Scottish Crop Research Institute
The Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) is an agricultural research centre based at Invergowrie, near Dundee, employing over 350 staff. It has an income in excess of £13m, the majority from public funding. However, its corporate backing is disclosed neither on its website nor to enquirers.
However, it does provide a list of publications which bear the mark of their sponsorship, these include:
A Functional Approach to Modelling Biodiversity — sponsored by Rothamsted Research and Syngenta whose board includes Martin Taylor Michael Pragnell of Zeneca Group plc, Rupert Gasser is currently President of Nestec SA and Executive Vice President of Nestlé SA, Peter Doyle Non- Executive Director of Oxford Molecular plc (1997-2000), Director of Zeneca Group plc (1993-1999), Director of ICI (1989-1993) and as Chairman of the Biotechnology and Bioscience Research Council (1989-2003), Pierre Landolt, currently Chairman of the Sandoz Family Foundation, Peter Thompson currently a Director of Sodexho Alliance SA. Previously he was President and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Beverages International (1996-2004) and Jürg Witmer who held various General Management Positions within Roche.
L-Ascorbic Acid Accumulation in Blackcurrant Fruit: Ribes nigrum L. which (in microscopic point size) aknowledges the support of GlaxoSmithKline
Comparison of tuber proteomes of potato (Solanum sp.) varieties was supported GMOCARE an EU-funded investigation into the safety of genetically-modified (GM) food crops.
The SCRI was among the consortium of 3 Research Contractors (Rothamsted Research is another) who undertook the UK Government's £3M+ three-year programme of GM Crop Farm-Scale Evaluations.
The SCRI's director is Professor John Hillman who succeeded the SCRI's Acting Director, Mike Wilson. Both Hillman and Wilson are staunch advocates of GM crops. They even co-authored an article defending GM crops for a book edited by the far right free marketeers Julian Morris and Roger Bate.
Under Wilson and Hillman's direction the SCRI's promotion of itself and its science to the media and the public has become synoymous with the promotion of GM crops. In this they were assisted until his retirement by the SCRI's chief information officer, Bill Macfarlane Smith, who is also part of the biotech-industry funded lobby group CropGen, and who is still a Fellow of SCRI.
In 2000 Hillman used the SCRI's annual report to attack organic farming. This was widely publicised thanks to MacFarlane Smith and an SCRI press release:Leading expert reopens GM food debate (Scottish Crop Research Institute, Feb 2000).
The SCRI is a member of the BioIndustry Association, whose tagline is 'Encouraging and Promoting the Biotechnology Sector of the UK Economy'. John Hillman was formerly on its Board of Directors.
Commercial wing
The SCRI has a commercial wing, Mylnefield Research Services(MRS)which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCRI. It was established in 1989 to enhance "competitiveness, understand and fulfi l the needs of industry and maximise the value of SCRI intellectual property and resources." REF1 MRS benefits SCRI through annual Gift Aid and provision of services, without any external financial assistance.
Finances
The income of MRS increased to £1.99 million in 2005/2006 and MRS transferred £1.32 million to the SCRI Group, including £90K Gift Aid to the Mylnefield Trust and £125K Gift Aid to SCRI. Contract research (66%) is the largets contributor to income, followed by lipid analysis (15%) and royalties (10%).
Commercial research collaborations MRS develops longterm
research collaborations with commercial partners
through various schemes, including LINK projects. Currently
MRS is involved in six LINK projects at SCRI:
- Developing molecular markers for raspberry root rot
with the Horticultural Development Council (HDC).
- Developing molecular markers for raspberry quality
with the HDC, Marks and Spencer plc,[[KG Growers
Ltd]], Thomson and Thomson Ltd and Redeva Ltd.
- Understanding the chemistry and genetics of potato
fl avour with the British Potato Council, Greenvale AP,
Branston Ltd, BioSS and Sensory Scotland Ltd.
- Integrated pest management for raspberries with
the HDC, KG Growers Ltd, Bayer Crop Science Ltd,
Waitrose Ltd, Cooperative Group Ltd., [[Berryworld
Ltd]]., British Polythene Industries Ltd. and [[East Malling
Research]] (EMR).
- Barley association genetics with 12 commercial partners
including Syngenta Seeds, Coors Brewers, Svalöf
Weibull and the Scotch Whisky Research Institute
- Improving the Vitamin C levels in blackcurrant with
GlaxoSmithKline plc, EMR and the HDC.
Licensing and IP asset management Our IP portfolio is
dominated by plant variety rights (55) but also includes
fi ve patents and fi ve trademarks. We currently manage
490 licenses in 23 countries for potatoes, forage and
salad rape, turnip, kale, blackcurrants, blackberry, raspberry
and strawberry varieties. Varieties bred at SCRI
are being trialled all over the world including Japan,
China, Romania, Australia, Cuba and Egypt.
During 2006, MRS started collecting royalties for the
production of Glen Lyon raspberries (380 hectares) in
southern Spain. Glen Lyon is the number one variety
in Spain. Success resulted from our close collaboration
with our agents Eurosemillas as well as UK multiple
retailers, importers, propagators and the Spanish legal
system. We are introducing new varieties into this important
rewarding market. Spanish raspberry production
complements that of the UK since it provides fruit to the
UK consumer out of season.
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New varieties Mayan Gold was launched in autumn
2006 by our partner Greenvale AP into two UK supermarkets.
This was the fi rst time a variety of Solanum
tuberosom Group Phureja, also known as S. phureja,
was available to consumers and the launch received
considerable national publicity.
Since 2003 a consortium, including SEERAD and MRS,
has been investing in the development of new and superior
raspberry cultivars. In July 2006 at ‘Fruit for the
Future’ we launched the fi rst variety (Glen Doll) from this
programme.
The swede Lomond was launched by our partners Nickerson
Advanta Ltd at a trade show in Edinburgh during
November 2006.
Analytical services Mylnefi eld Lipid Analysis increased its
business and held a successful workshop on omega-3
fatty acids in June 2006. A two day lecture course was
held in October 2006 that attracted participants from a
wide range of commercial and academic backgrounds.
MRS, together with Dr Charlie Scrimgeour of SCRI, offers
a stable isotope analysis service. This business has
grown signifi cantly in recent years and is now a major
contributor to turnover of MRS.
Developing markets In March 2006, MRS led an Agricultural
Trade Mission, organised by the China Britain Business
Council (CBBC), to China and continued to concentrate
its efforts on developing the Chinese potato and
soft fruit markets. MRS has played a signifi cant role in
facilitating the lifting of the export ban on UK seed potatoes
to China – a bilateral trade agreement was signed in
October 2006 for the export of UK mini-tubers to China.
In October 2006 the SCRI director, Professor Peter
Gregory, accompanied Dr Nigel Kerby to China where a
Glen Doll further three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were
MRS
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signed with Chinese research organisations in the fi elds
of environmental monitoring, plant and soil interactions
and soil resilience.
MRS was invited to join a ministerial Agri-Food Trade
Mission to India (March 2006) to stimulate trade in the
agri-food sector between India and the UK. India has
more irrigated agricultural land than any other country
in the world, is the world’s second largest producer of
potatoes and fruits and a major producer of barley, so
offers signifi cant opportunities for SCRI’s expertise and
products. As a result of the mission, two proposals for
funding with the Central Potato Research Institute in
Shimla have been submitted and other opportunities for
collaboration identifi ed in the areas of plant health, horticulture,
micropropagation and barley breeding.
Knowledge transfer and exploitation
- MRS successfully coordinated a bid, on behalf of
SCRI, with fi ve other research institutes for £2.5 million
of seed funding from the Offi ce of Science and Technology
to add to the £6 million Rainbow Seed Fund.
MRS and SCRI now have access to seed funds for
developing innovative products and services.
- MRS, with Dundee and Abertay Universities and Dundee,
Angus and Perth Colleges of Higher Education,
established Tayside Knowledge Transfer Partnership
with support from Scottish Enterprise Tayside.
- In August 2006, the Dundee SME Innovation Portal
was awarded £406k from the Scottish Executive
SEEKIT programme as well as £198k ERDF funding.
This new initiative brings together MRS (on behalf of
SCRI), the two local universities, Scottish Enterprise
Tayside and Dundee University Incubator Ltd.
- In December 2006, MRS was awarded £180k from the
Scottish Executive SEEKIT programme to enable Interface
to extend its remit to include research institutes
as well as universities. Interface provides a one-stop
shop for companies wishing to access expertise and
facilities available in Scotland.
Acknowledgements MRS gratefully acknowledges the
support of all SCRI staff, for their signifi cant contribution
to the success of the company. MRS would also like
to thank its customers and sponsors for their continued
support. We would like to thank the non-executive Directors
of MRS who contribute their valuable time without
recompense.
Mylnefi eld Trust and
Mylnefi eld Holdings Ltd
The Mylnefi eld Trust and Mylnefi eld Holdings Ltd (MHL)
were established in 2000 in order to give the SCRI
Group the fl exibility it requires to grow. Central to this
growth is the creation of a number of spin-out companies,
such as Scottish Potato Technology Ltd, in which
MHL on behalf of the SCRI Group will hold equity.
The Trust currently has funds of approximately £400K,
achieved mainly through donations from MRS Ltd.
The Trust has charitable status and has as its prime objectives:
- to promote research and scientifi c work in the life,
environmental and related sciences, in particular production
of agricultural, horticultural and forestry crops,
methods of limiting or eradicating pests and diseases,
wood sciences and biomathematics, methods of increasing
production or growth, improving cultivation
and research into possible varieties.
- to promote the dissemination of such research.
To date the Trust has fi nancially supported:
- a Research Incentive Fund;
- an Educational Offi cer at SCRI;
- a hardship fund for an overseas student;
- various research projects valued at £48,751.
During the fi nancial year 2006-07 The Mylnefi eld Trust
is supporting three projects amounting to £7,552. Also
during this fi nancial year The Mylnefi eld Trust is supporting
scientifi c publications up to a value of £10,000.
