University Scientist Explores Plant Virus Research and Genetics in Special Talk

Residents can learn more about how advances in plant virus research and plant genetic understanding are benefiting agriculture in a special public talk at the University of Worcester.

The University’s Visiting Professor of Plant Molecular Virology, Yiguo Hong, will be speaking about his 30 years of research in this field at a lecture at St John’s Campus, on March 6 (5.30pm).  He will detail how new virus-based technology is helping scientists to understand how plants function, ultimately leading to better crop yield.

“We can use technology to investigate the function of the genes in plants,” he said.  “We need to understand that before we can try to improve crops or mitigate viruses.”

Professor Hong’s research focuses on how plants defend themselves from infection and how genetics determines plant behaviour, such as flowering or fruit ripening.

In his inaugural professorial lecture, entitled A Voyage in the Sea of Research: Retrospective from a Sino-British Scientist, Professor Hong will explain that plant viruses can act as both “friend and foe”.  Foe because viruses can harm plants or crops, but friend, because scientists can try to use viruses as a toolbox to study what plant genes control what processes in plants.

“The virus is seen as the bad guy because it causes disease, but actually we can modify viruses and use the plant virus to investigate lots about plant gene function,” said Professor Hong, who splits his research between the UK and China.  “This is really important for plant growth and development.”

Professor Hong says understanding how plants resist viruses, and what controls a plant’s growth and development, such as fruit ripening and flowering in plants, can lead to more successful and more controlled crop production. 

“We can’t completely change plants or crops,” said Professor Hong.  “However, we can certainly modify plants and crops to make them more resistant to infection.

“The ripening and flowering of plants are all genetically controlled, so we can use the virus technology to find out which gene is responsible for which kind of function. If we can understand that we can modify the plants to make them more adaptable to climate change.”

Professor Hong has been Professor in Molecular Biology and Director of the Research Centre for Plant RNA Signaling, Hangzhou Normal University since 2011. He is also a visiting professor at University of Warwick. His research has been supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), The Royal Society, Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Ministry of Agriculture of China and University Funds.

You can register your interest in attending the talk by emailing rsvp@worc.ac.uk