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Science on Sundays: August 2024

Engineering to study biology: building tools to study an economically important crop disease. A talk by Dr Olaf Kranse, Crop Science Centre, University of Cambridge.

  • 18th August 2024 - 18th August 2024
  • 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

From exploring herbarium uses to discovering the secrets of wildflowers and fungi, come and discover the fascinating world of plant science in just 30 minutes! Science on Sundays is a free, informal and monthly series of talks, sharing the latest discoveries in plant science and research with our visitors.

Global food demand is expected to increase by 35% to 56% by 2050. In severe cases, plant disease has been reported to cause over 50% reduction in yield. The field of plant pathology will have an increasingly important role in establishing global food security for a sustainable future.

Plant-parasitic nematodes are now among the most damaging pests to agriculture globally, costing world agriculture at least £80-125 billion per year. These animals are understudied, and as such, many laboratory techniques for these organisms are absent or suboptimal, limiting the speed and depth of research. Our lab builds tools and robots to accelerate research, which helps us increase our understanding of the disease, and come up with solutions to control the pest.

Come have a look and discover with us the microscopic world of plant-parasitic nematodes, and see this pest operate in a level of detail like no-one has ever seen before!

We will be running these talks live from the Botanic Garden Classroom for those visiting the Garden on the day.

Free with normal Garden admission.

Please check the website and social media for updates.

Suitable for adults and children aged 12+.

Talks run monthly March to August.

Facilities

  • Assistance dogs welcome
  • Disabled Accessibility
  • Facilities for Disabled Guests
  • wheelchair access

Accessibility Facilities

  • Assistance dogs welcome
  • Designated wheelchair public toilet
  • Wheel chair accessible
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Did you know?

Cambridge can boast of William Wordsworth, Samuel Pepys, Virginia Woolf, Stephen Fry and Prince Charles as alumni of the university.