Development and application of real time biosensors

Lead Research Organisation: John Innes Centre
Department Name: Molecular Microbiology

Abstract

Biosensors are devices of biological origin that can detect the presence of chemicals or other physical factors (e.g. light, temperature) in the environment. We are proposing to develop a whole new group of chemical biosensors, in particluar for sugars and simple ions like zinc, manganese and phosphate. These biosensors are examples of nanotechnology because they can sense chemicals at the atomic to cellular level. The particular biosensors we are proposing to develop are based on simple proteins called solute binding proteins. These proteins can be fused to two other proteins (CFP and YFP) to generate a fluorescent signal when they bind a specific chemical, which in this case will be a sugar or an ion. These nanosensors can be incorporated into living cells where they will report in real time on the concentration of the chemical they can sense. This is very important because it means changes in concentrations (flux) of chemicals can be measured. Many signalling mechanisms in biology depend on changes in the concentrations of metabolites so being able to sense these changes is crucial to many fundamental studies on biological action.

Technical Summary

Biosensors are powerful tools for detection and monitoring of compounds in the environment and in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. They can be found in a number of forms including induction biosensors, electrical biosensors and FRET biosensors. These nanosensors operate at the atomic to microscopic/cellular level, providing the ability to detect the presence of compounds as well as in some cases rates of flux of compounds. Building on our isolation of a whole new suite of solute binding protein (SBP) induction biosensors, we now propose to develop a targeted group of these into FRET biosensors. FRET biosensors allow the real time monitoring of compounds in living cells and permit rates of flux to be measured. In particular we propose to express selected sugar, ion and pharmaceutically important SBPs and measure their ligand binding affinity. They will then be expressed as eCFP-SBP-eYFP fusion proteins for measurement and optimisation of their FRET signals. In addition 6-10 of the most novel of the SBPs will be crystallised to enable rational modification of their ligand specificity and FRET optimisation. In a radical new development we also propose to develop a targeted metagenomic library for the isolation of novel induction biosensors. This library will be composed of genomic DNA fragments from a selection of sequenced plant and environmental bacteria. We are confident such an approach can revolutionise the whole area of isolation of novel induction biosensors. In future work this technique could be applied to almost any compound of interest and provides extraordinary selective power.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description Specialised proteins called solute binding proteins (SBPs) are responsible for uptake of specific chemical(s) by bacterial cells. SBPs have an innate ability to recognize their solute due to their intrinsic protein structure. The fact that on binding the chemical the protein changes shape means they can be used to develop very precise and specific methods of detecting that chemical. By adding fluorescent tags to a number of SBPs we developed several fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors to detect sugars, dicarboxylates and aromatic compounds which can be used in a variety of situations.
Exploitation Route The biosensors developed could be used in research to provide real-time information on the presence and concentration of the target solute.
Sectors Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology

 
Description BioSciences DTP, University of Oxford
Amount £80,000 (GBP)
Funding ID 1211269 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2018 
End 09/2022
 
Description Continuation of ENSA (RL)
Amount $226,932 (USD)
Organisation Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2021 
End 03/2024
 
Description ENGINEERING SYNTHETIC SYMBIOSES BETWEEN PLANTS AND BACTERIA TO DELIVER NITROGEN TO CROPS
Amount £1,146,829 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/L011484/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2013 
End 08/2018
 
Description India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC)
Amount £1,680,948 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/N013387/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2016 
End 12/2018
 
Description Marie Curie (IA)
Amount € 224,933 (EUR)
Organisation Marie Curie 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2021 
End 06/2023
 
Description Phyloquant Metagenomic Identification and Quantification Technology (Pathfinder)
Amount £13,000 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/N016335/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2015 
End 05/2016
 
Description Spatial and temporal mapping of the pea root secretome and its control of bacterial rhizosphere colonisation
Amount £407,126 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/K001868/2 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2013 
End 09/2015
 
Description Understanding and Exploiting Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Improvement of Brazilian Agriculture (Co-I with Prof. Ray Dixon as Lead PI)
Amount £1,624,659 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/N013476/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2016 
End 01/2019
 
Description Brazil and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation Aberystwyth University
Department Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our emphasis is to study the physiology of bacterial growth and survival in the rhizosphere and how they establish symbiotic interactions with plants. A further focus of our work is the physiology and biochemistry of nitrogen fixation in legume nodules. Most recently we have been studying how bacteria attach to and colonise roots and have developed methods to open up the whole area of how plants control the microbial root microbiome.
Collaborator Contribution Our major emphasis is on signal transduction cascades that regulate nitrogen fixation genes in response to oxygen, carbon and fixed nitrogen status. A long-term goal of this research is to exploit and engineer nitrogen fixation genes for agricultural benefit. (JIC) Research in the Farrar lab focuses on increasing Miscanthus yields in order to replace fossil fuel usage, sequester atmospheric carbon, and ultimately contribute to climate change mitigation. In order to achieve this, there are two main research areas: Plant developmental biology & genetics and Plant-soil-microbe interactions. (IBERS) Plant electron microscopy: the ultrastructure of beneficial plant-bacterial interactions. I also specialise in immunolocalisation of both conventionally (chemically)- and cryo-fixed plant material. Expertise in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes (JHI)
Impact Grant awarded from BBSRC Newton Fund. Grant Ref: BB/N013476/1 Understanding and Exploiting Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Improvement of Brazilian Agriculture. PI: Prof. Ray Dixon
Start Year 2014
 
Description Brazil and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation James Hutton Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Our emphasis is to study the physiology of bacterial growth and survival in the rhizosphere and how they establish symbiotic interactions with plants. A further focus of our work is the physiology and biochemistry of nitrogen fixation in legume nodules. Most recently we have been studying how bacteria attach to and colonise roots and have developed methods to open up the whole area of how plants control the microbial root microbiome.
Collaborator Contribution Our major emphasis is on signal transduction cascades that regulate nitrogen fixation genes in response to oxygen, carbon and fixed nitrogen status. A long-term goal of this research is to exploit and engineer nitrogen fixation genes for agricultural benefit. (JIC) Research in the Farrar lab focuses on increasing Miscanthus yields in order to replace fossil fuel usage, sequester atmospheric carbon, and ultimately contribute to climate change mitigation. In order to achieve this, there are two main research areas: Plant developmental biology & genetics and Plant-soil-microbe interactions. (IBERS) Plant electron microscopy: the ultrastructure of beneficial plant-bacterial interactions. I also specialise in immunolocalisation of both conventionally (chemically)- and cryo-fixed plant material. Expertise in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes (JHI)
Impact Grant awarded from BBSRC Newton Fund. Grant Ref: BB/N013476/1 Understanding and Exploiting Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Improvement of Brazilian Agriculture. PI: Prof. Ray Dixon
Start Year 2014
 
Description Brazil and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation John Innes Centre
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our emphasis is to study the physiology of bacterial growth and survival in the rhizosphere and how they establish symbiotic interactions with plants. A further focus of our work is the physiology and biochemistry of nitrogen fixation in legume nodules. Most recently we have been studying how bacteria attach to and colonise roots and have developed methods to open up the whole area of how plants control the microbial root microbiome.
Collaborator Contribution Our major emphasis is on signal transduction cascades that regulate nitrogen fixation genes in response to oxygen, carbon and fixed nitrogen status. A long-term goal of this research is to exploit and engineer nitrogen fixation genes for agricultural benefit. (JIC) Research in the Farrar lab focuses on increasing Miscanthus yields in order to replace fossil fuel usage, sequester atmospheric carbon, and ultimately contribute to climate change mitigation. In order to achieve this, there are two main research areas: Plant developmental biology & genetics and Plant-soil-microbe interactions. (IBERS) Plant electron microscopy: the ultrastructure of beneficial plant-bacterial interactions. I also specialise in immunolocalisation of both conventionally (chemically)- and cryo-fixed plant material. Expertise in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes (JHI)
Impact Grant awarded from BBSRC Newton Fund. Grant Ref: BB/N013476/1 Understanding and Exploiting Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Improvement of Brazilian Agriculture. PI: Prof. Ray Dixon
Start Year 2014
 
Description Gut microbiome 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Department of Psychiatry
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Analysis of the microflora of the rat gut.
Collaborator Contribution Study of the effects of the periphery on brain biology, memory and mood. Diet and gut bacteria increase body levels of glutamate receptor stimulating amino acids. Research is now testing if these amino acids and intestinal microbes affect brain neurotransmission and behaviour. The goal is to find the best ways to help the treatment of psychiatric disorders, and maintain healthy brain function during aging.
Impact Award of BBSRC grant 'The effect of early-life prebiotic feeding on adult rat hippocampal function, central and peripheral metabonomics and microbial metagenomics' Grant Ref: BB/N010035/1
Start Year 2015
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Department ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
Country India 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Department ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science
Country India 
Sector Learned Society 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation James Hutton Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation John Innes Centre
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Department Department of Bio-Chemistry
Country India 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation The Energy and Resources Institute
Country India 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation University of Calcutta
Department Department of BioChemistry
Country India 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description India and nitrogen fixation 
Organisation University of Hyderabad
Department Department of Plant Sciences
Country India 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I have developed high-throughput community analysis to characterise the microbiome of the rhizosphere and endosphere of plants. Using the latest techniques in synthetic biology I have developed high-throughput screening techniques to assess rhizobial competitiveness and ability to fix nitrogen. We have developed biosensor reporter technology linked to Lux imaging of whole roots to assess root secretion and its impact on microbial colonization and nitrogen fixation.
Collaborator Contribution University of Hyderabad- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea. Also experience in metagenomic diversity of rhizospheric microbes of major crops. M.S.University of Baroda,Vadodara, Gujarat - experience with different Indian soils and agricultural expertise of growth of pigeon pea ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi - interaction with India subsistence farmers and legume-Rhizobium symbiosis under salt and nitrate stress. Also expertise on coordinating microbiological trials in different agroclimatic zones in India. University of Calcutta - expertise in nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea. The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi - bioengineering of rice for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. John Innes Centre - world-leading expertise in the molecular biology of nitrogen fixation and biochemical characterisation of its transcriptional control. James Hutton Institute - specialised in nitrogen fixation by legumes and non-legumes, particularly those from the tropics. Techniques include high-resolution microscopy (light and EM) and 15N-based methods, which in combination have been used to confirm the effectiveness of many novel nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial interactions Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD)-(inter-disciplinary) expertise on Indian life, cultural and practices from the aspect of sustainable development. Examining the interactions and trade-offs between different players in socio-ecological systems, especially in the Indian food system.
Impact A successful application was made to BBSRC-DBT as part of the Newton initiative by this group, led by Prof. Philip Poole. We have set up a VJC - the India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC) which was funded from Jan 1st 2016 in UK. This funding is likely to lead to many outputs, and as this collaboration is multi-disciplinary, in many areas, however as the project has only just begun, these are yet to be realised.
Start Year 2016
 
Description SynSym Project 
Organisation John Innes Centre
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Bacterial physiology and genetics of nitrogen-fixing symbiotic microorganisms.
Collaborator Contribution Expertise in genetics of legumes (JIC and University of Wisconsin), the enzyme nitrogenase, responsible for fixing nitrogen in both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (Montana State university), plant physiology (Noble Foundation) and synthetic biology (MIT). We are working together on a project - Synthetic Symbioses - which aims to use synthetic biology to enable bacteria associating with plant roots to fix nitrogen. This symbiotic association, where the bacteria fixes nitrogen and benefits the plant, occurs naturally between legumes (plants) and rhizobia (bacteria).
Impact A research grant from BBSRC/NSF was obtained to study Synthetic Symbioses. GRANT TITLE: ENGINEERING SYNTHETIC SYMBIOSES BETWEEN PLANTS AND BACTERIA TO DELIVER NITROGEN TO CROPS Grant Ref: BB/L011484/1
Start Year 2013
 
Description SynSym Project 
Organisation Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Bacterial physiology and genetics of nitrogen-fixing symbiotic microorganisms.
Collaborator Contribution Expertise in genetics of legumes (JIC and University of Wisconsin), the enzyme nitrogenase, responsible for fixing nitrogen in both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (Montana State university), plant physiology (Noble Foundation) and synthetic biology (MIT). We are working together on a project - Synthetic Symbioses - which aims to use synthetic biology to enable bacteria associating with plant roots to fix nitrogen. This symbiotic association, where the bacteria fixes nitrogen and benefits the plant, occurs naturally between legumes (plants) and rhizobia (bacteria).
Impact A research grant from BBSRC/NSF was obtained to study Synthetic Symbioses. GRANT TITLE: ENGINEERING SYNTHETIC SYMBIOSES BETWEEN PLANTS AND BACTERIA TO DELIVER NITROGEN TO CROPS Grant Ref: BB/L011484/1
Start Year 2013
 
Description SynSym Project 
Organisation Montana State University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Bacterial physiology and genetics of nitrogen-fixing symbiotic microorganisms.
Collaborator Contribution Expertise in genetics of legumes (JIC and University of Wisconsin), the enzyme nitrogenase, responsible for fixing nitrogen in both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (Montana State university), plant physiology (Noble Foundation) and synthetic biology (MIT). We are working together on a project - Synthetic Symbioses - which aims to use synthetic biology to enable bacteria associating with plant roots to fix nitrogen. This symbiotic association, where the bacteria fixes nitrogen and benefits the plant, occurs naturally between legumes (plants) and rhizobia (bacteria).
Impact A research grant from BBSRC/NSF was obtained to study Synthetic Symbioses. GRANT TITLE: ENGINEERING SYNTHETIC SYMBIOSES BETWEEN PLANTS AND BACTERIA TO DELIVER NITROGEN TO CROPS Grant Ref: BB/L011484/1
Start Year 2013
 
Description SynSym Project 
Organisation Plant Biology Division
Country United States 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Bacterial physiology and genetics of nitrogen-fixing symbiotic microorganisms.
Collaborator Contribution Expertise in genetics of legumes (JIC and University of Wisconsin), the enzyme nitrogenase, responsible for fixing nitrogen in both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (Montana State university), plant physiology (Noble Foundation) and synthetic biology (MIT). We are working together on a project - Synthetic Symbioses - which aims to use synthetic biology to enable bacteria associating with plant roots to fix nitrogen. This symbiotic association, where the bacteria fixes nitrogen and benefits the plant, occurs naturally between legumes (plants) and rhizobia (bacteria).
Impact A research grant from BBSRC/NSF was obtained to study Synthetic Symbioses. GRANT TITLE: ENGINEERING SYNTHETIC SYMBIOSES BETWEEN PLANTS AND BACTERIA TO DELIVER NITROGEN TO CROPS Grant Ref: BB/L011484/1
Start Year 2013
 
Description SynSym Project 
Organisation University of Wisconsin-Madison
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Bacterial physiology and genetics of nitrogen-fixing symbiotic microorganisms.
Collaborator Contribution Expertise in genetics of legumes (JIC and University of Wisconsin), the enzyme nitrogenase, responsible for fixing nitrogen in both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (Montana State university), plant physiology (Noble Foundation) and synthetic biology (MIT). We are working together on a project - Synthetic Symbioses - which aims to use synthetic biology to enable bacteria associating with plant roots to fix nitrogen. This symbiotic association, where the bacteria fixes nitrogen and benefits the plant, occurs naturally between legumes (plants) and rhizobia (bacteria).
Impact A research grant from BBSRC/NSF was obtained to study Synthetic Symbioses. GRANT TITLE: ENGINEERING SYNTHETIC SYMBIOSES BETWEEN PLANTS AND BACTERIA TO DELIVER NITROGEN TO CROPS Grant Ref: BB/L011484/1
Start Year 2013
 
Description 1st Plant Microbiome Symposium, Brazil Feb 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 1st Plant Microbiome Symposium, Brazil attended by approx. 200 people
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description 21st Congress on Nitrogen Fixation - 10th-15th Oct 2019, Wuhan, China - Philip Poole 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Phil gave a talk at this international conference. He had many questions on his work and spent time exchanging ideas with colleagues in this research area.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL http://2019icnf.csp.escience.cn/dct/page/65580
 
Description BASF Symposium 'Unlocking Yield Potential in Soil', Germany, October 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Type Of Presentation keynote/invited speaker
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Talk provided plenty of questions from audience.

Increase interest in my work.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Back2Roots Advisor, annual project meeting. Jan 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact International advisor to the Back2Roots research programme in the Netherlands
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Bacterial World, Natural History Museum, Oxford, Dec 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Phil gave a talk to school children on an open day at the museum as part of the Bacterial World exhibition.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/bacterialworld/
 
Description Bayer Crop Science 16th-17th Feb 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Bayer Crop Science 16th-17th Feb 2016. A group of academics advised industry
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Botanic Gardens seminar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I talked to the Botanic Gardens about nitrogen and humanity

Lots of questions and feedback. This is widely advertised to the public
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Bring and share pulse lunch 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Bring and share pulse lunch to celebrate world pulse day 18th Jan 2017
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Shanghai, China - Philip Poole (Oct 2019) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Phil visited Dr Jeremy Murray at CEPAMS and gave a talk to scientists and students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Development of Poole Lab website (Rhizosphere.org) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The Rhizosphere website is used to describe work performed, profiles lab members, lists outreach activities and celebrates achievements. Also includes a list of Lab publications.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020
URL https://rhizosphere.org
 
Description ENFC, Budapest posters and talks 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact An international conference. Group members presented posters and gave talks to approx. 500 scientists
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description European Nitrogen Fixation Conference (ENFC), Spain, Sept 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Type Of Presentation keynote/invited speaker
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Talk led to plenty of discussion. The six posters from the group which were also presented were well attended and provoked interest.

Improved collaboration with international colleagues.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Facebook LIVE video by Oxford Sparks 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Oxford Sparks FacebookLIVE podcast on nitrogen and the importance of nitrogen-fixing legumes
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://www.facebook.com/OxSparks/videos/1210777428999882/
 
Description FacebookLIVE - the future of food 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Facebook LIVE podcast in association with Oxford Sparks (latest 6.6k views)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://www.facebook.com/OxSparks/videos/1210777428999882/
 
Description Gatsby Plant Science Summer School, Hawkshill, July 2018 (Phil Poole, Vinoy Ramachandran) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Summer school for undergraduates interested in Plant Sciences. Phil gave a talk. Vinoy attended as a post-doc mentor to the undergraduates.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Give peas a chance 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact We made a film with Oxford sparks on nitrogen fixation

Lots os hits on the web site
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Graduate School Speaker, Lunteren, The Netherlands, April 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Graduate School Speaker, Lunteren, The Netherlands, April 2017
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description KEYS conference, Amsterdam, June 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Gave a talk to an industry-sponsored conference.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Lecture at Cirencester Science and Technology Society, Royal Agricultural University, 9th May 2018, (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Lecture given to general public interested in science.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany Dec 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact Seminar and discussion with colleagues at Max Planck Institue.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Meeting minds Oxford Alumni 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I gave a talk to the Oxford biological sciences Alumni

Enthusiastic response from the audience
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Michigan State University, student workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Student workshop at an American University where I was an international expert.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Mini-symposium Chemical Signalling in the Rhizosphere (Cumbria, Sept. 2019)- Phil Poole 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A group of international scientists focussed on a very defined problem in a retreat-like setting.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description NIAB-East Malling Research seminar series, Jan 2019 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Lunch time seminar at Research Institute. Spent much of the day in discussion with colleagues there.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Organised OxBacNet meeting - Feb 2018 (Alison East) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact University of Oxford, Bacteriology Symposium and Network meeting. Held three times a year.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/oxbacnet/
 
Description OxBacNet presentation - Feb 2021 (LC) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Laura gave a talk entitled 'Where should I invest my resources? How host plants regulate interactions with bacterial symbionts'. This was well received (by Zoom) and she answered the audience's questions.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://rhizosphere.org/oxbacnet/
 
Description Oxford Botanic Gardens Seminar Series, Nov 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Evening seminar to interested members of general public.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Plant-Microbe Interactions Symposium, Society for Applied Microbiology, Oct 2020 (PSP) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Phil gave a talk entitled 'Rhizobium from rhizosphere to root nodule' at this online conference. It reached a wide audience who asked a series of questions after the talk.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://sfam.org.uk/career/ems-event-calendar/plant-microbe-interactions-series-part-1.html
 
Description Research Seminar, Lisbon, March 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Research Seminar, Lisbon, March 2017 at II Semana Bioengenharia, Instuto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Rothamsted Research invited seminar - Phil Poole 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Phil gave a lunch-time research seminar.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, UK. Seminar, 29th April 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, UK. Seminar, 29th April 2016, addressed audience made up of academic colleagues and post-grad students
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Schools one week Intensive course 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Intensive one week course for A level students in practical plant and microbial science

Students all keen to apply for science based university courses
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Seminar, University of Southampton, Feb 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Seminar, Crop Systems Engineering Seminar Series, University of Southampton, Feb 2017
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Talk at Curtin University, Western Australia - Phil Poole (Nov 2019) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Phil gave a seminar on his research to an audience of scientists.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Talk to Zoological Society of London, London Zoo,13th March 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Seminar to an audience interested in science, but not specialists in the field.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Thatcher Development Programme's Foundation Day Panel Discussion, 'Climate Change: Approaches and Innovations for the Future' - Feb 208 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Broad-ranging panel discussion with students from different disciplines held at Somerville College, Oxford.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description The Microbiome: human medicine and agriculture in a bacterial world, Royal Society, Oct 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Royal Society organised two days of discussion to formulate policy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Twitter account Rhizosphere @PooleLabOxford 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Twitter account to publicise the work of the Poole Lab
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017,2018,2019,2020
URL https://twitter.com
 
Description University of York, Dept. of Biology invited seminar- Feb 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Seminar and active discussion with members of Dept. of Biology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description VI Annual Meeting of the Plant Genetic and Biotechnology Network, Graduate School, Italy, June 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact VI Annual Meeting of the Plant Genetic and Biotechnology Network, Graduate School, Italy, June 2017
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Visit to Centre of Rhizobium Studies, Murdoch University, Perth - Philip Poole (Nov 2019) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Phil visited CRS and gave a seminar. Also during his visit he was able to interact with post-graduate students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Visit to Murdoch University, WA 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Spent 1 month in Australia as Sir Walter Murdoch Adjunct Professor with Australian colleagues. Liaising, gave a seminar and got involved with their research activities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Winchester College, Nov 2018 (Phil Poole) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Phil gave a talk to the students of Winchester College.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Wow! How? Family Science Fair, March 2013, 2014, 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Demonstrations stimulated discussion about simple science with children aged 5-10yrs and their parents/carers

Favourable comments from the audience on how the stand sparked their interest.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015
URL http://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/
 
Description Wymondham academy school visit 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Talk to 6th form students to encourage them to consider science as a career

Students keen to apply for university places
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014