Turnip yellows virus (TuYV) is a very important pathogen of vegetable brassicas (Latin name Brassica oleracea; cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprout, broccoli etc.) and oilseed rape (OSR) in the UK & Europe. Many crops sampled have had very high levels of TuYV infection. Unlike many viruses, TuYV does not cause very obvious symptoms in most brassicas (storage cabbage where it causes tipburn is the exception). This has meant many growers are unaware of the infections. Despite lack of obvious symptoms we showed that TuYV reduces the yield of cabbage by upto 36% and Brussels sprouts by upto 65%. Estimates of OSR yield reductions in the UK alone are upto 30% (losses of GBP 67-180 million/annum). TuYV can move between vegetable brassicas, oilseed rape and weeds, resulting in the high levels of infection of crops seen. A very common greenfly (peach-potato aphid) transmits TuYV; once they acquire the virus they transmit for life. In glasshouse experiments we have identified the best insecticide seed treatments and sprays for controlling TuYV. We have also shown in the field that different cabbage and Brussels sprout cultivars have different susceptibilities to TuYV (all are susceptible, but some less so than others) and that the earlier plants are infected, the greater the yield loss. We have also found a number of sources of extreme resistance to TuYV in Brassica oleracea and have been studying the diversity of TuYV by determining the genetic code of many isolates. Collaborators in the project have a network of suction traps around the UK that trap flying greenfly. They identify the different greenfly species including the peach potato aphid and count them. They are also developing a molecular technique to detect TuYV in the greenfly. All these discoveries provide the opportunity to combine them in to an integrated programme that will give optimal control of TuYV. To develop this integrated control programme we intend to do field experiments in two regions of the UK. At one location we will introduce greenfly carrying TuYV to provide high infection pressure and at the other location we will rely on natural infection. In these experiments we will apply the individual components (partial plant resistance, the best seed treatment and the best sprays) separately, in pairs and in threes in order to quantify the efficacy of individual and combined treatments. This will identify the best combinations and quantify synergy between treatments. The timing of spray treatments will be informed by when peach-potato aphids are flying, this will be known from the suction trap and water trap catches around the experiment. To build on and improve the integrated programme we will identify the best source of extreme resistance to TuYV in our resistant B. oleracea lines. This will be crossed with a susceptible line. The offspring will be tested for resistance/susceptibility by challenging plants with TuYV and testing for TuYV using a quantitative test called ELISA. Some of the next generation of plants will be susceptible to TuYV and some will be resistant. By analysing the genes/chromosomes/RNA/DNA of these plants and comparing this with the susceptibility/resistance status of the plants, it will allow the development of molecular markers. Seed companies will use these to significantly speed up the incorporation of the resistance genes into commercially acceptable varieties. We are collaborating with Syngenta and Dow in the optimal use of seed treatments and sprays and with the seed companies Tozer, Sakata UK, Enza Zaden and Rijk Zwaan UK on the TuYV resistance exploitation. We are also working with Allium and Brassica Agronomy who work with farmers. Through these collaborations the outcomes of the research (integrated programme for TuYV control and new sources of resistance to TuYV) will be exploited by growers in order to reduce residues in vegetables and inputs and increase yields, thereby contributing to food security.

The CDT in Molecules to Product addresses an overarching concern articulated by industry operating in the area of complex chemical products. It centres on the lack of a pipeline of doctoral graduates who understand the cross-scale issues that need to be addressed within the chemicals continuum. Translating their concern into a vision, the focus of the CDT is to train a new generation of research leaders with the skills and expertise to navigate the journey from a selected molecule or molecular system through to the final product that delivers the desired structure and required performance. To address this vision, three inter-related Themes form the foundation of the CDT - Product Functionalisation and Performance, Product Characterisation, and Process Modelling between Scales. More specifically, industry has identified a real need to recruit PGR graduates with the interdisciplinary skills covered by the CDT research and training programme. As future leaders they will be instrumental in delivering enhanced process and product understanding, and hence the manufacture of a desired end effect such as taste, dissolution or stability. For example, if industry is better informed regarding the effect of the manufacturing process on existing products, can the process be made more efficient and cost effective through identifying what changes can be made to the current process? Alternatively, if there is an enhanced understanding of the effect of raw materials, could stages in the process be removed, i.e. are some stages simply historical and not needed. For radically new products that have been developed, is it possible through characterisation techniques to understand (i) the role/effect of each component/raw material on the final product; and (ii) how the product structure is impacted by the process conditions both chemical and mechanical? Finally, can predictive models be developed to realise effective scale up? Such a focus will assist industry to mitigate against wasted development time and costs allowing them to focus on products and processes where the risk of failure is reduced. Although the ethos of the CDT embraces a wide range of sectors, it will focus primarily on companies within speciality chemicals, home and personal care, fast moving consumer goods, food and beverage, and pharma/biopharma sectors. The focus of the CDT is not singular to technical challenges: a core element will be to incorporate the concept of 'Education for Innovation' as described in The Royal Academy of Engineering Report, 'Educating engineers to drive the innovation economy'. This will be facilitated through the inclusion of innovation and enterprise as key strands within the research training programme. Through the combination of technical, entrepreneurial and business skills, the PGR students will have a unique set of skills that will set them apart from their peers and ultimately become the next generation of leaders in industry/academia. The training and research agendas are dependent on strong engagement with multi-national companies, SMEs, start-ups and stakeholders. Core input includes the offering, and supervision of research projects; hosting of students on site for a minimum period of 3 months; the provision of mentoring to students; engagement with the training through the shaping and delivery of modules and the provision of in-house courses. Additional to this will be, where relevant, access to materials and products that form the basis of projects, the provision of software, access to on-site equipment and the loan of equipment. In summary, the vision underpinning the CDT is too big and complex to be tackled through individual PhD projects - it is only through bringing academia and industry together from across multiple disciplines that a solution will be achievable. The CDT structure is the only route to addressing the overarching vision in a structured manner to realise delivery of the new approach to product development.

By 2050 it is estimated that the global population will have increased by a third. The calorific requirements to sustain this population will need to increase by 50% and, with a growing preference for meat consumption, additional provision of feedstocks will also be needed. It has been estimated that this will require a 70% increase in crop yields by 2050. Thus increasing demands will be placed on available agricultural land to deliver efficient, reliable and sustainable food production. Insecticides are important tools for ensuring efficient crop yields. New insecticides need to be created on a regular basis to overcome resistance in pest populations as well as providing more benign environmental impacts and human safety profiles. In particular, new insecticides need to exhibit low toxicity to non-target species, particularly the major pollinators such as bees, while retaining efficacy against both the 'chewing' and 'sucking' pests that can devastate many major crops. The target of the most commercially important insecticides is the neuronal acetylcholine signalling pathway and of this class of insecticides, the safest and most effective are molecules (neonicotinoids and spinosyns) that act at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). The nAChR is in fact composed of five protein subunits that form a complex. In the well established model insect, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, there are ten different genes encoding nAChR subunit proteins, and these can combine to form many different classes of nAChRs, each with the potential to interact differently with insecticidal compounds. To date, very little is known about how these subunits combine, what other proteins act as accessory molecules interacting with receptor subunits, or what impact the 'parts list' of each complex has on its pharmacological properties. The aim of this project is to characterise functionally distinct classes of nAChRs in Drosophila melanogaster, a genetically and biochemically tractable insect model system that will generate insights broadly applicable to other insect species. Knowledge of the functional classes of nAChRs in Drosophila will pave the way for more targeted future research in the pest insects that cause havoc to major crops and for which there are currently very few genetics tools. In this application we will apply cutting edge spatial proteomics methods created by Kathryn Lilley with insect gene editing and advanced genetics techniques available from Steve Russell to advance the insect receptor biochemical and pharmacological approaches established at Syngenta, one of the world's leading agrochemical companies. Together, the proposed research programme will lead to a thorough characterisation of different native nAChR classes and substantially advance our understanding of a class of insecticide targets that are crucial for protecting global agriculture. The ability to design effective new insecticides that are safe and have low environmental impact will be essential to the continuing drive to increase agricultural yields and better feed the growing global population.

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at www.rcuk.ac.uk/StudentshipTerminology. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at www.rcuk.ac.uk/StudentshipTerminology. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.