Plant Sciences
An internationally recognised centre for molecular plant science.
Plants form the basis of life on Earth providing food, fuel and even the oxygen we breathe. Research in plant science is central to facing global challenges of food security, renewable energy, conservation and climate change. The Division of Plant Sciences was established in 2007, creating an internationally recognised centre for molecular plant science addressing these themes by increasing understanding of genes and processes underpinning important plant traits (yield, disease resistance, stress tolerance, developmental characteristics, end-use quality).
Plant Sciences currently has eleven PIs and is supported by external funding from BBSRC, EU, industry and others. We are located at the James Hutton Institute on the outskirts of Dundee with whom we have a long-standing strategic partnership supported by five joint appointments, substantial collaborative external funding and PhD studentships.
The partnership brings together our discovery-based molecular plant science investigating fundamental questions of plant biology, with scientists with knowledge of applied research in crop species including front-line crop and pathogen genomics, genetics and cultivar production.
This vibrant centre for plant science provides opportunities for excellent scientists with research ideas relevant to funding priorities interested in developing new collaborations and translational opportunities.
We are passionate about engaging the public about our science and the critical importance of plants in all of our lives.
Head of Division
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Deputy Head of Division
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Academic staff
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Independent Investigators
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Associates
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Emeritus
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Key contacts
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Gallagher | Lab Manager | ps-labmanager@dundee.ac.uk |
| Christina Mowat | Lab Management Support Technician | PS-tech@dundee.ac.uk |
| Divisional Secretary | PlantSciences-Admin@dundee.ac.uk | |
| Dr Davide Bulgarelli | Public Engagement Champion | d.bulgarelli@dundee.ac.uk |
News
Press release
It may be known as the basis of whisky but scientists at two of Scotland’s leading scientific institutions have been tasked with distilling a new future for barley.
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The latest research from Professor Paul Birch and colleagues has discovered details of how major crop pathogens cause infection.
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Research from the University of Dundee has discovered new details on how plants perceive and then respond to disease causing microbes. This work has been published in the journal Current Biology.
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Review of the Year 20212 took place last week with the Dean, Julian Blow sharing the highlights of activity within the School from 2022.
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New work from the University of Dundee reveals a basic feature of how our genomes are organized, and our genes are processed. This work has been published in the journal eLife.
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Potato is the third most important food crop in the world and consumed by over a billion people. Pathogens can destroy entire crops and thereby threaten food security.