I study plant responses to abiotic stresses using molecular, biochemical, and physiological approaches. My interest in research started when I conducted undergraduate thesis for my bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Afterwards, I worked as a Researcher at the International Rice Research Institute while pursuing a master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from UPLB.
Originally from Italy, I am an Integrated Masters student at the University of York, studying Biotechnology and Microbiology. I have previously worked with rapeseed and wheat at the University of York and John Innes Centre (Norwich), respectively. At the CSC, I will be investigating role of Nitrate signalling components in AM symbiosis in rice in various conditions.
I am Juliette Braganti, a French summer student in Uta’s team, working with Chai on rice crossings and maize mutants. I will be here until end of August.
I started off at the University of Victoria (Canada) in biochemistry and biology and then moved to KTH (Sweden) for my masters in bioreactors and protein engineering. I did my PhD at the University of Cambridge (UK) in the Zoology Department on epithelial patterning in Drosophila eggs. My first postdoc was on centrosome migration in Drosophilaeggs and my second postdoc was on the genetic basis of parthenogenesis in Drosophila.
Crop Science Centre Scientists will be demonstrating the damaging impact of crop pathogens and beneficial impact of crop symbiosis with fungi in the Pop-Up Plant Science Marquee at the Festival of Plants this Saturday.
At the mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis stall, there will be a range of activities to engage people of all ages in how this symbiosis could help replace environmentally damaging chemical fertilisers. You will be able to see the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under a microscope, as well as our “MycoRed” plants, which turn roots red when colonised by mycorrhizal fungi. Additionally, you can play a game on symbiosis to take a home experiment kit.
Crop pests and pathogens threaten global food security. For example, tiny parasitic worms called Nematodes cause over $100 billion of damage to crops every year. The crop pathology stall will host live examinations of creatures infecting plants, as well as offering the opportunity to find out what nematode you are.
Find out more about the Festival of Plants, happening this Saturday, here https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/festival-of-plants-2023/
Professor Uta Paszkowski has been elected a member of the Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences.
Professor Uta Paszkowski is the leader of the Cereal Symbiosis group at the Crop Science Centre, and described this achievement as ‘humbling’.
The Leopoldina originated in 1652 as a classical scholarly society and now has 1,600 members from almost all branches of science. In 2008 the Leopoldina was appointed as the German National Academy of Sciences and has two major objectives. The first is to represent the German scientific community internationally, and the second is to provide policymakers and the public with science-based advice.
The British Science Association has announced that the Director of the Crop Science Centre, Professor Giles Oldroyd, will be the Agriculture and Food Section President for the British Science Festival 2023.
Section Presidents are nominated for making a significant contribution to their scientific field, and once selected they play a crucial role in shaping the British Science Festival programme each year.
The Agriculture and Food section of the festival will focus on how plants benefit from associations with friendly bacteria and fungi and how this can be used in sustainable agriculture.
The British Science Festival 2023, taking place 7-10 September, hosted by the University of Exeter
I received a BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Bogazici University in Istanbul and then completed a MSc degree in Environmental Sciences at the same university with a research project focused on the evaluation of mechanisms of increasing soil quality via plant-microbe interactions. Before I moved to the UK in 2021, I lived in Melbourne for one year to work in the role of kinases in plant sugar signalling project. Currently, I am a third year PhD student in the group of Prof. Dr. Uta Paszkowski
I am a PhD student in the Cereal Symbiosis group, researching the negative regulator SMAX1. My work is focused on understanding how this master negative regulator of mycorrhization controls this highly significant symbiotic relationship. To achieve this, I am focusing on the protein-protein interactions of SMAX1 to identify potential candidates that could be negatively regulated, leading to the disruption of symbiosis.
I am now a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Paszkowski lab. My research focuses on genetic diversity in arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation and host responsiveness in diverse rice cultivars.
The Crop Science Centre is a coalition between the University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences, and NIAB. This coalition focuses on translational research in crops with real-world impact. We combine the diverse skills and expertise of the University and NIAB, providing an environment for research excellence with the capability to apply discoveries to crop improvement in the field.
Our research is interdisciplinary and of global relevance. We strive to improve both staple crops such as maize, wheat and rice, but also the specific crops of relevance to small-holder farmers, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Centre provides leadership in crop sciences, with a creative and dynamic research culture, motivated by improvement of agriculture for the betterment of society.
At the Crop Science Centre, we are generating crop plants that deliver sufficient food for everyone in a sustainable way
“Years of research has provided a deep understanding of how plants function, creating opportunities to transform the way we produce our food. I am motivated to improve the sustainability and the equity of food production worldwide”
Professor Giles Oldroyd,
CSC Director
“At the Crop Science Centre we have the scientific breadth and track record to rapidly respond to one of the grand challenges of our time: growing enough nutritious food for an increasing population while reducing inputs and green house emissions.”
Professor Mario Caccamo,
CEO and Director of NIAB
“We envisage that new CSC crop technologies will enable higher crop yields and lower environmental impact for crop-based food production – as well as contributing to improved dietary health.”
Sir David Baulcombe,
Royal Society Professor
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