{"id":3744,"date":"2024-03-26T12:46:07","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T12:46:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/biosciences\/?p=3744"},"modified":"2024-03-26T12:46:07","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T12:46:07","slug":"kent-scientists-help-save-uk-pint-from-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/biosciences\/2024\/03\/26\/kent-scientists-help-save-uk-pint-from-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Kent ‘scientists help save UK pint from climate change’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A collaboration between\u00a0Dr Helen Cockerton<\/a>\u00a0from the University\u2019s\u00a0School of Biosciences<\/a>\u00a0and local hop breeder Dr Klara Hajdu (Wye Hops<\/a>) is beginning to attract media attention for what they hope will result in new hop varieties which are more resilient to drought, pests and diseases through genetic informed breeding.<\/p>\n

The five-year project, which also involves\u00a0National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB)<\/a>,\u00a0the British Hop Association<\/a>,\u00a0The Hop Plant Company<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0LGC genomics<\/a>, has been awarded over half a million pounds by\u00a0UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)<\/a>\u00a0to develop environmentally resilient \u2018super hop\u2019 varieties.<\/p>\n

Media coverage so far includes a\u00a0national BBC story<\/a>\u00a0and articles in\u00a0Kent Online<\/a>,\u00a0Farming Life<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Beer Today<\/a>. Dr Cockerton and Dr Hajdu also spoke to a number of BBC regional radio stations about the project, including BBC Radio Kent.<\/p>\n

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Dr Helen Cockerton (School of Biosciences, right) in discussion with Pallab Ghosh (BBC Science Correspondent, left)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Earlier in March, the Minister of State at the\u00a0Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)<\/a>, Mark Spencer, visited the University and Wye Hops to learn more about the project. Dr Cockerton gave the Minister a tour of Kent\u2019s Biotech Hub where he was given the opportunity to smell and taste different hop varieties and the beer they are used to produce.<\/p>\n

Dr Cockerton said:\u00a0\u2018We\u2019ve been delighted to share the story of our research with such a wide audience. The tools we will develop through this project will enable us to generate better hops faster than we could achieve through using traditional approaches alone, which will play an important role in future proofing the UK\u2019s hop and brewing industries.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

Dr Helen Cockerton, DEFRA Minister Mark Spencer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Shane Weller in the School of Biosciences laboratories<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pallab Ghosh (BBC Science correspondent, right) sampling beer produced by Eddie Gadd (Head brewer at Ramsgate Brewery, centre) from experimental hops bred by Dr Klara Hajdu (Wye Hops, left)<\/em>. Filming in K Bar at the University\u2019s Canterbury campus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n