News from the John Innes Centre

Flowers in February

Communications Team — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:10:45 +0000

This winter has been so mild we wouldn’t be surprised if plants were blooming in February! But what happens in a normal season? Just how do plants control when and how they flower? Find out how research at the John Innes Centre on flowering in weeds contributes to food security. Talks included a look [...]

UK Plant Systems Biology Workshop

Communications Team — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:42:41 +0000

The rapidly growing field of systems biology uses a highly integrative approach that combines molecular, genetic, imaging, population, ecological and computational approaches to further our understanding of complex biological systems. The John Innes Centre is hosting an annual meeting, on Friday April 20th, that is bringing together established groups of UK scientists for a series [...]

First plants caused ice ages

Communications Team — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:31:25 +0000

Research rooted in Norwich science has revealed how the arrival of the first plants 470 million years ago triggered a series of ice ages. Scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the John Innes Centre (JIC), now at the Universities of Exeter and Oxford, set out to identify the effects that the first [...]

Adapting wheat for a changing climate

Communications Team — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:01:51 +0000

Dr Simon Griffiths has received over £500,000 of funding from the 7th framework program for research from the European Commission, to investigate ways that wheat can be adapted to cope with climate change. The project, which involves working with plant breeders, will focus on the way wheat times when it flowers, and look at how [...]

Investment in bioscience skills and training to help meet economic and social challenges for the future

Communications Team — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:53:44 +0000

The John Innes Centre is leading a group of research institutes on the Norwich Research Park (NRP) that are to receive almost £4million of new funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to support the training of the next generation of scientists. The investment will fund 39 PhD students through a Doctoral [...]

Science & Art in Box

Communications Team — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:30:24 +0000

GCSE art students from Hethersett High School and scientists from the John Innes Centre were asked to consider the question “How will GM (Genetic Modification) influence the future of our planet?” Their visual responses are contained in a series of boxes that will be on display at JIC following a successful viewing at the Hethersett [...]

Flowers in February

Dave — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:00:10 +0000

This winter has been so mild we wouldn’t be surprised if plants were blooming in February! But what happens in a normal season? Just how do plants control when and how they flower? Find out in an evening devoted to one of nature’s most magnificent events – flowering – and how research at the John [...]

Natural Factories

Dave — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:20:06 +0000

Plants and microbes produce a wide spectrum of natural products, which give them their huge range of colours, flavours and scents. These chemicals are used to repel pests, diseases or competitors or to attract pollinators, but for humans they represent a potential source of new medicines, flavourings, antimicrobials or other useful compounds. A major area [...]

Pupils ‘tripling’ their chances of success in science

Communications Team — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:02:07 +0000

The Teacher Scientist Network (TSN), which is based at the John Innes Centre, will host an exciting science fair for almost 400 high school pupils from across Eastern Norfolk with leading research scientists tempting them to aim for careers in science and technology. The aim of the day is to encourage Year 8 & 9 [...]

Startup Masterclass

Communications Team — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:22:49 +0000

Dull but necessary! How to avoid awful muddles and other legal nasties Setting up a new business is actually an easy thing to do. But very often, certain decisions taken too lightly can then come back to bite. Especially if you have other co-founders, own IP or want to distribute equity to collaborators. Come [...]