CNAP artemisia research project
 

Biorenewables Development Centre click for more information

Contacts:

CNAP Director,
Professor Ian Graham

CNAP Manager, Dr Caroline Calvert

CNAP, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK

 

CNAP - Centre for Novel Agricultural Products

CNAP is a research centre in the Department of Biology at the University of York, founded in 1999 with the help of a benefaction from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

CNAP’s mission is to realise the potential of plant- and microbial-based renewable resources through gene discovery and germplasm development.

The award of a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2006, recognised CNAP as a centre of excellence for strategic research on plants and microbes.

There are five research chairs in CNAP: Ian Graham (Director), Dianna Bowles, Neil Bruce, Robert Edwards and Simon McQueen-Mason.

CNAP occupies 2000 m2 of dedicated space in specialised laboratories clustered around the CNAP Plant Genome Facility and the Biology Department’s Technology Facility. At any one time there are 80-100 postdoctoral, postgraduate, technical and administrative staff carrying out research and support activities.

Research is funded by Research Councils, charitable organisations, EU Framework programmes, government departments and industry. Total open funding in financial year 2009-2010 is ~£22 M.

Strategic research is primarily targeted at plants for biorenewable feedstocks, plants for health and plants for phytoremediation. The CNAP Artemisia Research Project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation addresses the improvement of the supply chain for artemisinin, a key anti-malarial for the developing world.

CNAP also provides advice to policy makers, and was responsible for leading a US/EC consortium, EPOBIO that developed a successful process for assessing the economic potential of sustainable resources. CNAP’s commitment to communicating science is reflected in an active science and society programme, reaching out to a wide variety of audiences including schools and the general public.

NEWS:

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New partnership to improve seed supplies of vital anti-malarial plant

At the Artemisinin Conference in Hanoi, the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), at the University of York, and East-West Seed announced a new partnership to ensure that high yielding seeds from improved varieties of Artemisia annua will rapidly be made available for global cultivation.

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Vice Chancellor's Gold Award for Excellence 2011 won by CNAP Artemisia research team

This award to the CNAP Artemisia research team, led by Dianna Bowles and Ian Graham, is for the team's successful and highly professional contribution to the global sustainability and delivery of artemisinin supplies for treatment of malaria

CNAP Biology to benefit society

Green factories: York biologists benefitting society

University of York Communications Office item on the work of CNAP (University of York home page, January 2011): http://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/features/cnap

CNAP Biology to benefit society

Biology to benefit society: dedicated teams in specialised labs achieve impressive success

An article on the work of CNAP was released in the inaugural (November 2010) issue of Public Service Review: UK Science and Technology, a new Public Service Review science focused journal. 

The CNAP item can be downloaded here: http://www.york.ac.uk/org/cnap/pdfs/
STUK1CentreforNovelPRO.pdf

The CNAP Artemisia Project

University of York shortlisted for four major awards

The University has been nominated in the International Collaboration of the Year category for the work of Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) on its Artemisia Research Project.

gene discovery

Gene discovery could help to boost crop yields

A discovery by scientists at the University of York of a vital feature of a plant's temperature sensing and growth mechanism could help to increase yields from crops.

Professor Robert Edwards New joint research appointment for plant scientist

A leading plant scientist is to take up the joint appointment of a Chair in Crop Protection in the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) in the Department of Biology at the University of York and Chief Scientist in the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera).

Gribbles

Seafarers' scourge provides hope for biofuel future

For centuries, seafarers were plagued by wood-eating gribble that destroyed their ships, and these creatures continue to wreak damage on wooden piers and docks in coastal communities.

Artemisia

New genetic map will speed up plant breeding of the world's most important medicinal crop

Plant scientists at the University of York have published the first genetic map of the medicinal herb Artemisia annua.

related links:

The botanical solution for malaria. Science perspective article

Genetic map published in Science

Recent media coverage; Gene map of anti-malaria plant could boost supply

xpla_press11 Developing enzymes to clean up pollution by explosives. Scientists at the University of York have uncovered the structure of an unusual enzyme which can be used to reverse the contamination of land by explosives...

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