Currently, the university receives over GBP30m of funding from
BBSRC which goes towards helping researchers discover more about both human and animal disease, in addition to food security.
BBSRC is the largest UK public funder of non-medical bioscience and invests in worldclass bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public.
BBSRC is the largest UK public funder of non-medical bioscience and invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public.
Prof Barry Hirst of Newcastle University, director of the
BBSRC doctoral training partnership between the universities of Newcastle, Liverpool and Durham, said: "All three universities are pleased to play a key role in training students in the North of England as part of this national programme, helping to keep the region at the forefront of scientific development.
Professor Melanie Welham, Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council's (
BBSRC) science director, said: "We are delighted to welcome Professor Gooding as the new director of Ibers.
The project is among the first round of awards from
BBSRC's Horticulture and Potato Initiative (HAPI), which aims to bring academics and industry together for research projects.
A new two-year project, with more than $1.3 million in funding from the
BBSRC, will refine and improve models to enable IFR scientists to determine how the nutritional quality and health benefits of the food we eat can be influenced by the way it is digested.
Professor Douglas Kell, Chief Executive of
BBSRC, said: "To ensure that we have enough healthy, sustainable food for a growing population, we need to find a range of novel solutions to challenges such as improving crop yields and reducing food waste.
"We're really excited by the possibilities that this project could open up" said Professor Douglas Kell, Chief Executive of
BBSRC. "The 'click' technique could make DNA production cheaper, quicker and more efficient and deliver a range of useful new clinical and commercial molecules.
Doug Kell, head of the
BBSRC, said recent price spikes in the wheat markets "have shown how vulnerable our food system is to shocks and potential shortages".
The initiative to make funding available to researchers also involves the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (
BBSRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc), the Wellcome Trust and the Scottish Government.