Sunday, April 20, 2008

New climate change research center in Wales

BBC (UK): A major new research centre trying to find solutions to the problems posed by climate change will be officially opened in Aberystwyth later. The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (Ibers) has more than 300 staff and an annual budget of more than £20m. It was formed when the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research merged with Aberystwyth University.

...The new centre will be opened by Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones and Education Minister Jane Hutt…. "It will create a research platform for internationally important research into some of the most pressing questions facing the world today, and it will develop in Wales the skills needed to solve some of the problems caused by rapid climate change."

…Scientists at Ibers are currently using modern DNA techniques to make crops grown in the world's hottest and driest regions more resistant to drought. They are working on a new variety of the pearl millet plant grown in Africa and Asia.

Pearl millet after harvesting, J. Wilson, USDA-ARS at Tifton GA on 8-15-07, Wikimedia Commons

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