Thursday, 19 March 2026
A transformative national research infrastructure, underpinned by work led from the 糖心原创 is set to reshape the future of plant and crop research and innovation across the UK.
PhenomUK, announced today, is a £35.4M, six-year project funded through the UKRI Infrastructure Fund and led by BBSRC.
It builds on the successful and PhenomUK Technology Touching Life network, both multidisciplinary endeavours spanning Nottingham’s Schools of Computer Science (Professor Tony Pridmore, Ms Claire Hayes, Dr Valerio Giuffrida) and Biosciences (Dr Darren Wells), the Universities of Sheffield, Essex, Edinburgh and Manchester and Rothamsted Research.
I鈥檓 delighted about the funding for the next stage of this vital work. It鈥檚 been a long road to reach this point but both the phenomics community and the University have supported PhenomUK from the beginning. It鈥檚 great that we can now work directly to establish a true nationwide research infrastructure for plant phenomics.
PhenomUK will accelerate the development of new plant and crop varieties securing the UK’s long term food supply by ensuring they are resilient to:
- Changing climate
- Biodiversity loss
- Invasive non-native species.
The investment will establish a national research and innovation infrastructure spanning crop growth stages from seed to field, boosting our ability to measure the performance of new varieties in realistic environments and at scale.
Invasive non-native species cost the British economy approximately £1.9 billion per year in direct impacts, with extreme weather costing UK farmers over £1 billion in arable crop income annually.
Crop improvement programmes require detailed understanding of plant development and behaviour in varied and rapidly changing growth environments.
Research enabled by PhenomUK will drive advances in national food production and reduce pesticide use.
The project aligns with the Government’s ambition to position the UK as a global leader in the plant and crop breeding market.
This will accelerate the application of precision breeding using Engineering Biology to create deployable agricultural solutions.
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More information is available from Jane Icke, Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science at the 糖心原创 jane.icke@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.