John Innes Centre (JIC)
John Innes Centre (JIC)
The John Innes Centre offer a range of state-of-the-art technology and research platforms to support scientists across all disciplines.
We are an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science, genetics and microbiology, and a registered UK charity. The John Innes Centre is a UKRI-BBSRC strategically supported institute.
Our institute fosters a creative, curiosity-driven approach to fundamental questions in bio-science, with a view to translating that into societal benefits. Over the last 110 years, we have achieved a range of fundamental breakthroughs, resulting in major societal impacts.
Our facilities include:
- Field Experimentation – Wintersteiger Quantum combines, seed analysis, Chopin CD-1 flour mill with Near InfraRed Spectrometers (NIRS) and biomass evaluation capabilities in addition to standard harvest data (yield, moisture, specific weight)
- Drone capture – DJI M300 with a variety of payloads (P1, L1, H20T and Sentera Multi-spectral). DJI Mavic Multi-spectral drones.
- Quarantine insectary – Operating under Defra APHA licences to import, move and keep specified non-native herbivorous invertebrates and plant pathogens. Equipped with 5 built-in Control Environment Rooms, 6 climate controlled growth cabinets, and 3 incubators.
What we do
Field Experimentation – Bespoke field experiments using Wintersteiger Quantum combines with Near InfraRed Spectrometers (NIRS) and biomass evaluation capabilities in addition to standard harvest data (yield, moisture, specific weight). Yield component data (grain size, number, TGW). Milling for nutrient analysis, extraction rates.
Drone Capture – An array of DJI drones with a variety of payloads that can capture high resolution RGB imagery, Thermal, Multi-spectral and LIDAR point cloud data. Calibration can be performed using several methods with our Mobile RTK GNSS correction stations, GPS survey equipment, radiometric calibration targets and ground control points. We have access to a number of processing pipelines including Pix4dMapper, Agisoft Metashape, DJI Terra along with several open-source solutions.
Entomology and Insectary – Over 40 colonies of invertebrates available for phenotyping resistance to invertebrates and invertebrate-transmitted plant pathogens, including non-native specified species. The Entomology team is highly experienced in establishing new colonies of invertebrates for research, as well as designing, conducting and providing training for bespoke choice and no-choice feeding and performance assays using live invertebrates.
Projects
- Oilseed rape and relatives for resistance to cabbage stem flea beetle
- Wheat for resistance to grey field slugs
- Pea for resistance to pea aphids
