The Department of Plant Sciences is a department
of the University of Cambridge that conducts
research and teaching in plant sciences.
== Research ==
As of 2017, the department pursues three strategic
targets of research
Global food security
Synthetic biology and biotechnology
Climate science and ecosystem conservationSee
also the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University
== Notable academic staff ==
Sir David Baulcombe, FRS, Regius Professor
of Botany
Beverley Glover, Professor of Plant systematics
and evolution, director of the Cambridge University
Botanic Garden
Howard Griffiths, Professor of Plant Ecology
Julian Hibberd, Professor of Photosynthesis
Alison Smith, Professor of Plant Biochemistry
and Head of DepartmentAs of 2017, the department
also has 66 members of faculty and postdoctoral
researchers, 100 graduate students, 19 Biotechnology
and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Doctoral Training Program (DTP) PhD students,
20 part II Tripos undergraduate students and
44 support staff.
== History ==
The University of Cambridge has a long and
distinguished history in Botany including
work by John Ray and Stephen Hales in the
17th century and 18th century, Charles Darwin’s
mentor John Stevens Henslow in the 19th century,
and Frederick Blackman, Arthur Tansley and
Harry Godwin in the 20th century.
=== Emeritus and alumni ===
More recently, the department has been home
to:
John C. Gray, Emeritus Professor of Plant
Molecular Biology since 2011
Thomas ap Rees, Professor of Botany
F. Ian Woodward, Lecturer and Fellow of Trinity
Hall, Cambridge before being appointed Professor
of Plant Ecology at the University of Sheffield
