Articles

Genomics offers a way to understand nature’s secrets like never before. In revealing them, this branch of science highlights the multitude of ways we might nurture and benefit from, rather than destroy, biodiversity.

Without healthy soils, we’d have precious little food to eat. But this fundamental resource is being eroded by climate change and overuse of agrichemicals. Under severe threat are the communities of microbes which live in and around crops, helping them to thrive, yet we still know precious little about what our treatment of soils is doing to those microorganisms.

How can food security be improved? That’s one of the major challenges facing science and society. To feed and nourish a rapidly expanding population, crop yields must increase in the face of the threats posed by climate change and once fertile areas of land must be reinvigorated. However we manage it, it’s vital we protect and enhance the biodiversity on which much of our agricultural system relies.

Since 2011 we’ve welcomed students from the Nuffield scheme, who have been getting to grips with research projects at the cutting edge of science.

Postdoctoral Scientist Nasmille Larke-Mejía is researching to help improve agricultural practices and increase crop yield as well as impacting the socioeconomic landscape in Colombia, as part of our GROW initiative funded by GCRF-UKRI.