The John Innes Centre wins £6.4million grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop GM crops capable of taking nitrogen from the air.

GM Crops capable of taking nitrogen from the air? 

The John Innes Centre in Norwich won a £6.4million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop genetically modified crops capable of taking nitrogen from the air, meaning they need little or no fertiliser.

Sir Gordon Conway, Professor of International Development, Imperial College London, said:

"If we are to feed the world by 2050 we need to get greater yields with less fertiliser. One answer is to breed cereal crops that can partner with bacteria in their roots to take in nitrogen from the atmosphere. It is the 'Holy grail' of modern plant breeding. Not easy to achieve but we now understand the fundamental biological and evolutionary processes much better. I am delighted the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has chosen John Innes, one of the foremost biological research laboratories in the world, to carry out this research."

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