āInvesting in barley science by bringing new researchers together within the BARIToNE CTP will not only yield a positive impact on the UK barley supply but as barley is also a major global crop and source of translational science to other crop species, the PhD projects are likely to have a far wider impact.ā The next generation of barley researchers have received a multi-million investment through the Barley Industrial Training Network (BARIToNE) programme, a Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) led by the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, International Barley Hub and the University of
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"We are pleased to receive this donation of Dopplerite and to be able to secure it for future research to aid our understanding of soil processes and carbon storage over long periods of time" The National Soil Archive of Scotland, held at the Aberdeen campus of the James Hutton Institute, has added two large samples of Dopplerite to its collection by gift of the executors of Mr William Filshie. Dopplerite is a naturally occurring, but relatively rare, organic material associated with peat deposits. It is a jelly-like, brownish substance related to humic acids that is insoluble in water and, if
The alpine zone supports some of Scotlandās most natural habitats. Complex topography interacts with snow cover and climate to create gradients in water availability and temperature, resulting in a mosaic of plant communities variously dominated by dwarf-shrubs, grasses, or mosses. Above and below-ground biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are closely linked, and we expect above-ground variability to be reflected below-ground, but our knowledge of alpine soil biodiversity and functioning is poor. As alpine systems are increasingly affected by climate change, we need to better understand how
"This work really is critical for ensuring food security for millions of people around the world." Bioinformaticians at the James Hutton Institute are supporting a 10-year, US$58m initiative launched by the Crop Trust and the Government of Norway to improve global food security and climate resilience. The newly announced BOLD (Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development) project seeks to safeguard crop diversity in gene banks, and facilitate its use by breeders, smallholder farmers and researchers to develop new crop varieties. This is an essential first step to secure a
āGene editing techniques allow the breeding of new crops more quickly, which is essential to mitigate the challenges posed by our changing environmentā The James Hutton Institute has welcomed plans unveiled by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to pave the way to enable use of gene editing technologies in England. Gene editing can unlock benefits to nature, the environment and help farmers with crops to enhance resilience to pests, disease or extreme weather. More information from: Bernardo Rodriguez-Salcedo, Media Manager, James Hutton Institute, Tel: +44 (0)1224
The focus of some of our recent dietary research has been in the area of gut microbiology and the influence that the bacteria in the gut have on human health. These gut bacteria, also known as the microbiota, can be affected positively or negatively by what we eat. Previous work from the Rowett has shown that dietary fibre can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the human gut. Research has also shown that a balanced and diverse diet promotes bacterial diversity, which is linked to human health and is important in maintaining a healthy microbiota during weight loss. Poor diets are
āOur work supports the broad supposition that greenspace and mental health are positively related, and adds further support for the need to understand a populationsā relationship with greenspaces, to ensure urban greening achieves the highest gains for communities.ā While urban greenspace is often associated with improved mental health, new research has found these benefits are dependent on the characteristics of the population using the space, and their proximity to it. Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and Scotlandās Rural College (SRUC) looked at the link between greenspace and
We have learnt more about the trillions of bacterial residents that live on and in us in the last twenty years than the previous 2000. Yet there is still so much more to learn! Much of this research focus has been understanding the ā who?ā Who are the main microbes and bacteria present? There have already been many studies seeking to characterise the composition of the gut microbiota, and we now have a fairly clear understanding of the huge number of different bacterial species that reside in the human gut ā and how they are different between every individual. Scientists have even established