Cross-border research project to tackle potato blight
Scientists from UCC and Aberystwyth University will be collaborating on research to fight a disease that causes major crop losses and blight in potatoes.
It was one of eight cross-border research collaborations to be awarded funding as part of a prestigious new Research Alliance Award, announced by the Welsh and Irish governments.
Thanks to the new research grant, scientists from University College Cork (UCC) and Aberystwyth University's Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences and Department of Life Sciences will be allowed to work on new ways to tackle the disease Phytophthora infestans, also known as the 'Plant Destroyer'.
This disease causes significant crop losses worldwide, including causing blight in potatoes, which has major economic and food security implications.
Professor John Doonan, director of the National Plant Phenomics Centre at IBERS and co-lead on the project, said: 'This award recognises the power of international collaboration in solving global agricultural challenges. Phytophthora infestans continues to threaten food production systems across Europe.
"By combining our expertise in AI, Prof. Luis Mur's expertise in metabolomics with plant pathology researchers in Cork, we aim to build the foundations of a long-term research partnership that can develop sustainable solutions that reduce the need for chemical disease control.'
The Ireland-Wales partnership is funded by the Wales Innovation Network (WIN) and Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, as part of a strategic effort to deepen academic collaboration and enhance access to Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship funding programme for research and innovation.
Announcing the awards, minister for further and higher education, research, innovation and science, James Lawless, said: 'The Research Alliance Award highlights the strong ties between Ireland and Wales and the immense potential of our academic communities working together.
"By investing in these innovative projects, we are paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and solutions that will benefit both our countries and the wider European community. We look forward to seeing how these collaborations develop into larger-scale initiatives that deliver real-world impact.'
The seed funding will support project activities for up to 12 months, including researcher exchanges, joint workshops, and preparatory work for future European funding applications. Other projects funded under the scheme span areas such as neurodegenerative disease, AI for seizure detection, freshwater clean-up, and next-generation batteries.
Aberystwyth University is one of four Welsh institutions participating in the programme, alongside Cardiff, Swansea, and Bangor universities. The partner universities in Ireland are University College Dublin, University of Limerick, University College Cork, and Dublin City University.
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