Horticultural Crop Research (East Malling)

Graham's research is focused on understanding mechanisms that facilitate plant-environment interactions and increase crop resilience to climate change. These topics are approached using a combination of genetic and physiological tools, with a main focus on stomatal traits. Stomata are key gatekeepers for plant-environment interactions because they control gas-exchange at the leaf surface. They strongly contribute to water-use efficiency, photosynthetic processes, temperature regulation, hydraulic integrity, and organismal plasticity.

Research interests

Charles undertakes research and development of products, tools, and methods to enable more efficient and environmentally sound crop protection. He is interested in transferring technology and methods from other sectors into agriculture, utilising a range of scientific fields such as semio-chemistry, insect behaviour, image analysis (fluorescence, hyper/multi spectroscopy), remote sensing (aerial and ground), automation and precision agricultural technology to develop novel methods of crop protection.

Based at NIAB East Malling Nada's research interests focus on the intersection between genetics and environment and the function that small non-coding RNAs and epigenetic mechanisms play in the information flow within the plant and between the plant and its surroundings. Small RNAs and mechanisms of epigenetic regulation are best known for their role in genome defence against transposons, but their functions in plants are vastly diverse and steadily increasing.

Nengi holds an MSc in molecular biology with biotechnology (Bangor University, Wales) and a PhD studying the ripening process of tropical mango (Mangifera indica L.) with a particular focus on the Rab GTPases (University of Nottingham).

Mitzi has been a project administrator at East Malling since March 2019, providing administrative support to the CTP PhD studentship programmes, both at East Malling and Cambridge.

She also provides general administrative support to other projects, such as the Rubus breeding programme, and at the East Malling site in general.

Ross is responsible for much of the day-to-day operational running of the site including facilities, health & safety, quality control (EMQA), etc, and occasionally helping the science staff communicate their activities to external audiences.

Part of the Crop Science and Production Systems team at East Malling Matteo's research includes pest and disease control in soft fruit and organic farming systems.

William's role includes setting up experimental areas, both at NIAB at East Malling and on commercial grower trials, and installing sensor/loggers for precision growing.

David is a second year PhD student, under the SoCoBio DTP programme, whose current research focuses on understanding and improving the nutritional quality of fruit and vegetable, within the wider context of improving food system sustainability and micronutrient security.

He is particularly interested in the application of stress conditioning as a means of increasing nutrient accumulation in strawberry, as well as subsequent associations between nutritional quality and crop tolerance of pre- and post-harvest stresses.