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Image 1 – Tomato seedling iStockphoto/Thinkstock, Image 2 – Fermenter iStockphoto/Thinkstock 2011, Image 3 – Wheat Hermerara/Getty Images, Image 4 –DNAConfig Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Thinkstock, Image 5 – Jersey Cow iStockphoto/Thinkstock, Image 6 – Scientist Comstock / Thinkstock
BBSRC Science for Food and Farming
Dan Godfrey – Business and Innovation Unit
Talk Summary
• Introduction to BBSRC
• BBSRC and the Global Food Security Programme
• BBSRC’s approach to supporting knowledge exchange and research translation
• Some examples of BBSRC science in practice
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
BBSRC allocates around £470M p.a. (2009/10) to:
• Fund innovative bioscience research
• Train bioscientists
• Support knowledge transfer and encourage economic and social impact
• Engage with the public
Stakeholders include the scientific community, industry, government, the public and international partners
Strategic Plan 2010-2015
The Age of Bioscience
Driven by new tools and technologies
….never before have researchers been able to address such a breadth and depth of biological
questions….
Title
Food Security Bioenergy and Industrial
Biotechnology
Basic bioscience underpinning health
Strategic Plan 2010-2015
Three major research priorities
Universities• basic research• curiosity-driven• shorter-term funding• research training
Institutes• strategic research• mission-oriented• longer-term funding• specialist facilities
“Mixed economy” of BBSRC funding
Impacts from BBSRC Research
Global Food Security Programme
Food Security
How do we feed 9 billion sustainably by 2050?
The perfect storm of energy, food and water shortages 2030
Research is essential to meet the huge challenge
• Increase production
• Reduce waste
• Reduce GHGs
• Enhance food safety
• Improve nutrition
• Effective translation
Strategic Plan 2010 – 2015
Global Food Security Programme
• Multi-agency programme
• Bringing together the research interests of the Research Councils, Executive Agencies and Government Departments
• Development of the programme has been led by BBSRC
• To address food security it is vital to have coordinated cross-disciplinary and inter-related approaches
• Global Food Security will build on each of the partners current research programmes and will complement other multi-partner and multi-disciplinary programmes.
Research Themes
•Four main themes will form the basis of the programme:
•Economic resilience
•Resource efficiency
•Sustainable production and supply
•Healthy, safe diets
•BBSRC science will contribute to all of these themes but will lead on the area of Sustainable production together with Defra, DFID and the Scottish Government
Global Food Security Website
www.foodsecurity.ac.uk
Food Security
• International partnerships in Food Security:
• BBSRC co-funded a specialist funding activity on photosynthesis with the National Science Foundation in the USA
• BBSRC is co-funding a new initiative with the Indian Gov’t and the Gates Foundation “Sustainable Crop Production for International Development” SCPRID. £20M available for research to improve the production of major food crops.
• RCUK and the Brazilian Gov’t have an agreement in place to support collaborative research projects.
Food Security
Other BBSRC Food Security Activities:
• BBSRC Advanced Training Partnerships Scheme• Innovative public-private partnership approach to meeting
the high-level skills needs of the agri-food sector
• Research and Technology Clubs:• DRINC – Diet and Health• CIRC – Crop Improvement• Animal Health Club
• Other Initiatives:• Horticulture Initiative• Campylobacter initiative
BBSRC Knowledge Exchange
Collaborative Research
Collaborative Training
People &Information Exchange
Commercialisation& Development
• Fundamental research• Addressing basic bioscience questions
• Pre-competitive research– Research Technology Clubs
• User engagement in developing strategic direction for research programmes
– Collaborative research projects, IPA and LINK• Increasing opportunities for users to have influence over the
research
• Pre-commercial research – in collaboration with TSB– Innovation platforms
• User-led research
• Skills and knowledge exchange
• Developing researchers• Opportunities for people ‘movement’
From the research base to the user
BBSRC Knowledge Exchange
• BBSRC seeks to deliver impact from the research that it funds wherever possible.
• Research Translation is part of broader knowledge exchange
• Not a linear process
• Relies on good communication between researchers, funders and users
• Researchers required to think about the impact of their research
• BBSRC has increased its commitment to knowledge exchange
Collaborative Research
Collaborative Training
People &Information Exchange
Commercialisation& Development
Case Studies
Sequencing the Strawberry Genome
• Published by an international consortium in December 2010
• UK Partner – East Malling: Part of BBSRC Crop Science Initiative
• Identify genes relating to disease resistance
• Also likely to impact on other related species such as apples, peaches, pears and raspberries
Shulaev et al (2011) Nature Genetics, 43, 109-116
Blue tongue
•Devastating viral disease of sheep and cattle
•The Blue Tongue virus first appeared in the UK in 2007
•Transmitted by biting midges that have spread into Northern Europe in recent years – warmer climate has permitted this spread
•Work at the Institute for Animal Health helped to prevent an outbreak of the disease in the UK in 2008/09 that could have cost the UK £400M and 10,000 jobs.
•Disaster avoided thanks to a combination of careful monitoring and widespread vaccination.
Beneforté Broccoli
• New variety of broccoli recently launched on to the market – contains 2-3 times the levels of the phyto-nutrient Glucoraphanin.
• Glucoraphanin is converted into sulforaphane in the body which boosts levels of anti-oxidant enzymes.
• Evidence indicates that a diet rich in glucoraphanin can have beneficial effects such as reducing chronic inflammation, stopping uncontrolled cell division associated with early stages of cancer
• BBSRC funded science at the JIC and IFR has enabled the development of this new crop.
“This is a fantastic achievement and testament to the quality of research we have in this country and its ability to drive growth. This excellent work has led to the development of a highly commercial food product that will be both grown and sold in the UK, giving a real boost to agriculture, our personal health and the economy.” David Willets
Soil for Life - KTP
• A collaborative KTP project between Produce World and Cranfield University funded by BBSRC
• Aim to develop a soil information and risk management system by mapping soil and crop performance data.
• This project brings together a wealth of existing information on soils and crop performance and will enable the management and mitigation of risk (to crop and soils), improvement of crop performance and future proofing of the supply of raw materials.
Parsnip breeding - KTP
• BBSRC funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership supported an associate working with Elsoms Seeds and supported by Warwick Crop Centre.
• The KTP project enabled the development of a marker assisted breeding programme in parsnip using existing knowledge in the carrot.
• Facilitated the integration of marker technology within the traditional breeding business.
• Strengthened business/academic relationship:
“This project provided us with an excellent opportunity to improve the understanding of breeder’s needs and how we can transfer academic knowledge to further their goals.”
Graham Teakle – Warwick Crop Centre
Food Security
BBSRC Spending 09/10: Total Budget £450M
BBSRC Strategy Development
Delivery
Strategy Refreshment
Research Funding Committees
Strategy Advisory Boardand Strategy Panels
Membership and Agenda for Strategy Advisory Board and Strategy Panels will be on the BBSRC website
