Premium
Under one leaf: an historical perspective on the UK Plant Science Federation
Author(s) -
Leonelli Sabina,
Charnley Berris,
Webb Alex R.,
Bastow Ruth
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.4168.x
Subject(s) - plant science , nature versus nurture , biology , plant biology , variety (cybernetics) , perspective (graphical) , political science , engineering ethics , environmental ethics , ecology , microbiology and biotechnology , sociology , engineering , genetics , botany , computer science , philosophy , artificial intelligence
The UK Plant Science Federation (UKPSF) was launched on the 23 November 2011 and will see its first annual gathering in April 2012. UKPSF is a special‐interest group of the Society of Biology, which aims to bring together the plant science community in the UK and create a coordinated approach to research, industry, funding and education in this vital sector of the biosciences. We explore the circumstances that led to the foundation of the UKPSF and reflect on its significance in relation to the history of plant science. In particular, we focus on the case of plant genetics as exemplary of the variety of approaches and settings involved in advancing plant science; the importance of maintaining cooperation between different communities; and the work needed to nurture and develop cooperative links, especially within the increasingly complex and fragmented scientific research landscape. As we show, plant genetics also has a history of direct links to plant breeding for crop development. Our perspective is informed by our scientific and historical expertise in this area of research, as well as the involvement of two of the authors in the establishment of the UKPSF itself.