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Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
We better watch we don't sleepwalk into another potato famine, says expert
'I'm not a betting man, but if I was, my money would always be on the pathogen' SPUD WARING We better watch we don't sleepwalk into another potato famine, says expert Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE United Nations International Day of the Potato is celebrated today - but boffins fear the humble spud is under global threat. Experts at the renowned James Hutton Institute, that researches land and crops from its centres in Dundee and Aberdeen, will mark the occasion by discussing the pressures facing mass potato production. 4 Professor Ingo Hein from the James Hutton Institute. 4 Matt Damon in the 2015 hit film The Martian. 4 Matt Damon growing potatoes on Mars in the film The Martian. And there are serious topics to discuss as spuds feed two thirds of the eight billion people on planet Earth. Chief Features Writer MATT BENDORIS speaks to professor Ingo Hein, Head of Potato Genetics, at The James Hutton Institute. WHEN people tell Professor Ingo Hein there could never be another potato famine like the one that killed a million people in the 19th Century, he remarks: 'And many thought they'd never be another pandemic.' The devastating disease - known as the blight - struck Ireland in 1845 leading to mass starvation. It was caused by the arrival of a pathogen - a microorganism that causes disease - called Phytophthora infestans that saw crops fail all across the Emerald Isle. Professor Hein said: 'And it wasn't just Ireland as crops failed on the West Coast of Scotland too. 'Ireland's population has never recovered as so many died or immigrated. They had eight million people before the 1840s but they have never reached that number again.' Three years ago the United Nations decided to launch the International Day of the Potato as so much of the world - especially developing countries - rely on the humble tattie to feed their populations. Professor Hein, who has been at the Scottish Institute since 1999, explains: 'Potatoes are the only main crop that has all the amino acids of life. 'So if you eat potatoes with butter, you're sorted. You literally have everything the body needs. 'Sure, it might not be the best diet in terms of diversity, but you can live off of it. 'That's why it was so popular in Ireland. It was the only crop they could afford to feed themselves.' He adds: 'It's also likely that if man ever gets to Mars, that will be the first crop grown there - just like in the Matt Damon movie The Martian. 'That's because potatoes need seven times less water to grow than cereals, but converted into calories they are much more efficient.' But one of the UK's favourite potatoes, the King Edward - first grown in 1902 - hasn't changed its genetic make-up in over a century, along with the Maris Piper - introduced to the UK in 1966. And Professor Hein believes that makes them vulnerable to a new disease in the same way Covid became the first pandemic since the Spanish Flu which killed an estimated 50 million people from 1918. He said: 'I'm not a betting man, but if I was, my money would always be on the pathogen. 'You've seen it with Covid. There was a pathogen, we had vaccines, they protected against it, and then the pathogen changed. 'It's exactly the same with diseases that affect potatoes. Because the way we have to grow potatoes on a large scale, it's an easy scenario for a pathogen to actually gain a foothold, adapt, and then have a negative impact. 'They are mainly spread by aphids which are wind-dispersed. So it doesn't know any boundaries. It will jump from one country to the next country.' The Professor believes that all the advancements in chemicals and pesticides are not the answer, insisting natural genetics is the key. He said: 'Here at the Institute in Dundee we have the Commonwealth Potato Collection. 'Many don't look like potatoes, but they are potatoes. And they really have the diversity that we need to protect the crops from pathogens and pests. 'But also from a changing environment, which the potato is ideal for, because it actually grows on every continent apart from Antarctica. 'So it's incredibly versatile and can be adapted. But the key really is in the wild species of potato. And that's what we are tapping into.' He adds: 'We can even breed them to be really nice looking potatoes. So they will have all the resistances, but will be different to Maris Piper. But still just as tasty.' The James Hutton Institute is now working towards establishing a National Potato Innovation Centre, which aims to harness the combined strengths of research and industry across the UK to future-proof potato as a crop. They are also trying to come up with ways to combat nematodes - parasitic worms that have hit parts of Scotland's potato production. Professor Hein, 51, said: 'Once your land is contaminated with these nematodes, you cannot grow seed potatoes - which is the first stage of production - on your land. So we're actually losing land at a rapid rate. 'The Scottish Government has recognised this issue and they've put funding in to try and address this.' But while the UK may be able to navigate another famine by importing more from India and China - the biggest potato producers in the world - he believes not so well off nations will suffer. He said: 'Potatoes are a huge staple food in Africa, Asia and South America, so many of these places would struggle and there would be really bad consequences. 'Many people just don't think about the potato as it's such a huge part of our daily life and is plentiful, but we must make sure they remain that way.'
The Courier
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Georgian home near Arbroath coast for sale for under £2 million
A six-bedroom Georgian home and five-bedroom farmhouse off the Arbroath coast are on the market for under £2 million. West Newton House is flanked by woodlands with a gravelled driveway leading to the house. On either side of the hallway is the drawing room and sitting room, both with period features. The sitting room has a newly installed wood burning stove and the drawing room has double doors to a patio area with outdoor seating. The kitchen is equipped with an array of fitted wall and floor units. Behind it is a pantry, wine cellar and boot room. Upstairs, the main bedroom has a dressing room and en-suite bathroom. There are three additional bedrooms and a WC completing the first floor. The second floor has a further bedroom/store room and bathroom. The garden is arranged in quadrants with a rose bed at its centre. There is a timber summerhouse and patio area, perfect for outdoor entertaining. The garden also includes two greenhouses and a potting shed. The farmhouse was refurbished by the current owners in 2014 and has been used as a successful holiday rental. The ground floor has a kitchen/dining room, sitting room, utility room and an old maid's bedroom, which can be used as office space. Upstairs, the first floor includes the main bedroom, which comes with an en-suite shower room. There are three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Along from the main house lies a number of outbuildings, including a former coach house which provides a double garage with tack room and hay store. Nearby lies a small stable block divided into a loose box, feed room and separate workshops. At the entrance of house is a pair of B-listed gate lodges, both coming with kitchen, sitting room, bedroom and bathroom. Outside, they have small gardens and space for car parking. Next to the farmhouse are farming buildings, offering potential for conversion to a number of alternative uses. In addition there is also an outside ménage/schooling ring situated to the north west of the house. West Newton extends to about 102 acres of land, classified by the James Hutton Institute for soil research. Both West Newton House and the farmhouse are being marketed by Savills for offers over £1.9 million. The estate agents are also overseeing the sale of Lorraine Kelly's former Broughty Ferry home, which is currently under offer.
The Courier
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Dundee University start-up leaves uni labs after six months
A Dundee University spin-out researching treatments for eczema and asthma has left the university's labs after just six months. Glen Clova Scientific announced they were taking residence in new labs at the university at the end of last year, after a period of impressive growth. This included expanding from a team of two to 17 in the space of three years and securing £4m in capital to work on their advanced treatment techniques. The new £40 million Life Sciences Hub, designed to support science spin-outs, will not be finished in time to accommodate the company, The Courier understands. The company now occupies new labs at Invergowrie's James Hutton Institute, which offers larger research space. Glen Clova's work is at the pioneering edge of active biologic drug research. Essentially, they seeks to improve treatments for immuno-dermatology conditions, like eczema, psoriasis and also asthma. Dr John Foerster, founder and chief scientific officer, said: 'We are grateful to the University of Dundee and specifically the members of the School of Life Sciences, for their support during the early stages of the development of our company. 'We are excited to be able to expand our pipeline of immune-dermatology projects and collaboration network now that we have moved to larger laboratory facilities and we appreciate the warm welcome we have received from the James Hutton Institute.' Alasdair Cox, head of operations at the James Hutton Institute added: 'We are delighted to have Glen Clova Scientific as one of our new campus partners on our Invergowrie campus. 'The diverse expertise offered by all of our campus partners provides valuable opportunities for collaborative work, helps foster innovation and knowledge exchange, and contributes to a vibrant scientific community. 'We look forward to learning more about their work as they settle into their new home.' Glen Clova Scientific was founded in 2022 as a spin-out from Dundee University. They had occupied labs at Incubator in the Dundee Technopole site, close to the under construction life science hub. It forms part of a new bespoke science campus due to open at the start of 2025, funded in part by £40m from the university via the Tay Cities Deal. And they are one of a number of spin-outs born at the university, capitalised to generate potentially millions in the city's burgeoning life science sector. In April last year Glen Clova secured £4m in seed financing, led by Norcliffe Capital together with investment from DSW Ventures, TRICAPITAL Angels and Scottish Enterprise. Last year The Courier revealed Dundee University earned £40m from the sale of Exscientia, a start-up founded in a city coffee shop. The university currently faces a £35m black hole in its finances, with 700 jobs at risk.
NDTV
21-04-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Japanese Scientists Create The World's Largest Lab-Grown Chicken Nugget
It would not be an exaggeration to say that science can make anything possible. Picture this: you are munching on crunchy chicken nuggets that, in reality, are not even made from chicken. Yes, it is possible. Researchers have made a breakthrough in the culinary sector, producing lab-grown meat by creating nugget-sized pieces of chicken. The scientific procedure used a device that mimics blood vessels in the human body, enabling the meat to grow. This method uses tiny hollow fibres to deliver nutrients and oxygen to chicken muscle cells in a gel-like substance. Also Read: Watch: Viral Video Of Dahi Tikhari Recipe Gets Over 48 Million Views, Internet Reacts Through this technique, scientists produced meat up to 2 cm long and 1 cm thick in size, reported The Guardian. The researchers believe this hollow fiber bioreactor could also be used to create whole chickens, pork, beef, and fish in the lab. They have also mentioned that the method might eventually produce functional human organs. Professor Derek Stewart at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee described the lab-grown meat as "a transformative step" and "a really elegant solution." He said, "They have created something of a size and scale that people are hardwired to eat: it is the chicken nugget model." Also Read: Bengaluru Woman Helps Local Sugarcane Vendor With Google Maps Listing, Wins Hearts Online The researchers faced a major challenge in creating the specialised meat: transferring oxygen and nutrients to muscle cells in thick sections of tissue. Without these components, muscle cells can die. Professor Shoji Takeuchi at the University of Tokyo found a solution to the problem by constructing a bioreactor with semi-permeable fibers. Professor Takeuchi explained, "One of the key challenges in growing thick tissue is that cells in the centre can struggle to receive enough oxygen and nutrients, which may lead to cell death. Our system helped address this by providing internal perfusion, allowing us to support the growth of thicker, more consistent tissue." At present, the hollow fibers are removed by hand once the meat grows. However, the researchers are planning to replace them with edible cellulose fibers that can remain in the meat and alter its texture.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers make disturbing discovery while analyzing common farming practice
A long-term study of sewage sludge showed that microplastic contamination of the substance results in severely polluted soil — and the effects last decades. After sludge, a farmland fertilizer, was used on a field in Hartwood, Scotland, microplastic levels increased by as much as 1,450%, Smart Water Magazine reported. The United Kingdom-wide experiment lasted from 1994 to 2019, with researchers applying different sludges for four years, taking soil samples every two years, and maintaining the area as grassland. Twenty-two years after application, "the number of microplastics in the soil remained relatively unchanged." The study involved the James Hutton Institute, Robert Gordon University, and the Macaulay Development Trust. "The persistence of microplastics in large numbers in agricultural soils over long periods of time has the potential to damage soil health," Dr. Stuart Ramage, an analytical chemist at the Hutton Institute and lead author of the study, said. "By understanding how different microplastics behave over time, we can further examine the impact of microplastic pollution in our soil environment." Ramage added that soil with microplastics creates an exposure pathway for humans who consume crops from that land. While microplastics — pieces of synthetic materials that are smaller than 5 millimeters — come from larger plastics, they do not break down and only become smaller. They have been found in almost every environment on Earth, from the deep ocean to the highest mountains. Their presence in wildlife and humans has been linked to frightening health concerns, but research is still in the early stages. The magazine noted that clothing microfibers were the most common microplastic found. Those remnants and packaging microfilms degraded into smaller microplastics and nanoplastics, while microplastics from containers and bottles did not deteriorate. Countries regulate sewage sludge, but limits are placed on heavy metals and not microplastics, according to Smart Water. So-called forever chemicals have also been found in sludge that then contaminates land, crops, and drinking water. You can reduce your exposure to microplastics by eating organic products, growing your own food, and using less plastic. Organic farmers don't use sewage sludge, and a personal garden means you know what goes into the soil. Cutting out plastic — especially bottled water — can also save you money and benefit the planet by eliminating waste as well as heat-trapping gases created in the production process. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
