SCRI has made a cooperation agreement with Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ZAAS) in China.

The formal Memorandum of Understanding was signed at SCRI in Invergowrie on Friday 19 November 2010. ZAAS is a major international centre for research on plants, foods, the environment and animal health.

The two sides hope the deal will identify and develop collaborative research programmes of mutual interest. It is also expected that the two centres will exchange staff and graduate students.

The main areas of common interest are plant pathology, sustainable methods of controlling pests and diseases and crop and environmental molecular biology and biotechnology.

Dr Lesley Torrance, Head of the Plant Pathology programme at SCRI said; “This is a very exciting opportunity to develop a collaboration with Chinese scientists in the important area of sustainable pest and disease control.”

Dr Jianping Chen, who gained his PhD in Plant Virology at SCRI some years ago, signed the Memorandum of Understanding in his capacity as president of ZAAS. Director of Science Planning Professor David Hopkins signed on behalf of SCRI.

Photograph: The signing ceremony at SCRI with Dr Jianping Chen and Professor David Hopkins in the centre.

More information from:

Phil Taylor, Head of Communications, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA Office: 01382 560044 Mobile: 07810 860 701

or

Lorraine Wakefield, Information and Online Service Officer, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560047 (direct line) or 01382 562731 (switchboard)