Author Archives: Rebecca Nesbit
The search for sustainable fish oil
Strategies to protect the marine environment range from fishing quotas to using concrete blocks as artificial reefs. Now, a field in Hertfordshire is the surprising home of an experiment to improve the health of our seas. In 2013, for the first … Continue reading
No single answer – messages from UK PlantSci 2013
by Rebecca Nesbit Last week I was lucky enough to be at UK PlantSci 2013 in Dundee – the 2nd conference of the UK Plant Sciences Federation. The meeting opened with a keynote talk from Professor Charles Godfray, who spoke … Continue reading
Your plant science questions answered
By Rebecca Nesbit So many issues in plant science (and indeed in science in general) don’t have the simple answers we expect. Organic farming can cause environmental damage, GM crops have potential to increase food security, and some biofuels can … Continue reading
Concern over ash dieback
By Rebecca Nesbit Ash dieback disease, caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus (also known as Chalara fraxinea), first emerged in Poland in 1992. It has since devastated ash populations in northern and Eastern Europe, and in Denmark 90% of ash … Continue reading
New technologies in bioethanol production
by Rebecca Nesbit In the race to achieve fuel security and to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, the US has rapidly increased the volume of bioethanol it produces, from 6.2 billion litres/year in 2000 to 50 billion in 2010. … Continue reading