devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
NUCLEUS: a virtual joint centre to deliver enhanced Nitrogen Use effiCiency via an integrated SoiL-plant systEms approach for the Uk & BraSil World agriculture has made enormous advances in recent decades in increasing crop production largely through increasing the application of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient and often a limiting factor for crop growth supporting the need for the addition of synthetic N fertilisers for most global agricultural systems. However a high proportion of this, often estimated to be >50%, is currently lost into the environment often through the soil via leaching or to the atmosphere as a gas emission. This loss of N to the environment is represents a significant economic loss and pollutes surface and ground-waters, impacting negatively on ecosystems and increasing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Cutting across this is our future need to increase agricultural production in order to meet the demands of global food security for the rapidly expanding population. This challenge will necessitate a significant improvement in the management of N and in particular Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in both Brazil and the UK. The extent to which the release of reactive N can be mitigated to some degree through approaches related to improving agronomic NUE (e.g. using no-tillage systems, intercropping, combined crop-livestock systems, applying organic wastes to soils as amendments will be addressed here for the first time in an integrated holistic way between 13 partner organisations in Brazil and the UK. The NUCLEUS Virtual Centre will seek to undertake interdisciplinary research, with physical and social scientists, using the latest technologies to assess, understand and recommend new strategies concerning agronomic NUE management to support future crop development and food production. NUCLEUS will build on several current collaborations, whist generating many new ones for the future and seek to engage and inspire the next generation of scientists to tackle this important area. As the current level of understanding concerning the integration of these approaches is limited, there is potential for the outputs of NUCLEUS to be a bench mark for tropical and temperate agriculture throughout the world. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
Developing Rice with Increased Resistance to Salinity and Drought Food production needs to be expanded drastically to feed an ever growing human population. Drought and saline soils are two environmental conditions that greatly depress agricultural production around the globe and it is estimated that around 20-30% of rice yield is lost in areas where these stresses are prevalent. To limit such losses, it is imperative that we develop rice varieties that are more resistant to these stresses, either through breeding or by using engineering.  Both breeding and engineering approaches require knowledge about the genes that contribute to tolerance. Not only will that help us understand the molecular mechanisms that plants use to respond to stress, the accumulation of such 'positive' genes will enhance rice resilience to drought and salinity. In this project we propose to use a technique called GWAS (genome wide association studies) to identify (new) genes and variations in genes (alleles) that are important in rice drought and salt tolerance. In contrast to previous work, we use very specific traits when we carry out GWAS to maximise our confidence that we are targeting the right genes. We will further confirm the relevance of the identified alleles by analysing their function, for example via deletion and subsequent characterisation of the 'knock out' plant. After these stringent 'quality controls' the positive alleles will be introduced into existing, high yielding varieties that are commonly grown in Vietnam and the Philippines. Introduction can be achieved via molecular breeding (crossing plants), a well established but very time consuming process. In parallel, we plan to use state of the art genetic engineering which will greatly accelerate the process which is important because there are many beneficial alleles that need to be transferred. The introduction of these modern engineering, or 'genome editing', techniques is also vital because it avoids the drawbacks of genetically modified organisms which have low public acceptance. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
CEPAMS Newton Fund: Sino-UK excellence with impact on the Sustainable Development Goals The John Innes Centre's track record in China is very significant indeed. Just one year after Deng Xiaoping's opening reforms were initiated in 1978, the first Chinese scientist to arrive at JIC was Zhihong Xu. Professor Xu went on to be President of Peking University and Vice-President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since that time, hundreds of Chinese scientists have received their training at JIC. Today, the very best Chinese scientists maintain their close association to JIC. Their work has had real impact on China's food security and health.  In 2014, JIC established the Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Sciences (CEPAMS) with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. CEPAMS has been a scientific and diplomatic success story. Building on JIC's long association with China, CEPAMS has seeded excellent, productive research collaborations, established new, world-leading laboratories and nurtured the Sino-UK bilateral relationship.  This new project builds on past success to launch a second phase focussed on the impact of CEPAMS on the sustainable development goals in the developing world. The second phase of CEPAMS will involve collaborative research projects between JIC and CAS scientists plus dedicated CEPAMS laboratories in Beijing and Shanghai. The work of both will be explicitly linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and underpinned by an emerging Africa-Britain-China initiative.  One theme of research in this new project will explore the anti-cancer properties of some plants used in traditional Chinese medicine (Skullcaps). A better understanding of these plants could lead to improved efficacy (health outcomes) of traditional medicines and also improved commercial impact of these medicines on the Chinese economy. In addition to JIC and CAS, this theme will also recruit the expertise of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to explore medicinal plants in other developing countries and involve African partners.  Another theme will look at the close association between plants and microbes and how this association can be both harmful and beneficial. A better understanding of these associations could lead to future growth in crop yields, reductions in crop disease and fewer chemical treatments for crops (e.g. fertilizers and pesticides). The research will look crops that are of growing importance in China (and other developing countries) including oats, tomatoes and kiwi fruit The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
RCUK-CIAT Newton Fund Towards BIO-smart livestock farming in Colombia: cultural landscapes, silvo-pastoral systems and biodiversity Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world with a rural population of small-holder, low income farmers. As the demand for meat and dairy increases, livestock farming continues to expand onto land that is not apt for farming, causing environmental damage through forest clearance, loss of biodiversity and land degradation. Different national initiatives aim to encourage more sustainable farming that support farmers' livelihoods, and protect the environment and its rich biodiversity. Silvo-pastoral farming is one of those initiatives as it combines forestry and grazing. The international Centre for Tropical Agriculture CIAT runs two interrelated projects, "Livestock Plus" and "Sustainable Amazon Landscapes" to encourage the adoption of silvo-pastoral farming. However, farmers find silvo-pastoral farming changes the landscape of their farm in ways that conflict with their ideas of what 'a good farm' should look. These social factors, in combination with possible economic and agronomic influences, may limit the uptake of sustainable silvo-pastoral practices.   This interdisciplinary project brings together cultural geography, environmental economics and agricultural ecology to investigate the cultural and socio-economic reasons for low adoption of silvo-pastoral livestock farming practices that have been designed to protect and restore biodiversity in Colombia. It will also quantify the benefits of silvo-pastoral farming for plant and insect biodiversity, both for their intrinsic value but also the contribution it may make to support long-term sustainable production. In doing so, this research will provide evidence to underpin effective policy that allows intensification of livestock farming while supporting environmental priorities. This may encourage farmers to adopt more sustainable and biodiversity enhancing silvo-pastoral systems. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
UK-China Agritech Challenge - REmote sensing and Decision support for Apple tree Precision management, Production and globaL tracEability (RED-APPLE) RED APPLE is looking to develop and implement technological innovation in the China and UK apple production systems to increase yield and quality as well as reduce supply chain losses.  The project is testing two technologies: 1) spectral cameras that can identify plant stresses due to, for example, water or nutrient imbalances or pest and disease; 2) traceability systems that can transfer appropriate information to stakeholders along the supply chain to maintain higher quality levels and reduce losses.  The findings from the first technology are expected to increase yields and quality in a sustainable manner, reducing inefficient inputs of fertiliser and pesticides.  The second will ensure not only the reduced losses but also that quality attributes can be linked to particular producers as well as production techniques. The overall objective of RED APPLE is to improve yield and quality and reduce wastage in the apple supply chain, thereby reducing economic and social risks associated with apple production in North East China. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
RCUK-CIAT Newton Fund: Bean breeding and Adoption in changing climates in post-conflict COlombia (BACO) Beans provide a staple food source and economic commodity for farmers across Colombia. They are a major source of protein and mineral nutrition in the diets of the rural poor. However, bean production is at risk from increasing heat and drought stress associated with climate change. Our project examines how climate information can be better used in CIAT's bean breeding program. The result will be improved resilience of beans to climate, and improved access to these improved varieties, thus in turn supporting farm income and the promotion of stability of production.  This would protect these fragile communities from fluctuations and shocks within the farming systems.    The project is about opportunities as well as challenges. We will focus in part on post-conflict regions, thus having direct impacts on a number of actors within Colombia. We we look at the potential to breed and cultivate beans where coca once stood.   Since all beans are not created equal - it is the small, red varieties that are generally cultivated and sold at market in this part of Latin America - we will be sure to take account of local preferences throughout the project. In this way we will deliver improvements where they are needed, rather than using only those varieties that are easiest to breed for stress tolerance. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
Rice Straw for Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy Rice is the world’s largest food crop and dietary staple for >50% of the population. The main by-product of rice production is straw. >500 Mt per year in Asia is produced and represents a significant waste problem. Biological processing of rice straw can result in livestock feed or produce bioenergy. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
UK-China Agritech Challenge: Environmentally Benign Combination Biopesticides - Transforming Pest Control in Chinese and UK Agriculture Environmentally benign fungal pathogens and naturally insecticidal plant extracts could offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides. Fungal control does not have many of the problems associated with conventional control such as pest resistance, toxicity to humans and persistence in the environment. One downside to such a technology is that it can be slow acting to achieve effective control. The aim of this project is to create a formulation combining fungal pathogens with the pesticidal plant extracts to create effective pest control with two non-synthetic control agents. This solution will be applicable in developing countries such as China where the materials can be locally produced. Creating a new product with these technologies may confer additional benefits as the modes of action may work in synergy to achieve greater pest control with less material required. Additional benefits to using these biopesticides would be the stimulation the growth of this market, provision of safer working conditions, creating job opportunities and allowing local growers to receive a greater return for their produce by conforming to EU regulations on pesticide use. We anticipate that this will have considerable benefits for the ecosystems in which they are applied due to reduced impacts on non-target insects such as pollinators. From a scientific and cultural perspective this would open-up opportunities for other pathogen-botanical extract formulations to be developed and increase awareness of alternative solutions in pest control, encouraging growers and industry to move away from synthetic chemical control.  The project will involve laboratory testing of the plant extracts and fungal pathogens for potentially synergistic, antagonistic or additive effects when controlling pest populations, formulated blends of plant extracts with the fungal pathogen in a concentration identified as effective in laboratory assays and field testing on crops in China. In field and laboratory testing the incidence of target pests, damage caused and the impact on beneficial insects (i.e. pollinators and natural enemies of the pests) will be monitored.  A report will be prepared with a plan for future research required and a plan for the exploitation of this new technology. The project will be a collaboration between the Natural Resources Institute and Eurorganic Ltd in the UK and Fujian Agriculture & Forestry University and Jiangxi Tian-Ren Ltd in China. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
Newton Bhabha Industrial Waste: Reducing Industrial Waste from Sugarcane Processing in India Sugarcane processing produces notable levels of industrial waste due to inefficiencies in capturing full value from the biological components of the raw material. In particular, large amounts of lignocellulosic biomass residues accumulate and enter waste water effluents from processing plants, causing significant problems in waterways. We will develop innovative biotechnological approaches to generating added value to sugarcane processing, while simultaneously minimising waste from process plants. We will capture value from waste streams by developing the production of biobased chemicals and  bioenergy. Our innovations include the application of enzyme-mediated production of fermentable sugars from waste streams and the development of industrial microorganisms able to convert these into chemicals and energy. These changes will lead to improved environmental impacts, increased profitability and new job creation The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
14CONFAP Stress responses and virulence in fungal pathogens endemic to Brazil The ability of fungal pathogens to survive the armoury of defences employed by the human immune system is vital for such pathogens to cause life-threatening infections. These defences include the production of highly toxic oxidants which damage all of the main components of the fungal cell leading to cell death. The laboratory headed by Professor Jan Quinn has extensive experience in studying how certain fungal pathogens mount responses to these oxidants, to allow the pathogens to evade immune-cell killing mechanisms. In particular the Quinn lab have studied stress responses in the major human fungal pathogen,  Candida albicans, which has provided much  insight into stress adaptation of this fungal pathogen to the host environment. In contrast, much less is known about stress response mechanisms in fungi belonging to the Sporothrix schenckii complex, which are the causative agent of sporotrichosis - a prevalent frequent fungal disease in Latin America. Two such fungi, S. schenckii sensu stricto and S. brasiliensis have been associated with endemic areas in Brazil. It is likely that such pathogens need to mount robust stress responses to survive host defences, and the overall goal of this research partnership is to facilitate a molecular study of stress responses in the emerging pathogens S. schenckii sensu stricto and S. brasiliensis. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
14CONFAP Understanding diverged genome repair and replication functions in trypanosomatid parasites This proposal has two overarching aims. The first aim is research-driven: we wish to understand the unusual behaviour of a a genome repair pathway termed nucleotide excision repair in two important human pathogens, Trypanosoma brucei (an African trypanosome, which is also an important animal pathogen) and Trypanosoma cruzi (a major parasite in South and Central America). Our rationale for this research is based on previous studies in T. brucei, which have suggested that the nucleotide excision repair machinery that acts to protect the parasite's genome from various forms of damage may have a different composition from what has been described in other organisms, including humans, and that some of the predicted machinery may in fact provide a different (and at the moment unknown) function in the cell. Currently, it is easier and quicker to do genetic experiments in T. brucei than in T. cruzi, and we will pioneer the nucleotide excision repair studies in the former and extend this work to the American trypanosome. In the second aim, we wish to run a residential meeting in Brazil on parasite genome repair and replication, with the purpose of fostering greater long-term links between Brazil and UK researchers in this area. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.
The development of a phage food additive with the aim to control Salmonella in swine and poultry Animal experimental design to study the role of phage therapy in acute-non typhoidal Salmonellosis Co-investigator: Dr. Parameth Thiennimitr, M.D.,Ph.D.  Address: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University  Species of animal: 6-8 weeks old female mouse (Mus musculus) C57BL6 strain Protocol (in brief): C57BL/6 mice will be purchased from Nomura Siam International. Mice will be acclimatized for at least 1 week before the experiment day. 24 hour before Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (strain IR715) infection, mouse will be orally gavaged with 20 mg streptomycin sulphate to allow subsequent STM IR715 to establish a colitis. Streptomycin-treated mice will be orally infected with 100 microlitr of 109 cfu/ml STM IR715 solution. Then, 100 microlitr of Salmonella phage solution will be orally gavaged to the infected mice for consecutively 3 days. On day 4 post infection, mice will be euthanized by CO2 and cervical dislocation. Mouse colon content, colon, spleen will be collected for further analysis. Control group (no treatment) of mice will be orally fed with normal saline solution as used as a vehicle for the experimental (phage therapy) groups. Animal protocol approval committee: All animal experiments conduct at Chiang Mai University will be approved by the Chiang Mai University Animal Care and Use Committee (CMU-ACUC). All animal experiments will be performed in the AAALAC-certified biosafety level (BSL) 2 facility located in Chiang Mai University. Numbers of animal in each group is 7. [Calculated followed Bernard, R. (2000). Fundamentals of biostatistics (5th ed). Duxbery: Thomson learning, 308, level of significance = 0.05)] The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with developing countries across the world to promote the economic development and social welfare of the partner countries.