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Scientific innovation on display at the Royal Show (5-8 July)

June 30, 1999

There are features on:

microbial biosensors for detecting toxicity in soils and water

plants that mop up heavy metals such as zinc and cadmium

soil bacteria that break down pesticides and clean up residues

bacterial removal of uranium from nuclear waste streams


Also on show are several examples of how DNA and protein science is providing new diagnostic tools for the food and farming industries, including some that address specific consumer concerns such as the detection of food allergens. There are demonstrations and displays on:

antibody kits to detect peanut protein

quality control tests for the wheat used in pasta making

DNA fingerprinting of fungi that cause crop diseases

a gene test for sensitivity to the sheep disease scrapie


The science behind natural beauty in plants and animals and how this information can be used is presented in two displays.

The first illustrates how jumping genes, chimeras and virus infections in plants can result in spots, stripes and sectors in horticultural plants, and how these effects can be used as research tools for studying the basic biology of plants and improving crops.

The second describes how the striking iridescent colours of butterfly wings arise from the way the wings are structured, not from pigments, and looks at how information about the way natural structures reflect light will be useful for developing new materials including wide-angle liquid crystal displays and new anti-counterfeiting devices for credit cards.

Under a theme of "Innovation in food and farming", BBSRC is also presenting:

robotic technology designed as part of animal welfare research which is aimed at developing handling systems designed around animals' needs

a demonstration of how mapping the genetic make-up of cattle can help breeders to select for complex characteristics such as disease-resistance, fertility and welfare

opportunities to produce high value pharmaceutical oils from plants

using genes from wild grasses to enhance the tolerance of forage grasses to harsh climates

Part of the BBSRC exhibition features the Council's international activities. There are displays on the results of field trials of biological pest and weed control of maize crops in Kenya; and a European initiative on the control of whitefly in intensive vegetable cultivation.



Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)