News Items

14 May 2012 - Port plant safety impresses Lord Taylor

Lord Taylor, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DEFRA, was pleased to see Fera’s work in action during a recent visit to the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectors (PHSI) based at the Port of Felixstowe.  

07 May 2012 - Snow and Skuas in Antarctica

Resolving goose problems in the Falkland islands gave Andy Baxter, team leader of Fera’s Wildlife Programme, a surprise opportunity to advise on an Antarctic birdstrike issue.

30 April 2012 - Healthy bees plan

Fera is pleased to announce that Defra has approved £1.73 million of funding to continue the Healthy Bees Plan over the next three years, which represents phase two of the plan implementation. 

23 April 2012 - New collaboration brings forensic DNA benefits

A collaboration between Fera and the Home Office’s Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) has established a new DNA research capability.

20 April 2012 - PRESS RELEASE: Exotic beetle pest eradication in Kent

As efforts to eradicate an outbreak of the Asian longhorn beetle (ALB) get underway near Paddock Wood in Kent, a public meeting is to be held locally to inform and update residents and landowners in the area about the outbreak and what is being done about it.

16 April 2012 - Protecting Europe's tomato crops - science into policy

Based on a new European Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) for Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV), the EU Plant Health Stand Committee is recommending that EU wide-measures to help mitigate the impact of this damaging pathogen are made permanent. 

09 April 2012 - Bird Hazard Management Course

Fera was pleased to offer its highly acclaimed two and a half day Bird Hazard Management course at Leeds Bradford Airport recently.

02 April 2012 - Fera National Reference Laboratory website re-launch

As of 30 March 2012, UK Official Control Laboratories (OCLs) will find it easier to find their way around the website of Fera’s National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for Chemical Safety in Food and Feed, Pesticides Residues and Veterinary Medicines Residues. 

28 March 2012 - PRESS RELEASE: Exotic beetle pest of trees found in Kent

An outbreak of the Asian longhorn beetle (ALB), an exotic beetle pest which could have severe consequences for British trees, has been found in Kent the Food and Environment Research Agency confirmed today.

27 March 2012 - PRESS RELEASE: Drought-beating crops

As parts of the UK have been officially declared to be in a state of drought, the announcement of a new EU-funded project which aims to speed up the development of drought and disease resistant crops is timely.  

26 March 2012 - Fera scientists are participating in the safe development of nanotechnologies

Fera is expanding its research and development and consultancy services to facilitate applications of nanotechnologies that are both beneficial and safe to human health and the environment.

21 March 2012 - PRESS RELEASE: New Plant Health Taskforce aims to drive efficiencies in regulatory services

Efficiency gains will be top of the agenda when Government officials and plant health industry representatives get together for the inaugural Plant Health Taskforce meeting on 18th April.

19 March 2012 - Doubling up - Twinning projects help countries make EU plant health grade

Fera is leading two ‘Twinning’ Projects aimed at helping Moldova and Montenegro to improve standards and implement EU legislation relating to plant health and plant protection products.

12 March 2012 - Plant experts teaching the next generation

Plant health specialists at Fera have written and edited “Fungal Plant Pathogens” – a text book produced by CABI for undergraduate and postgraduate students of mycology and plant pathology. 

05 March 2012 - Save Our Shearwaters!

Fera wildlife experts are pleased to announce they are collaborating on a new project to ensure the sustainable recovery of a vulnerable species of seabird - the Manx Shearwater. 

05 March 2012 - Stem Base Diseases – Fera supporting UK soft-fruit industry

Fera recently hosted an  international, multi-disciplinary workshop to identify research needs in support of the UK soft-fruit industry. 

27 February 2012 - Gardener’s feedback welcomed on new pest assessment

Fera is asking gardeners to be vigilant for a new plant parasite which may turn up in UK gardens.

20 February 2012 - Improving the resistance of legume crops to climate change

January 2012 saw the inaugural meeting of the ABSTRESS project at Fera in York.

13 February 2012 - Protecting the US from exotic plant pests

The most recent US Farm Bill directs Federal authorities to make $50 million available for the early detection and rapid response to threats from exotic plant pests. 

09 February 2012 - PRESS RELEASE: New disease identified in native juniper trees in Upper Teesdale

**Issued jointly by Natural England, Forestry Commission and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)**

06 February 2012 - Fera scientist invited to join RSC journal advisory board

A senior analytical chemist at Fera, Don Clarke, has been invited to join the Advisory Board for the Royal Society of Chemistry journal “Analytical Methods”. 

06 February 2012 - Helping farmers safeguard their livestock from TB

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a serious issue for UK farmers.  One vital way of reducing the risk of contamination between cattle and badgers is to successfully manage badger access to farm buildings.

30 January 2012 - Rapid determination of Natamycin in wine

Natamycin is a preservative, allowed in some European food-stuffs, such as meat & dairy products, but illegal in wine sold within the European Union (EU).

25 January 2012 - Fera is a partner in major new bioscience research investment

Fera is one of the partners in the new White Rose University Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) in mechanistic biology.

23 January 2012 - State of the art instrument provides unique service for identifying unknown compounds

Why not test the limits of expertise and detection?  Identify biomarkers to improve TB diagnostic tests for badgers? 

16 January 2012 - Workshop showcases novel plant health detection methods

Safeguarding Europe’s agricultural and horticultural industries is part of the ongoing job of phytosanitary inspectors. 

09 January 2012 - Fera assesses levels of European Food Safety Authority ISO compliance

Making a decision on whether to apply for the quality standard ISO 9001 accreditation is an important one. 

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