A treat for budding plant scientists!
Plant science is a fascinating field that needs a bit of college-level appeal, depending on which professors you get! Fortunately, here in Dundee we have excellent researchers from the James Hutton Institute to help us explore the world of plant science. So, from potato to barley to basic arabidopsis, a range of plants make their way into your genetics program in your third year.
You will learn about many discoveries and meticulous reconstructions of different pathways in plants. But a natural feel for the subject only comes once you find yourself in the middle of a field – seeing the theory you believe in blossom! Luckily I was lucky enough to visit the James Hutton in Invergowrie. During my visit, Dr. Ingo Hein was kind enough to offer me an overview of his work on the potato. (Make sure you have an appointment with a researcher before visiting)
The Invergowrie branch can be reached by bus (frequency is usually hourly). Once you arrive on the site, you must go to the reception to get your lot of visitors!
The Hutton works on many plants and in various fields, from food safety to plant epidemiology. Therefore, there are many topics you can explore depending on your interest and the researcher you come into contact with. So if you study at the University of Dundee and have the opportunity to interact with researchers at James Hutton, your interest in plant science will be heightened after a visit!
Thanks for the reading!
James Huton: https://www.hutton.ac.uk/
Doctor Ingo Hein: https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/ingo-eh