UK collaborates with china to feed population

A new research partnership between researchers in the UK and Beijing is to help meet the challenge of feeding China’s fast-growing population

The rapidly expanding chinese population will benefit from the collaboration

Plant scientists from the University of Leeds and agricultural specialists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences will work on joint projects looking at the role of genes within crop plants, particularly rice.

The project will also see the creation of a ‘virtual laboratory’, where researchers can share information and research data. Professor Phil Gilmartin, of the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds said: “The project brings together two internationally renowned research groups with complementary areas of research and we expect the partnership to lead to long-term projects and future joint appointments.”

Potential areas of collaboration include how plants react to environmental stress, such as high salt levels, and ways to mitigate the impact of crop parasites.

Dr Jinghua Cao, Deputy Director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Bureau of International Cooperation said: “What makes this new collaboration particularly exciting is the combination of the complementary strengths of two top institutes in plant sciences. Such collaborations are what China needs, and I offer my full support to this initiative.”