29 January 2009

Sheffield scientists research rice yield potential

Researchers from the University of Sheffield are involved in an ambitious project led by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, looking into a new, higher-yielding rice plant that could ease the threat of hunger for the poor.

Currently, more than a billion people worldwide live on less than a dollar a day and nearly one billion live in hunger. Over the next 50 years, the population of the world will increase by about 50% and water scarcity will grow. About half of the world´s population consumes rice as a staple cereal, so boosting its productivity is crucial to achieving long-term food security. IRRI is leading the effort to achieve a major increase in global rice production by using modern molecular tools to develop a more efficient and higher-yielding form of rice.

Photosynthesis, the process by which plants use solar energy to capture carbon dioxide and convert it into the carbohydrates required for growth, is not the same for all plants. Some species, including rice, have a mode of photosynthesis (known as C3) in which the capture of carbon dioxide is relatively inefficient. Other plants, such as maize and sorghum, have evolved a much more efficient form of photosynthesis known as C4.

A project to improve photosynthesis in rice by introducing C4 photosynthesis has received a grant of US$11 million over 3 years from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a result of research into the re-engineering of photosynthesis in rice being conducted by this group, rice plants that can produce 50% more grain using less fertilizer and less water will be brought a step closer to reality.

Professor Richard Leegood, from the University´s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, will be directing a research team at IRRI as well as research in Sheffield and Professor Peter Horton, from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, will be a member of the international advisory board for the C4 project.

Professor Peter Horton has collaborated with the IRRI on improving rice photosynthesis for over 15 years. He commented: "This project is very exciting and I feel very privileged to be part of such an important step into the future."

Professor Richard Leegood´s teams will work on the biochemistry of C4 photosynthesis. He added: "The University of Sheffield has a long-standing, worldwide reputation in photosynthesis research, therefore it is fantastic that we are involved with such an innovative research and development project."

The C4 Rice Consortium combines the strengths of a range of partners, including molecular biologists, geneticists, physiologists, biochemists, and mathematicians, representing leading research organizations worldwide. Members include Yale, Cornell, Florida, and Washington State universities in the United States; Oxford, Cambridge, Dundee, Nottingham, and Sheffield universities in Britain; the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australian National University, and James Cook University in Australia; Heinrich Heine University and the Institute for Biology in Germany; Jiangsu Academy in China; the University of Toronto in Canada; and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.


Notes for Editors: About the International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the world´s leading rice research and training center. Based in the Philippines, with offices in 13 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous, nonprofit institution focused on improving the well-being of present and future generations of rice farmers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes, while preserving natural resources. IRRI is one of 15 centers supported, in part, by members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR; www.cgiar.org) and a range of other funding agencies.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people´s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people, especially those with the fewest resources, have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
For information, contact Johnny Goloyugo, IRRI, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines;
tel +63-2-580-5600; fax: +63-2-580-5699; email j.goloyugo@cgiar.org.
Web sites: IRRI Home (www.irri.org), IRRI Library (http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org), Rice Knowledge Bank (www.knowledgebank.irri.org)

For further information please contact: Catherine Milburn, Media Relations Officer on 0114 2225339 or email C.L.Milburn@sheffield.ac.uk

« Return to news releases