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The website is the result of a collaboration to provide land managers, public bodies, the scientific community and members of the public with open access to decades of data relating to Scotland's soils. A new look version of the Scotland’s Soils website has been launched, in a drive to promote access to information on one of Scotland’s most valuable natural assets. More information from: Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, Tel: +44 (0)1224 395089 (direct line), +44 (0)344 928 5428 (switchboard) or +44 (0)7791 193918 (mobile). read more

“The IUCN National Committee UK River Restoration and Biodiversity project is an excellent collaboration and this new report provides a blueprint for using minimal intervention and more cost-effective techniques to restore the natural processes of river systems in the UK and Ireland. A new report on river restoration and biodiversity, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and by Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), describes the importance of rivers in the UK and Ireland for biodiversity, summarises the damage that river habitats have sustained

“In addition to being a key resource for food security and human sustainability, soils contain many physical, chemical and biological characteristics which can potentially be of great use to the investigative and reconstructive processes Soil isn’t just dirt: it’s the ideal trace material, as it sticks when wet and can be highly distinctive. That’s what Professor Lorna Dawson, Head of Soil Forensic Science at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, said after providing evidence in court in the case built by Wiltshire Police against Christopher Halliwell in a long-running investigation into the

Farmers are warned to be proactive with liver fluke management this autumn to ensure no adverse effects to cattle performance are seen, given the high liver fluke risk this year. Dr Andy Forbes, Control of Worms Sustainability (COWS) technical representative and honorary professor at the University of Glasgow’s School of Veterinary Medicine, explains that due to the warmest winter on record for England and Wales this year, and a wet start to the summer, conditions have been ideal for the survival and development of the host snails and the free-living stages of liver fluke;

"This is the most robust study of the fundamental thermal response of aquatic photosynthesis at ecosystem scale to date. Changes in temperature can greatly affect the rate at which aquatic organisms such as algae process inorganic carbon present in streams and waterways, an international team of researchers has found. The study, which saw researchers explore streams in geothermal areas of Iceland and Russia, showed that photosynthesis by aquatic ecosystems increases faster with warming than previously thought within a temperature range of 4°C to 45°C. This has far-reaching implications for

"We also need to understand human behaviour and that is why the James Hutton Institute uses both social and natural sciences to try and understand what might be better ways of managing our land. More needs to be done to promote sustainable food production if we are to solve the apparent conflict between the interests of nature and those of modern agriculture, according to researchers at the James Hutton Institute. This warning comes in response to the publication of the State of Nature 2016 report, which indicates that many wildlife species are under threat as a result of intensive food

"The ICS group brings together an exceptional combination of skills and expertise, providing the Institute with a unique capacity to rise to the challenges of genome analysis to contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 Bioinformaticians at the James Hutton Institute are contributing to a major research effort which seeks to deliver better maize and wheat varieties to over 40 countries around the world, with the aim of improving resilience to farmers’ risks, fragile food markets and natural disasters. Related content Information and Computational Sciences David Marshall Paul Shaw Iain

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Graeme Cook as the new Director for the Centre of Knowledge Exchange and Impact (CKEI) with effect from 12 th of September 2016.

"Our researchers are hard at work assessing many different blueberry varieties to find plants that grow well and have desirable traits, to then use them as parents in a breeding programme. Related content Susan McCallum More information from: Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, Tel: +44 (0)1224 395089 (direct line), +44 (0)344 928 5428 (switchboard) or +44 (0)7791 193918 (mobile). read more

John Mackinnon has been appointed as the new chairman of Moredun Scientific. He will succeed Dr Peter Wells who has been chairman of the Moredun Scientific board of directors for the past eight years and is retiring from the post.