilities with the University of Nottingham’s Future Food Beacon inspires me most…and studying Programme. something applied, which might be useful in the future. Founded by the Lawes Agricultural Trust as a not-for-profit initiative, RI is supported by donations from the public, What makes a great scientist? trusts and foundations. All funds directly support training in Apart from technical skills, they agricultural research, research that positively impacts the should be able to communicate their livelihoods of people living in some of the most impoverished work effectively to the public. What and environmentally challenged regions of the globe. is more, a good scientist should not Further information on these activities and the application focus only on their own field but process can be found at www.rothamsted.ac.uk/RI gather expertise in other areas, too.

40 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2017—2018 41 STUDENTSHIPS For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

“Postgraduates can join boot camps in public speaking, storytelling and ON A MISSION communicating…and then perform TO SECURE FOOD at a mix of community events” From fruit and veg to AI and data science, the high life for postgrads never ends (AgRIA) now hosts five PhD students, registered at Cranfield University and working on soil science projects with a strong entrepreneurial component. We also launched four Rothamsted’s vibrant student community continues to Rothamsted-Reading Alliance studentships to explore grow, thanks to a diverse portfolio of PhD opportunities nutrition and informatics along the entire food chain. with a variety of university and industrial partners, writes Freddie Theodoulou, chair of the institute’s Postgraduate In 2017, student numbers were boosted by projects Education Committee. supported by the National Productivity Investment Fund. Themes for 2018 are AI and data science, which will also Our existing Doctoral Training Partnerships, the feature in the new round of DTPs and CTPs. Two new Nottingham-Rothamsted DTP and the SWBio DTP, collaborative training ventures are set to launch in the continue to provide excellent collaborative PhD projects in coming year. Four multidisciplinary Farming Futures PhD the BBSRC priority areas, “Agriculture and Food Security” projects will form part of the Rothamsted-University of and “Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy”. Projects Bristol Strategic Alliance; and we are looking forward to with an environmental focus are supported through the welcoming the first cohort of five Nottingham-Rothamsted NERC Envision DTP and the Lancaster Joint Graduate Future Food Beacon students in October 2018. Jointly School for the Environment; and specialist postgraduate funded through the University of Nottingham and the training in soil science is delivered through BBSRC and Lawes Agricultural Trust, these studentships address NERC’s STARS Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT). As the international agricultural development and are open to partnerships mature, Rothamsted is looking to continue candidates of all nationalities. and extend these successful alliances in the new round of DTPs and CDTs from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). With such a diverse group of partners and projects, Rothamsted is a stimulating place for postgraduate October 2017 saw the first students arrive for three education where cohesion and interactions among our new training programmes. The BBSRC Waitrose student community are fostered. The highlight of the year Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) offers was the annual Student Symposium, which brought together doctoral training in sustainable crop production, the whole student cohort to socialise and share research sustainable soil and water, and biodiversity across the spectrum of Rothamsted’s science portfolio. and ecosystem services in agriculture, Postgraduates also had the chance to join boot camps with a focus on fruit and vegetable crops. in public speaking, storytelling and communicating, Students are registered at one of three “Speaking Science 101”, in which they could learn about partner universities (Lancaster, Reading presenting their own research to the general public. These and Warwick) and all have an industrial practical sessions led to performances of three-minute supervisor from the Waitrose Agronomy flash talks in the “Talk Tent” at Rothamsted’s Festival of Group. Our homegrown Agricultural Ideas and at the Herts County Show, plus engagement Research and Innovation Accelerator opportunities at other public events.

42 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2017—2018 Rothamsted Research Annual Report 2017—2018 43 SCIENTISTS ON FILM For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

Clockwise from left: Ottoline Leyser, Robbie Manning-Smith, Nigel Halford, Paul Nurse and FOR THE Gia Aradottir RECORD, VIDEO IS ROUTINE

From plastic plants and revolutionary Among our invited speakers were Ottoline Leyser, Director of the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU), science, to our trip to the Christmas who explained her awe for the plasticity of plants, and Paul Lectures, via a visit from our local Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute, who spoke of MP and a mingle at our annual how and why agriculture and biotechnology had become the poor cousins of research investment in the life sciences. postgraduate forum…filming is Internal seminar speakers included Lin Field, Head becoming routine of Biointeractions and Crop Protection, with her wry “Neonicotinoids and bees – what’s all the fuss been about?”, and Nigel Halford, plant geneticist and a specialist in We launched into more regular film making and metabolic regulation, with his darkly humorous talk production this year, taking out our video cameras at about the food toxin, acrylamide, “Have we had our chips seminars, conferences, one-off events or even to interview (not to mention our toast, biscuits, breakfast cereals, crisps researchers on the publication of their latest papers. We and coffee)?” used film alongside still images and text to record and promote the occasions. Other highlights were Gia Aradottir’s trip to participate in the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, with her aphids The aim is not only to enhance records of presentations and parasitic wasps; our annual Postgraduate Student to make them more widely available and accessible, but Symposium; the first visit by our new local MP, Bim Afolami; also to help to make it routine for scientists to be talking and a taste of the 15th annual stakeholders’ meeting of “Familiarity breeds consent… on camera about their research and about the longer-term the Wheat Genetic Improvement Network (WGIN), which implications of their work. Familiarity breeds consent. secured funding to 2023 in February. regular film-making For the Rothamsted Seminar Series, we streamed the talks Among the researchers prepared to trial the idea of short enhances presentations live (with speakers’ consents) and also recorded short, video clips on Twitter to promote their latest research and encourages scientists to four-to-five minute interviews. We linked both films (on papers were Rowan Mitchell, on less chewy grass; Matthew our YouTube site) to an accompanying online news story Paul, on boosting cereal yields; Paul Neve, on the curse of talk on camera about their about the presentation. black-grass; and Robbie Manning-Smith, on fungal sex. work and its implications”

44 Rothamsted Research Annual Review 2017—2018 RothamstedRothamsted ResearchResearch AnnualAnnual ReviewReport 2017—2018 45 OUR PEOPLE For more, see our online Annual Review 2017—2018 www.rothamsted.ac.uk/AR1718

Chris Mackay Sjur Sandgrind Louise Plumer OPERATIONAL Achilleas Christou ROTHAMSTED Jill Maple Krisztina Sarkozi BUSINESS Claire Reeve SUPPORT Andrew Cooke EXECUTIVE Helen Martin Karen Saunders SUPPORT Diane Roberts Duncan Coston TEAM Martina Masna Olga Sayanova Mark Adams Kirsty Abbott Graham Shephard Stelian Curceac Michaela Matthes Stefanie Schlaeger Christopher Andrews Muyi Ajireloja Achim Dobermann Emma Stearn Matt Dale EXPERTISE AND Rachel Matthews Susanne Schreiter Urfan Arif Susan Steele Andrea Arvai Angela Karp Shaoli Das Gupta Timothy Mauchline Tony Scott Nik Beard Ayub Barack Donna Lipsky Jane Stock Tom David Steve McGrath Mikhail Semenov Laurence Benjamin Vanessa Bartlett Karen Taylor Darja Dobermann Kirsty McInnes Nimai Senapati Sam Benson John Booth RoCRE Mark Tooth Claire Dumenil Vanessa McMillan Ryan Sharp Adam Birch Javier Capmartin Mehriban Ulusoy Dion Garrett Paul Beeney Andrew Mead Peter Shewry Sheila Bishop Robert Copley Simon Vaughan Patricia Grau Janna Corley Guillaume Menard Ian Shield William Brown Sarah Waechtler Daniel Cornwall ENTERPRISE Craig Davey Darwin Hickman Martin Day Helen Metcalfe Ho-Chul Shin George Carberry Timothy Wales Sofia Iqbal Steph Forrester Louise Michaelson Christopher Shortall Sue Carne Tony Dimmock Lucy Wansbury Laura James Daniel Hansen Alice Milne Ajit Singh Felicity Clarke Trevor Edwards Louise Warren Kelly Jowett Margaret Insalaco Tom Misselbrook Hadewij Sint Henry Clear John Elliott Susan Watts Anchen Kehler Nadeem Masih Rothamsted Research brings together Richard Brook Imogen Durenkamp Lihua Han Rowan Mitchell Ruth Skilton Carol Connett Ben Flannery Philip Webb Claudia Lowe Jessica Murphy Melanie Brookman Mark Durenkamp Steven Hanley Valerie Mitchell Gancho Slavov Rose Davies Allen Flay talented people from all over the globe Lizzy Webster George Lund Carol Oliver Richard Broughton Alex Dye Claudia Harflett Ramiro Morales Hojas Richard Smith Adelia De Paula Alan Fox Chris Whitfield William Macalpine Asmaa Shariff to support work in a range of disciplines Nathan Brown Peter Eastmond Paul Harris Charlie Morten Caroline Sparks Heather Dennis Rudiger Gerlach Lee Williams Amber Manley Katie Simmons Peter Buchner Jessica Evans Sandra Harvey Andrew Moss Melloney St. Leger Amy Dodd Geoffrey Goodman that aim to find more sustainable Richard Wiltshire Robbie Manning Smith Sophie Westbrook Enrique Cancer-Berroya Linda Field Steven Harvey Young Nam Lee David Steele Kerry Dyment Robert Greener Oliver Winfield Emily Masters-Clark Jing Zhang ways of feeding the world’s growing Gail Canning Hannah Fleming Richard Haslam Johnathan Napier Jonathan Storkey Janice Edwards Philip Griffiths Karen Wright Graham McAuliffe Laura Cardenas Giacomo Fontanelli Kirsty Hassall Andy Neal Jackie Stroud Simon Edwins Fiona Hale population with more nutritious food. Melanie Wright Jamie McFadzean Kevin Carolan Gemma Ford Keywan Hassani-Pak Vladimir Nekrasov Jennifer Swain Pamela Evans Jillian Handley ROTHAMSTED Nicola Yates Hannah McGrath Here are our staff, students and board Alison Carswell Stephen Foster Malcolm Hawkesford Vanessa Nessner- Anna Szyniszewska Catherine Fearnhead Andy Henderson BOARD Clara Montgomery Joanna Carter Bart Fraaije Jane Hawkins Kavamura-Noguchi Ahmed Tawfike Donna Fellowes Gerald Kelly members at 1 January 2018, compiled Lieselot Nguyen John Beddington (Chair) Nathalie Castells-Brooke Andre Franceschini Sarria Nichola Hawkins Paul Neve Helena Taylor Karen Ferguson Keith Law Patricia Ortega Ramos Richard Bardgett by the institute’s Human Resources March Castle Julian Franklin Denise Headon Clarice Noleto-Dias Frederica Theodoulou Penny Flay Frederick Ledbury Georgina Pickworth David Baulcombe John Caulfield Jacqueline Freeman Joe Helps Louise Olde Cathy Thomas Bianca Forte Nicholas Maher Department. The Lawes Agricultural Maiara Piovesana Russell Brooks Sergio Cerezo Medina Steve Freeman Javier Hernandez Linda Oliphant Stephen Thomas Ann Foxcroft Richard Mahoney Jonah Prout Oliver Doubleday Trust (LAT) provides land, facilities Keith Chamberlain Peter Fruen Sigrid Heuer Henry Osim Martin Torrance Kim Freeman Barry Newins Sarah Raffan Charles Godfray Alice Charteris Chiara Gandini Chris Hodgson Richard Ostler Bartek Troczka Gary Frewin Pauline Oliver and funding; the Biotechnology and Megan Rafter Stuart Jarvis Hongxin Chen Mark Gardner Rafael Homem Maria Oszvald Jack Turner Karen Garner Mo Rouhafshari Sam Reynolds Alastair Leake Biological Sciences Research Council Nick Chichester-Miles Martin Gardner Claire Horrocks Saroj Parmar Martin Urban Michael Hammond- Richard Rowley Ewan Richardson Paul Leonard Ian Clark Chloe Garwood David Hughes Suzanne Partridge Sybrand Van Beijma Kosack Robert Short (BBSRC) provides strategic funding; Guilherme Rossato- Sally Smith Suzanne Clark Yaoxiang Ge Richard Hull Matthew Paul Frank Van Den Bosch Samiul Haque Duncan Stephen Augusti Michael Winter and Rothamsted, LAT and BBSRC are Kevin Coleman Sarah Gilhespy John Hunt Aislinn Pearson Harrie van-Erp Paul Havinden Colin Wilson Heather Ruscoe Adie Collins Fiona Gilzean Alison Huttly Till Pellny Nicolas Virlet Chris Hodgson shareholders of the Rothamsted Centre George Savill David Comont Margaret Glendining Lucy Hyde Alejandro Perdomo Lopez Jozsef Vuts Tony Holton APPRENTICES ROCRE BOARD Susana Silvestre Paul Compton Kate Gongadze Adrian Joynes Sarah Perryman Hannah Walpole Mohammed Islam for Research and Enterprise (RoCRE), Heather Angus Amma Simon Zahir Sachak (Chair) Sam Cook Asier Gonzalez Uriarte Kostya Kanyuka Verena Pfahler Yongfang Wan Kaeli Johnson Matthew Berridge Cassie Sims Derek Jones an incubation space for new businesses Delia Corol Irene Gonzalez-Thuillier Graeme Kettles Andy Phillips Jane Ward Eleanor Kay Patrycja Sokolowska Carol Newman Di Cox Philip Gould Kevin King Amy Plummer Jon West Kay Keen from inside and outside the institute. Chris Stephens Peter Oxley John Crawford Stephen Goward Robert King Stephen Powers Angela Westrup Steve Laidler PhD STUDENTS Amanda Stoker Laura Crook Steve Granger Ondrej Kosik Mark Preston Richard Whalley Breda Langer John Addy Marijke Struijk Alayne Cuzick Mara Gravenieks Tracey Kruger Lucia Primavesi Simon White Anne Leverton Xavier Albano LAT BOARD Kamrun Suravi SCIENCE Gordon Dailey Alex Greenslade Smita Kurup Alex Pudney Andy Whitmore Mingyu Lim Dimitra Angelopoulou Graham Birch (Chair) Amy Thomas Maider Abadie Timothy Barraclough Clare Dale Andy Gregory Andrew Landels Simon Pulley Mark Wilkinson Damon Lowes Laura Baggaley Tina Barsby Gareth Thomas Gifty Acquah Ian Baynes Tegan Darch Anthony Griffin Rebecca Lauder Chris Rawlings Martin Williamson Harriet Lowor Harry Barrat David Baulcombe Chris Till Elsy Akkari Carlos Bayon Emyr Davies Bruce Griffith Kate Le Cocq Andy Reynolds Wendy Wilmer Khalid Mahmood Katherine Beadle Ewen Cameron Nikolaos Vavlas Lynda Alderson Michael Beale Caterina Dell’Aquila Cara Griffiths Michael Lee Benjamin Richard David Withall Bharat Makwana Dan Blumgart Gordon Conway Catherine Walker Vasthi Alonso Chavez Frederic Beaudoin Pilar Diez de la Fuente Rui Guan Sam Lee Andrew Riche Abby Wood Muneera Masterman Hannah Blyth Peter Kendall Daniel Anderson Deborah Beaumont Tess Dilks Stephan Haefele Jason Lim Goetz Richter Christine Woodcock Mel Mills Timo Breure Gia Aradottir James Bell Liz Dixon Nigel Halford Nadine Loick Jordana Rivero Viera Lianhai Wu Constantin Minea Bliss Buttery Thomas Ashfield Alice Bellisai Angela Doherty Christopher Hall Charlotte Lomax Rachel Rossiter Tom Yaxley Nayna Mistry Lea Carlessso Rhys Ashton Michael Birkett Neil Donovan Mike Hall Alison Lovegrove Jason Rudd Hongtao Zhang Sally Murdoch Sandrine Chaillout Sarah Atkins Martin Blackwell Jennifer Dungait Timothy Hall William Macalpine Gianluca Ruvo Xiaoxian Zhang Carol Newman Tania Chancellor Matt Audley Aimeric Blaud Sarah Dunham Kirstie Halsey Andy Macdonald Pouria Sadeghi-Tehran Yusheng Zhang Bill O’Neill Harry Child Caihong Bai Marco Brandizi Robert Dunn Kim Hammond-Kosack Ana Machado Cristina Sanchis Gritsch XiaoYun Zhou Erin O’Rourke Charlotte Chivers

Science (% Female) Science (% Male) Business (% Female) Business (% Male) Operations (% Female) Operations (% Male) Students (% Female) Students (% Male) 44 56 58 42 20 80 57 43

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