Fixing the nitrogen crisis: The search for sustainable fertilisers
Matthew Campbell examines the nitrogen crisis in agriculture, its environmental impact, and explores microbial solutions for sustainability.
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Phosphogeddon: Our planet’s phosphate crisis
Olivia Allen discusses the current state of phosphate in the world and calls for more responsible use of this precious resource.
Are microbiomes worth the hype?
More holistic and interdisciplinary attention is needed for microbiome research to live up to its hype, argues Isabel Williams.
Self-cloning rice—the holy grail of agriculture?
Lola Bell reports on a lecture by Professor Venkatesan Sundaresan on the ability to create self-cloning rice to tackle growing food demands.
Diseases in the Jungle: How Habitat Destruction Could Lead To Future Pandemics
Video Credit: Andrea Vale As the number of vaccinated people steadily increases, it seems that each day brings us closer to a return to some sense of normality. However, as unprecedented as the current COVID-19 pandemic has been, it is by no means the first disease to wreak havoc upon humanity and, if we fail…
The deep, dark secret of the algal chloroplast- Oxbridge Varsity Sci Symposium
Talk Summary by Barbara Walkowiak The basics of photosynthesis, or why getting your own food is always challenging In times of climate change and rising global population, sustainable and efficient food production is of vital importance. The secret to improving crop yields may lie in the algal chloroplast, as powerfully described by Ella Catherall in…
Using CRISPR to create gluten-free wheat
To most people going gluten-free is a health fad, like acai berries and kale smoothies – but for some it is a necessity. 1 in every 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition that affects the gut. The body’s immune system identifies gluten as a threat and attacks, damaging the small…
Approval of GM maize that kills rootworm larvae using RNAi
A new pesticide which halts gene expression in one of North America’s most damaging pests is the first of its kind to be approved by the EPA. Final regulatory approval has been granted to a genetically modified corn known as SmartStaxPro in North America. SmartStaxPro has been engineered to produce DvSnf7, a pesticide that kills…