Transcript Slide 1

BBSRC Science for Food and Farming
Dan Godfrey – Business and
Innovation Unit
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
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
Strategic Plan 2010-2015
Three major research priorities
Food Security
Bioenergy and
Industrial
Biotechnology
Basic bioscience
underpinning health
“Mixed economy” of BBSRC funding
Universities
• basic research
• curiosity-driven
• shorter-term funding
• research training
Institutes
• strategic research
• mission-oriented
• longer-term funding
• specialist facilities
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
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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 crossdisciplinary 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:
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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
People & Commercialisation
Collaborative
Information
& Development
Training
Exchange
From the research base to the user
•
Fundamental research
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Addressing basic bioscience questions
•
Pre-competitive research
– Research Technology Clubs
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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
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User-led research
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Skills and knowledge exchange
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Developing researchers
Opportunities for people ‘movement’
BBSRC Knowledge Exchange
•
BBSRC seeks to deliver impact from the research that it funds wherever
possible.
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Research Translation is part of broader knowledge exchange
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Not a linear process
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Relies on good communication between researchers, funders and users
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Researchers required to think about the impact of their research
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BBSRC has increased its commitment to knowledge exchange
Collaborative
Research
People &
Information
Exchange
Commercialisation
& Development
Collaborative
Training
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 23 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
Thank you,
Any Questions?
Dan Godfrey
[email protected] 01793 414688
Food Security
BBSRC Spending 09/10: Total Budget £450M
BBSRC Strategy Development
Strategy Advisory Board
and Strategy Panels
Delivery
Strategy
Refreshment
Research Funding
Committees
Membership and Agenda for Strategy Advisory Board and Strategy Panels will be on the BBSRC website