The big picture: using wildflower strips for pest control
They may be beautiful, but these strips prove pretty deadly for every farmer's mortal enemy: aphids
News
Prof Lin Field awarded CBE in New Year Honours
Recognition for services to protecting crops and the environment
31 December, 2024
Professor Lin Field has been appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours List for services to protecting crops and the environment.
Lin is an insect molecular biologist, formerly head of Bio-interactions and Crop Protection at Rothamsted and currently a Professor Emerita. Her personal research interests are focused on understanding insecticide mode of action and resistance at the biochemical/molecular level and her research team uses the latest genomic techniques to understand resistance and insecticide selectivity.
Lin has also developed a wide knowledge of alternative pest control strategies, especially the use of chemical ecology approaches and including the use of GM technologies. The overall aim of Lin's work is to deliver effective and sustainable crop protection strategies that minimise the effects on non-targets and the environment.
Lin has been, and continues to be, an active participant in the debate on whether pesticides are needed and how they may affect bee populations. This has involved speaking to fellow scientists, farmers/growers, bee keepers, policy makers and the general public.
After a BA (First Class) from the Open University, Lin was awarded a PhD on the molecular basis of insecticide resistance at Rothamsted Research in 1989. She became leader of the Insect Molecular Biology Group at Rothamsted in 2002, and then Head of the Department of Biological Chemistry in 2010.
Since 2005, she has also been a Special Professor at the University of Nottingham. Lin is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. She was also President of the Royal Entomological Society from 2008 to 2010.
Contacts
Prof. Linda Field
Professor Emerita
James Clarke
Director of Communications and Engagement
ABOUT ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH
Rothamsted Research is the longest-running agricultural research institute in the world. We work from gene to field with a proud history of ground-breaking
discoveries in areas as diverse as crop management, statistical interpretation and soil health. Our founders, in 1843, were the pioneers of modern
agriculture, and we are known for our imaginative science and our collaborative approach to developing innovative farm practice.
Through independent research, we make significant contributions to improving agri-food systems in the UK and internationally, with
economic impact estimated to exceed £3 bn in annual contribution to the UK economy. Our strength lies in our systems approach, which combines strategic research,
interdisciplinary teams and multiple partnerships.
Rothamsted is home to three unique National Bioscience Research Infrastructures which are open to researchers from all over the world:
The Long-Term Experiments,
Rothamsted Insect Survey and the
North Wyke Farm Platform.
We are strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with additional support from other national and
international funding streams, and from industry. We are also supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT).
ABOUT BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid
from the UK government.
BBSRC invests to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future. Through our investments, we build and support a vibrant,
dynamic and inclusive community which delivers ground-breaking discoveries and develops bio-based solutions that contribute to tackling global challenges,
such as sustainable food production, climate change, and healthy ageing.
As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), we not only play a pivotal role in fostering connections that enable the UK’s world-class research and innovation system
to flourish – we also have a responsibility to enable the creation of a research culture that is diverse, resilient, and engaged.
BBSRC proudly forges interdisciplinary collaborations where excellent bioscience has a fundamental role. We pioneer approaches that enhance the equality, diversity,
and inclusion of talent by investing in people, infrastructure, technologies, and partnerships on a global scale.
ABOUT LAT
The Lawes Agricultural Trust, established in 1889 by Sir John Bennet Lawes, supports Rothamsted Research’s national and international agricultural science through the provision of land, facilities and funding. LAT, a charitable trust, owns the estates at Harpenden and Broom's Barn, including many of the buildings used by Rothamsted Research. LAT provides an annual research grant to the Director, accommodation for nearly 200 people, and support for fellowships for young scientists from developing countries. LAT also makes capital grants to help modernise facilities at Rothamsted, or invests in new buildings.