Commercial drought-resistant crops
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Stephen Chivasa (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Chivasa S
(2020)
Stress-adaptive gene discovery by exploiting collective decision-making of decentralized plant response systems.
in The New phytologist
Goche T
(2020)
Comparative physiological and root proteome analyses of two sorghum varieties responding to water limitation.
in Scientific reports
Ngara R
(2018)
Identifying differentially expressed proteins in sorghum cell cultures exposed to osmotic stress.
in Scientific reports
| Description | This research identified key genes used by crop plants to protect themselves against drought stress. This provides us with new understanding of the mechanisms plants deploy to survive stress and we can exploit this knowledge in developing crop varieties better-suited for high yields in a changing climate. |
| Exploitation Route | The information from this research can be exploited commercially in generating drought-tolerant crops using a variety of technologies. Furthermore, crop breeding programmes can utilise the genes identified here as selection markers for crop varieties with better yield performance under stress. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Education |
| Description | BBSRC Standard Follow-on-Funding |
| Amount | £198,635 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2016 |
| End | 10/2017 |
| Description | Developing a Microbial Soil-Treatment Technology for Crop Protection from Drought Stress |
| Amount | £25,399 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | GCRF Agrifood Africa Innovation Awards |
| Amount | £40,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2020 |
| End | 06/2021 |
| Description | Newton Funding |
| Amount | £107,600 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NA160140 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2016 |
| End | 11/2019 |
| Description | Non-disruptive in situ root imaging to investigate the role of soil microbes in cowpea drought stress-adaptive responses |
| Amount | £8,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Unravelling sorghum strategies to enlist soil microbes for drought survival and unlocking inaccessible nutrients |
| Amount | £131,250 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NIF\R1\221653 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2022 |
| End | 01/2025 |
| Description | Durham University-Plant Bioscience Ltd. collaboration |
| Organisation | Plant Bioscience Limited Technology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have prepared gene constructs that will be used to transforms oilseed rape for functional validation of target genes in a crop species. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partners have funded transformation of oilseed rape plants by a plant transformation service provider. |
| Impact | The partnership has resulted in a BBSRC grant award for further research. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Durham University-University of the Free State Research Collaboration on Drought |
| Organisation | University of Free State, Bloemfontein |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I am working in partnership with a team in the Plant Sciences department of the University of the Free State (South Africa) on a collaborative project investigating the mechanisms by which sorghum evades drought stress damage. Our contribution to the project is analysis of gene and protein expression and identification and quantification of selected metabolites. Members of the South African team have also come for training in my lab on multiple visits lasting up to 3 months each. I have also contributed to the partnership by writing manuscripts for publication. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The South African team generated the research material (sorghum cell suspension cultures) and acquired various sorghum lines (from South African breeders) that we are using for this research. The group generated protein and metabolite samples from the treated plants and sends these materials for analysis to my lab in Durham. Some experiments requiring advanced facilities they do not have in South Africa have been conducted by members of the South African team during visits to my lab at Durham University. |
| Impact | 1. Academic publications 2. Research student training 3. Capacity-building in South Africa |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Invited seminar at Newcastle University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This seminar attracted academics, undergraduate and post-graduate students. I presented a seminar on my research results and then had discussions with a few academics afterwards. We then established a collaboration and applied for a joint BBSRC-funded studentship. The student is in her first year and so will be able to carry this research forward. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Invited seminar at the University of Cambridge, UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This was an invited seminar delivered to the department of Plants Sciences (academic staff, undergraduate students, post-graduate students). After the seminar, I had a special closed-door meeting with international students to discuss about my work and personal career path as a way to provide a role model for students from BAME backgrounds. One of the editors of a reputable journal publishing plant research was present at the seminar and so extended an invitation for me to write a commissioned article on drought for the New Phytologist. This was a great outcome that has already led to many researchers reaching out to me from many countries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited to a Drought Big Ideas Meeting at Ben Gurion University of the Negev |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a British Council-funded meeting that brought together UK, USA, and Israeli researchers with industry. The event took place at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and many students from local universities and research institutes were in attendance. I presented my work (as did the other academics) in an open session that was open to the public, but we then moved to a closed session where the invited academics and industry people had very deep discussions about strategies to establish a cross-disciplinary team to tackle the intractable challenge of the impact of drought on agriculture. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |