Dundee Researcher to Investigate Barley Crop Traits
A University of Dundee academic has been awarded more than £600,000 to study an increasing problem with the cereal crop barley that impacts the commercially important malting process and the shelf- life of animal feed.
Dr Sarah McKim, a School of Life Sciences researcher based at the James Hutton Institute, was awarded a BBSRC research grant to investigate the unfavourable trait, called ‘skinning’ and to develop tools to track it in breeding populations.
Dr McKim said, “Skinning occurs when the barley grain husk does not completely adhere, or ‘stick’, to the barley grain. This is a problem during malting, where barley grain is processed for brewing and distilling, as skinned barley performs badly and cannot be used.
Dr Sarah McKim
They aim to identify the genes responsible for altered wax production associated with skinning and how they vary in different cultivated barley varieties.
The work will take place in collaboration with Professor Robbie Waugh, who is a co-investigator on the grant and with researchers in the James Hutton Institute. The project has full support from the International Barley Hub, an initiative seeking to create a unique, integrated, open platform for the translation of barley research into economic, social, environmental and commercial impacts for the breeding, farming, malting, brewing, feed, food, health and related industries.
“Skinning also reduces the amount of time that the barley grain can be safely stored. While we know that husks stick due to a sticky layer on the grain surface, we know very little about its chemical nature or how it is made. However, our preliminary data suggests that changes in the surface wax production are key.”
Dr McKim and her colleague Dr Chiara Campoli will study the waxy surfaces called cuticles on barley grain and how these vary in lines that show different degrees of skinning.
In addition to the scientific research, Dr McKim’s interdisciplinary project includes working with Dr Sarah Cook from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. Dr Cook, who curates the programme at Dundee’s LifeSpace Science Art Research Gallery, will commission a visual artist to work with the researchers. They will use image data generated by the project to create works that explore the scales and surfaces of plant cuticles.
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IAPB2018: 19-24 August, Dublin
IAPB 2018, to be held at the Convention Centre, Dublin, will bring into focus advances in science and technology tackling the growing challenges to provide food for the world’s burgeoning population. Conference themes will include topics in Food Security, Plant Breeding Techniques, Propogation, Plant Microbiome and Pathology, Public Understanding of Science, as well as novel bioproducts such as biofuels/bioplastics and biopharmaceuticals.
“Global climate change, loss of biodiversity, reduced land and water availability, large scale food waste and emerging pests and pathogens are amongst many of the challenges facing us today,” commented Congress Chairperson Barbara Doyle Prestwich, President of the International Association for Plant Biotechnology (IAPB).
“To achieve global food security, in an increasingly insecure world, demands cooperative effort between the public and private sector and strong commitment from Governments worldwide to invest in innovative research and development in areas such as Plant Science.
“It has been almost 25 years since this symposium was last held in Europe and we are excited to be bringing this meeting to a world class venue in the city of Dublin for the 14th IAPB quadrennial symposium from 19th to 24th August 2018 where we promise you a truly memorable experience,” she added.
Abstracts are still being accepted although must be submitted online by the deadline of 28 February. For details contact
www.iapb2018@conferencepartners.ie
44786pr@reply-direct.com Biosensors Simplify Disease Detection
Finnish researchers at Aalto University have developed a biosensor that enables creation of easy-to-use health tests similar to home pregnancy tests. The plasmonic biosensors are said to be able to detect whether exosomes, cell-derived vesicles present in blood and urine, are diseased - even by the naked eye.
The researchers created a new biosensor by depositing plasmonic metaparticles on a black, physical body that absorbs all incident electromagnetic radiation. A plasmon is a quantum of plasma oscillation and plasmonic materials have been used for making objects invisible in scientific tests as they efficiently reflect and absorb light. Plasmonic materials are based on the effective polarisabilities of metallic nanostructures.
“It is extraordinary that we can detect diseased exosomes by the naked eye. The conventional plasmonic biosensors are able to detect analytes solely at a molecular level. So far, the naked-eye detection of biosamples has been either rarely considered or unsuccessful,” said Professor Mady Elbahri from Aalto University.
Plasmonic dipoles are famous for their strong scattering and absorption. Dr. Shahin Homaeigohar and Moheb Abdealziz
from Aalto University explain that the research group has succeeded in demonstrating the as-yet unknown specular reflection and the Brewster effect of ultrafine plasmonic dipoles on a black body host.
“We exploited it as the basis of new design rules to differentiate diseased human serum exosomes from healthy ones in a simple manner with no need to use any specialised equipment,”, said Dr Abdou Elsharawy from the University of Kiel.
The novel approach enables a simple and cost-effective design of a perfect coloured absorber and creation of vivid interference plasmonic colours.
According to Elbahri, there is no need to use sophisticated fabrication and patterning methods. It enables naked-eye environmental and bulk biodetection of samples with a very minor change of molecular polarizability of even 0.001%.
In addition to using discovery in biomedicine, industry may use advanced applications in energy.
The study was published in Advanced Materials.
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Efforts by York and Maastricht to Progress Research, Teaching and Business Projects
A major partnership, announced by the Universities of York and Maastricht, will build on their existing working relationship to establish joint research projects, while expanding educational support for both staff and students.
Initially focusing on crops, nutrition and public health, high-field imaging for medical diagnostics, data science and international trade, the two institutes will also develop ties with industry, including consideration of student employability.
The shorter term objectives will result in a shared PhD degree in public health, reciprocal business delegations, joint research workshops and conference and staff development programmes, while longer term benefits of the alliance will include more collaborative research centres and knowledge sharing in technical and professional areas.
As members of the Worldwide Universities the two institutes already have student and staff exchanges through the Erasmus+ scheme and a number of research connections –
most notably in the field of imaging.
York’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Koen Lamberts said: “We have a clear set of priorities for this alliance and work is already underway. I am confident, however, that following on from our first set of projects, many more will emerge and we will see a network of joint enterprises from our university communities. We expect strong business links in line with the UK’s industrial strategy, as well as teaching and research connections.”
Maastricht’s President, Professor Martin Paul said: “We have brought together groups of staff from both institutions and this is a genuine grass-roots partnership. Our staff are hugely enthusiastic about the research and teaching links we have with York. It is particularly exciting that business links with regional partners will be part of the alliance.”
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Advancing Possibilities for Fingerprint Retrieval
Forensic technology that will make it ‘impossible’ for criminals to erase their fingerprints from crime scenes has been developed by scientists at Loughborough University.
The advanced detection technique, which allows investigators to take prints from problematic exhibits such as spent ammunition casings, was carried out in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) - an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence.
Those involved in the innovation said it will make it far easier for police to recover impressions from previously problematic crime scenes involving materials subjected to high temperatures, or immersed in water, or prints left on deformed surfaces.
Dr Paul Kelly, of the University’s chemistry department started work on the project seven years ago alongside PhD student Rob King, who is now a research and development applications specialist for forensic company Foster and Freeman (F&F) – the company that will make the technology commercially available later this year.
Dr Kelly said the technique has the potential for major advancements in forensic science and expects it to be popular across the globe.
He said: “This advancement opens up possibilities for evidence retrieval in situations where traditional methods either struggle or fail completely – for example, when attempts have been made to destroy print evidence through burning or washing.
“The whole process, up until now, has been developed here at Loughborough, from its initial serendipitous observations through to prototyping. But now Foster and Freeman will refine the technology for commercial use. It’ll be gratifying to see it sold worldwide and deliver a positive impact on forensic capabilities.”
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