India-UK Nitrogen Fixation Centre (IUNFC)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Plant Sciences
Abstract
Nitrogen is an essential element of biological molecules and life on earth. Lack of usable nitrogen limits growth of microbes, plants, and animals. Lack of nitrogen in agricultural soils limits plant production of food, feed, fibre and fuel. Nature solved the nitrogen limitation problem via evolution of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in diazotrophic bacteria that reduce atmospheric N2 to NH3, which is readily assimilated into biological molecules. Biological nitrogen fixation is catalyzed by a complex metalloenzyme called nitrogenase whose oxygen-sensitivity may explain its restricted distribution amongst prokaryotes. Some plants, including most legumes and a few non-legumes form intimate, nitrogen-fixing symbioses with diazotrophs that provide the plants with ammonia. As a consequence, legumes have been an integral part of sustainable agricultural systems for thousands of years. However, in an effort to increase plant yields large-scale use of industrially-produced N-fertilizer has doubled the influx of N into the terrestrial biogeochemical N-cycle, with serious negative consequences for human health and the natural environment. Therefore, the long-term sustainability of massive N-fertilizer inputs in agriculture has come into question. A team of eight investigators in India and two in the UK have come together to enhance the use of legumes, increase their effectiveness at fixing nitrogen and develop endophytic diazotrophs for use on cereals such as rice. Our focus is on pigeon pea, which is the second most widely planted legume in India but suffers from poor rates of BNF and low yields. We will select elite lines of pigeon pea and competitive rhizobial inoculants to maximise yields while improving their robustness. In addition we will develop phosphate solubilising strains of rhizobia as the supply of phosphorous often limits the rates on BNF and plant yield. Desirable traits for BNF and phosphate solubilisation will then be stacked into rhizobial inocula. A final long-term aim is the transfer of BNF to cereals, particularly rice, by the use of endophytic diazoptophs that can be inoculated onto cereals. This will be done both by selection of new endophytic diazotrophs and by manipulation of the control of BNF and ammonia secretion in elite strains. To achieve these aims we bring together the national leaders in India and the UK with expertise in bacterial and plant genetics, genomics, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, physiology, synthetic biology combined with a deep knowledge of BNF in Indian soils and different regions. Improving BNF in our target plants will increase croyields for resource-poor farmers while decreasing the use and environmental-impact of industrial N-fertilizers.
Planned Impact
This research project entails fundamental studies of the mechanisms involved in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), but its enormous relevance to the economic wellbeing of Indian farmers is reflected in the research team and their close interactions with large-scale projects across India. The team intends to pursue activities with potential to lead to; 1) economic impact through education and access to selected plant lines/bacterial inoculants for small-scale and family farmers in India. Further economic impact will be achieved through the education of young scientists, potentially as future leaders in the field of sustainable development. 2) social impact through outreach and education. The importance of translating the research findings on BNF into changing agricultural practices in India will be enhanced by public engagement by project participants in the global issue of sustainable development. IUNFC's Indian team have well-established collaborative links with Indian farmers. This ensures a good appreciation of how new products and services would be taken up and applied in agricultural practice in India. Dr DLN Rao (Indian Lead) has coordinated ICAR's 'All India Coordinated Project on Biological Nitrogen Fixation' and now its successor 'All India Network Project on Soil Biodiversity-Biofertilizers' at 20 centres all over India. Following isolation and characterization of the best rhizobia and plant growth-promoting bacteria for all crops, over last 15 years the following have been successfully used to spread awareness of inoculants usage. IUNFCs Indian team have established contacts in the inoculant industry, which may provide routes to market and development of products arising from the research project. As the project progresses, the outputs will be assessed for intellectual property protection, in conjunction with the knowledge transfer team from each of the eight institutions involved (six in India, two in UK). We will use the expertise of all the institutions, e.g. ISIS Innovation Ltd. at University of Oxford, who will support the team in pursuing further relationships with industry for commercialisation of new technologies. These earlier contacts will be leveraged, together with identification of other appropriate commercial partners. Industry contacts will be pursued from companies in attendance at subject-area conferences, at a time when the team are presenting results from their studies. Furthermore, Prof Poole, Prof Ray Dixon and other members of the UK team engaged in the project intend to continue to develop their media relations and communications skills via training, to help them in broad dissemination and public engagement relating to the research area and specific project outputs.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- James Hutton Institute (Collaboration)
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Collaboration)
- University of Calcutta (Collaboration)
- John Innes Centre (Collaboration)
- THE ENERGY AND RESOURCES INSTITUTE (Collaboration)
- Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD) (Collaboration)
- University of Hyderabad (Collaboration)
- Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (Collaboration)
Publications
Mus F
(2022)
Genetic Determinants of Ammonium Excretion in nifL Mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii.
in Applied and environmental microbiology
Bueno Batista M
(2019)
Manipulating nitrogen regulation in diazotrophic bacteria for agronomic benefit.
in Biochemical Society transactions
Stefanello AA
(2020)
Regulation of Herbaspirillum seropedicae NifA by the GlnK PII signal transduction protein is mediated by effectors binding to allosteric sites.
in Biochimica et biophysica acta. Proteins and proteomics
Sánchez-Cañizares C
(2017)
Understanding the holobiont: the interdependence of plants and their microbiome.
in Current opinion in microbiology
Knights H
(2021)
Deciphering bacterial mechanisms of root colonization
in Environmental Microbiology Reports
Tkacz A
(2020)
Agricultural Selection of Wheat Has Been Shaped by Plant-Microbe Interactions.
in Frontiers in microbiology
Jorrin B
(2021)
Genomic Diversity of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) Endosymbionts in India and Selection of Potential Strains for Use as Agricultural Inoculants.
in Frontiers in plant science
Móring A
(2021)
Nitrogen Challenges and Opportunities for Agricultural and Environmental Science in India
in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Poole PS
(2022)
Maintaining osmotic balance in legume nodules.
in Journal of experimental botany
Description | We have established a collection of samples of nitrogen-fixing bacteria from geographical areas of India: alluvial soils (Inceptisols) of Indo-gangetic plains, black soils (Vertisols) of central India and red soils (Alfisols) of peninsular India. As pigeon pea is one of the most important crops in drylands in India, but suffers from inconsistent yields and poor nodulation by ineffective rhizobia, these bacteria have been assessed to select the best rhizobial inoculants together with optimal plant lines to increase plant growth and grain yield for use in the drought-stressed soils. In addition, progress has been made on enhancing plant growth and nitrogen fixation by engineering rhizobia to solubilise phosphate. Characterisation of diazotrophic rice endophytes and their mechanism of infection has been studied. |
Exploitation Route | This project has characterised the best plant and bacterial combinations for the three different types of Indian soils. These are being made available to farmers in India through our partner Labs (ICAR-IISS, University of Calcutta, ICAR-IISS, MS University of Baroda, University of Hyderabad, ICAR-IARI, TERI, ICAR- NBAIM), who have links with these communities. In addition, we have established bacterial stains able to solubilise phosphate and promote plant growth. These strains acting as plant inoculants will be good for the environment as they remove the need for expensive, and potentially environmentally damaging, nitrogenous fertilisers. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Communities and Social Services/Policy Environment Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
URL | https://iunfc.org |
Description | Following this study our collaborators in India a have a selection of bacterial pigeon pea inoculants which perform well in a range of conditions. I am sure that their use is underway to help farmers in India improve the yield from their crops. |
First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
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 | 09/2018 |
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 | Genetic Determinants of Microbiome Assembly on Plant Roots |
Amount | £668,743 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/T001801/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 09/2023 |
Description | Marie Curie (IA) |
Amount | € 224,933 (EUR) |
Organisation | Marie Curie |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2021 |
End | 06/2023 |
Description | Peptidoglycan remodelling during Rhizobium leguminosarum life cycle, from the rhizosphere to the formation of bacteroids |
Amount | £658,994 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/W013800/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2023 |
End | 04/2026 |
Description | Role of the SYM pathway in selecting the root microbiota |
Amount | £607,262 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/R017859/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 12/2021 |
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 | "Diverse regulatory control of nitrogen fixation in proteobacteria" International Conference on Nitrogen Fixation 2019, Wuhan, China |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Plenary talk at a major international meeting introducing students to the potential for deriving agronomic benefit from manipulation of associative diazotophs |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
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 | 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 Exhibition - involvement in preparing exhibits and organisation of exhibition (Marcela Mendoza-Suarez, Beatriz Jorrin) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Large exhibition - very visual. Involvement in preparing some of the exhibits and in the general organisation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/bacterialworld/ |
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 | 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 | Challenges and Opportunities for Agricultural Nitrogen Science in India- Joint Workshop of the of India-UK Nitrogen Virtual Centres, New Delhi, 3rd-5th Oct 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | As this was a joint workshop of the of India-UK Nitrogen Virtual Centres, all the project leaders from UK and Indian projects funded by Newton initiative were present. It was an opportunity to discuss the approaches of the different VJCs and present key findings for our project to the others. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.niab.com/pages/id/459/News_and_Activities |
Description | EMBO plenary lecture "Exploiting fundamental understanding of nitrogen fixation for potential agricultural benefit" Stockholm Sweden |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A major international conference related to biological nitrogen fixation and sustainable agriculture |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
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, Stockholm Sweden, Aug 2018 (Andrzej Tkacz, Marcela Mendoza-Suarez) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Speakers at a large international conference. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://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 | Global Pulse Day lunch, 18th Jan 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | 'Bring and share' lunch to publicise the use of pulses in cooking, their environmental importance and aspects of food security |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://pulses.org/global-pulse-day |
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 | IUNFC Annual Meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | IUNFC Annul Meeting for all collaborators on the project |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | IUNFC Annual Meeting held at NBAIM, Mau, India, 13-14th Nov 2018 (Vinoy Ramachandran, Alison East, Phil Poole, Beatriz Jorrin, Andrzej Tkacz) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | IUNFC Annual Meeting for this UK-India project involved all project leaders from India and all researchers from UK. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://iunfc.org |
Description | IUNFC VJC meeting held by BBSRC - Philip Poole, Beatriz Jórrin (Dec 2019) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Phil and Bea attended and reported IUNFC's finding at this meeting for the VJCs funded by the BBSRC in India, China and Brazil. Phil is also part of the Brazil VJC; Understanding and Exploiting Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Improvement of Brazilian Agriculture. Over the 3-day meeting, extensive conversations and discussions were held with both UK and international colleagues. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://iunfc.org/news/ |
Description | IUNFC quarterly on-line newsletter |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | IUNFC quarterly newsletter, on-line to IUNFC project participants |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | Imperial College seminar June 2018 (Beatriz Jorrin) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Imperial College seminar June 2018 (Beatriz Jorrin) Ecology and Evolution Seminar Series |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | JIC 50 Open day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Open Day to celebrate 50 years of the John Innes Centre in Norwich, where we exhibited a stand to show isolation of microbes from soil and their influence on plant growth. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Microbiota studies - satellite meeting of European Nitrogen Fixation Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, Aug 2018 (Andrzej Tkacz, Rachel Wheatley, Vinoy Ramachandran, Marcela Mendoza-Suarez, Tim Haskett, Phil Poole) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talks were given by all those listed to the audience of scientists from all over the world. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | Natural History Museum, DNA workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | A-KM helped run a DNA workshop at the Natural History Museum, Oxford for local 6th form students |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Nitrogen and Humanity- a Perpetual Crisis - 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 | Phil Poole gave a talk in Oxford Town Hall as part of an evening on Microbiology. Audience was made up of the general public. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
Description | Organise and run OxBacNet meeting (May 2019) - 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 | Organise this networking event to get the bacteriologists (located in many different departments across Oxford) together in one place to exchange information and ideas. The email list has 150 names and we get approx. 80 attending the termly meetings (lasting an afternoon). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/oxbacnet/ |
Description | Organise and run OxBacNet meeting - 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 | I plan and design the programme, inviting all the speakers and organising the whole meeting (from tea and coffee, projectors, display of posters and pizza delivery for the networking sessions). This is an extremely successful initiative reaching the bacteriologists working in the many different locations around Oxford. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/oxbacnet/ |
Description | Organised Nitrogen Network Meeting, July 2018 (Alison East) |
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 | One-day national meeting with an international key-note speaker organised in Oxford. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://synthsym.org/nitrogen-network/ |
Description | Organised Nitrogen Network Workshop, June 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Nitrogen Network wa a one-day meeting for researchers interested in common themes |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
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 | Organised and run OxBacNet symposia, May 2018, Oct 2018, Feb 2019 (Alison East) |
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 | An afternoon networking activity and series of talks held once a term. Links all of Oxford's bacteriologists. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/oxbacnet/ |
Description | OxBacNet seminar - Feb 2019 (Beatriz Jorrin) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Beatriz gave a seminar at this networking and seminar series held termly. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | OxBacNet workshop and networking session - Nov 20223 |
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 | Organised a workshop for all those interested in bacteriology in Oxford. Audience of approx. 80 reported interest in the presentations |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
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 | Plenary Lecture "Engineering Nitrogen fixation for Agricultural Benefit" at the XVII International Meeting of the Spanish Society of Nitrogen Fixation, Madrid ,Spain |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was an opportunity to introduce students to the benefits of sustainable agriculture . Subsequently at the meeting I was invited to write a book chapter on this subject |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Plenary talk at the European Nitrogen Fixation Conference 2021 in the session "Applications of biological nitrogen fixation and environmental impact" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Plenary Session talk entitled "Optimising nitrogen delivery by root-associated diazotrophs" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://events.au.dk/enfc2021/programme2021 |
Description | Poster at 2nd Plant Microbiome Conference, Amsterdam, Feb 2018 (Andrzej Tkacz) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Poster displayed at this conference |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Poster presented at SynBioBeta 2023, Oakland, California, May 2023 (BT) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Poster presented: Understanding and Optimising Targeted Nitrogenase Expression in Gammaproteobacteria for Sustainable Cereal Agriculture. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | http://www.synbiobeta.com |
Description | Posters at ICNF, Granada, Spain, Sept. 2017 |
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 | International conference. 11 posters from Lab. 2 short presentations |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | Posters presented at 15th European Nitrogen Fixation Conference (ENFC), Naples Sept 2023 (JD, A-KM, OT, MC, IA, RL, AKE, BJ) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Eight posters were presented at the 15th European Nitrogen Fixation Conference from the Poole group. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.enfc2023.org |
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 | SRUK-Oxford seminar 1st March 2018 (Bea triz Jorrin) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk on research to Spanish society - audience non-specialist. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | Selection as divisional (MPLS, University of Oxford) BAME role model for school children (Vinoy Ramanchandran) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Vinoy was selected as the divisional BAME role model. He wrote a short piece about being a scientist and the research he carries out. School children were asked to create an artwork based on his research. He inspired the winner of one of the age categories. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
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 | Society for Applied Biology in Edinburgh, Jul 2016 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk to conference audience |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
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 at Nitrogen Network one-day meeting in Oxford, July 2018 (Rachel Wheatley, Euan James, Jack Parsons, Kyle Grant) |
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 | Talks were presented to audience of scientists in UK studying similar organisms and related subject areas. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://synthsym.org/nitrogen-network/ |
Description | Talk at OxBacNet symposium, Feb 2018 (Vinoy Ramachandran) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Spoke at an University of Oxford networking symposium |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/oxbacnet/ |
Description | Talk to the Mexican Society, Jan 2019 (Marcela Mendoza-Suarez) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk to the non-specialised audience of the Mexican Society involved speaking in non-scientific language in order to make the explanations clear. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | Talks given at 15th European Nitrogen Fixation Conference (ENFC), in Naples, Sept 2023 (CSC, BT, TU, HK) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Four talks were given by the Poole Lab at ENFC |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.enfc2023.org |
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 | Twitter account IUNFC @IUNFC_tweets |
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 IUNFC. Aiming to spread information across both countries, UK and India, in this VJC. |
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 | Webcast/interview Cornell Alliance for Science |
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 | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | I gave an interview with Alliance for Science Live about research on nitrogen fixing bacteria and the future of engineering this process to benefit agriculture. The Alliance for Science from Cornell University, New York, aims to promote access to scientific innovation in areas of food security and sustainability. During the interview, I introduced the background on biological nitrogen fixation and why it is important. I described how overuse of synthetic fertilizer has caused unintentional impacts to the environment and is costly for farmers. I then went on to discuss various approaches that can be taken to engineer nitrogen fixation in order to solve the "nitrogen crisis" and hence increase agricultural sustainability. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/alliance-for-science-live/event/engineering-biological-nitrog... |
Description | Website for IUNFC project (IUNFC.org) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | IUNFC website publicises the project and the work carried out by this VJC, spread over eleven labs in two continents. Scientists working on this project and the outreach and other activities are described. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017,2018,2019,2020 |
URL | https://IUNFC.org |
Description | XVII Symposium of Mexican Studies and Students in the UK, (June 2019) - Marcela Mendoza Suarez |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Marcela gave a talk entitled ' Rhizobia competition: getting to the root of the problem'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |
Description | XXVII Workshop Advances in Molecular Biology by Young Researchers Abroad, Madrid (Dec 2019) - Beatriz Jorrín |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Be a gave a talk entitled ' Differential Fluorescent Markers to map Synthetic Communities on Plant Roots'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://rhizosphere.org/lab-news/ |