John Innes Centre (JIC)

Our mission is:

• To generate knowledge of plants and microbes through innovative research
• To apply our knowledge of nature’s diversity to benefit agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being
• To train scientists for the future
• To engage with policy makers and the public

Research

The research we do makes use of a wide range of disciplines in biological and chemical sciences, including microbiology, cell biology, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics, molecular biology, computational and mathematical biology. We receive funding from the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)for four research areas that directly address BBSRC strategic objectives in food security, human health and industrial biotechnology:

• Growth and Development Underpinning Yield
• Biotic Interactions for Crop Productivity (in partnership with The Sainsbury Laboratory)
• Understanding Plant and Microbial Metabolism
• Wheat Improvement (a cross-institute strategic programme)

Funding

The majority of our funding is won in open competition from funding agencies worldwide, with more than 50% coming from UK government sources. BBSRC provide a large proportion of our funding, in the form of responsive mode funding and strategic funding for our Institute Strategic Programmes. We also hold grants from European Research Council and charitable sources such as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a registered charity we gratefully receive donations to support scientific research and education. To find out more about charitable donations, head to our donate page.