Rothamsted Research

This article is part of the Foodspin project of Spinwatch.

The British agricultural research institute Rothamsted Research, formerly known as the Institute of Arable Crops Research (IACR), describes itself as "the oldest agricultural research station in the world". Rothamsted Research has research sites at Rothamsted, Hertfordshire and Broom's Barn, Suffolk. As of January 2010 it is one of seven UK institutes sponsored by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Rothamsted is a charity and a company limited by guarantee and occupies land and buildings owned by the Lawes Agricultural Trust. The Trust's purpose is described on Rothamsted's website as being "to support agricultural science".

According to Rothamsted's website, "We look upon most of our arrangements with commercial companies as partnerships". Rothamsted sees such partnerships as ideally providing the opportunity for "a seamless mix of basic research and practical applications." The website lists Aventis, DuPont, Novartis and Syngenta, as among Rothamsted's 'partners'.

Rothamsted is part of the consortium of three research groups (the others being the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI)) that carried out UK government work on farm-scale evaluations of genetically modified crops. Among the Rothamsted scientists involved in overseeing the trials were Dr Mike May and Dr Alan Dewar, who have also undertaken research for AgrEvo (later part of Aventis and later still Bayer) and Monsanto - companies whose crops were assessed in the farmscale trials.

People

Rothamsted's Dr Peter Lutman was a co-author of a report to the government on progress of the UK government's farm scale GM crop trials. Dr Lutman also works for CropGen, a pro-GM lobby group set up and financed by the biotech industry. Two other scientists who have worked for Rothamsted who are also part of CropGen are Dr Nigel Halford and Dr Guy Poppy (now at Southampton University).

In January 2010 it was announced that Professor Maurice Moloney has been appointed the new Director and Chief Executive of Rothamsted Research. He is the Chief Scientific Officer of SemBioSys Genetics Inc. - a plant biotech company well known for its controversial work on pharma crops (eg producing insulin from safflower seeds).

A GM pharma specialist, Moloney has also worked on deriving a blood anti-coagulant from canola.

Previously, Moloney led the Cell Biology group at Calgene, acquired by Monsanto in 1997. At Calgene he developed the world's first transgenic oilseeds, which resulted in RoundUp Ready Canola and other novel crops. Moloney holds more than 300 patents.

• Professor Maurice Moloney - director and chief executive, appointed January 2010, to take up full duties from 15 April 2010
• Professor Ian Crute - director until January 2010

Rothamsted Research Board of Directors

• Professor D J Read FRS (Chairman) | Professor M Elves DSc (Deputy Chairman) | Dr David Brightman | Mr P W Chamberlain | Professor E C Cocking DSc, FRS | Mr R Ellis | Professor K Kilham | Professor B J Legg | Dr R G Turner

Lawes Agricultural Trust Company Limited Board of Directors

• Lord De Ramsey DL (Chairman) | Earl of Selborne KBE, FRS | Lord Haskins of Skidby | Professor Sir Tom Blundell, FRS | Professor E C Cocking DSc, FRS | Lord Cameron of Dillington

Funding

In 2005/6 Rothamsted Research had a total income of over £ 25 m, in part from corporate sponsors.

• 9% industry
• 5% EU
• 24% DEFRA
• 40% BBSRC - CSG
• 9% BBSRC Grants
• 4% Other Government
• 9% All other

Contact Details

• Address: Harpenden. Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ
• Tel: + 44 (0) 1582 763 133
• Website: http://www.rothamsted.bbsrc.ac.uk