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University of Greenwich

Natural Resources Institute (University of Greenwich)

 

The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) https://nri.org is a specialist research, development and education organisation of the University of Greenwich, UK, with a focus on food, agriculture, environment, and sustainable livelihoods.  The Institute manages projects across the globe, however we have several areas of work with a strong focus on UK Agriculture and Horticulture.

The Produce Quality Centre (PQC) is an applied research unit focusing on handling and storage of perishable produce. www.pqc.org.uk  Contact Debbie Rees D.Rees@gre.ac.uk

The Chemical Ecology and Plant Biochemistry Group focus on providing solutions for crop pest and disease management. Contact Daniel Bray D.Bray@gre.ac.uk

NRI runs the UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training (UKFS-CDT) https://foodsystems-cdt.ac.uk/    Contact info@foodsystems-cdt.ac.uk

 

Produce Quality Centre

The Produce Quality Centre (PQC) is an applied research unit focusing on handling and storage of perishable produce, based at the Jim Mount Building on the East Malling Enterprise Estate.  The Centre benefits from access to expertise and facilities across the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich (NRI-UoG) and NIAB EMR. However, the value of the Centre is particularly dependent on the unique facilities run by the NRI-UoG at the East Malling site.  The PQC facilities provide capability to control and monitor storage environments in terms of temperature and atmospheric composition. The facilities comprise of a suite of 10 temperature controlled rooms with more than 70 experimental chambers each capable of independent atmospheric control and with capability to monitor the response of produce to those atmospheres. As such the PQC has the largest controlled atmosphere (CA) storage research facility in the UK.

Scientists at the Produce Quality Centre have a passion for applying plant science to practical situations. We focus on understanding the practical needs of individual organisations when implementing technological solutions. We look to maximise the length of storage and quality of fresh produce by understanding both the unique supply chain practises and applying our in-depth knowledge of plant physiology. As such we can work with industry to find innovative solutions and offer advice on storage, retail shelf life and increase valorisation with new product development.

Our on-going areas of research include:

  • Monitoring produce physiology in-store to optimise controlled atmosphere storage protocols.
  • Developing and testing storage regimes for sea-freight
  • Testing and developing novel postharvest treatments, including ethylene management and ozone application.
  • Developing and testing sustainable packaging strategies.
  • In-store disease detection (sensors) and testing novel treatments to reduce post-harvest decay.
  • Potato storage, sprout control, processing quality, in-store monitoring of potato tuber physiology.
  • In-field cooling of soft fruit, and optimising field-tray design to improve cooling

Member's Area/s of Interest

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Developing technologies to monitor produce during CA Storage. Detecting stresses via respiration and chlorophyll flourescence responses

Analytical Facilities; State of the art liquid and gas chromatograph with mass spectrometry

Analytical Facilities: Confocal microscope

Analytical Facilities: Nuclear Magnet Resonance

CA storage chambers with automatic monitoring and control. Capactiy for 10 to 500kg of produce

Analytical Facilities: Confocal microscope image

NRI to led new Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training

To support the transformation of the UK system into one that prioritises health, a new training facility is being established called the UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training (UKFS-CDT). Food Systems CentreThe Food Systems Centre aims to produce a new type of doctoral graduate with the core capabilities and characteristics necessary to contribute to food system transformation in a constantly shifting landscape with emerging challenges.

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Transforming UK Food Systems: NRI leads consortium to create innovative Centre for Doctoral Training

A consortium of nine UK universities and research institutes, led by the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Greenwich, has been awarded a prestigious grant from UKRI to create a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) focused on developing the next generation of interdisciplinary food systems thinkers.

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Traditional food systems are vital for a just and sustainable post-pandemic future

Perceived quality and safety concerns are not an excuse to push regionally oriented traditional food systems to the margins. This pandemic renewed the call for a nuanced look at inherent structural inequality in food systems, including who wins or loses from traditional and modern food markets, and under what regulations, power, and privilege.

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Plastic Fantastic – Here to stay?

Dr Fisher says the main debate in the world of plastics is whether to put the infrastructure into developing biodegradable packaging or whether to move to recyclable and recycled systems. She explains: “there was previously a school of thought that it’s not worth changing the packaging as food waste would increase exponentially, but now we are focusing on how we will minimise food waste for when we inevitably reduce and replace plastic packaging.”

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NRI receives Queen’s Anniversary Prize at Buckingham Palace

The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) received the Further and Higher Education award for tackling pests which cause plague, famine and disease. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall met members of the Greenwich party, whose ground-breaking work has found smart solutions for pest control that have an impact on human, animal and plant health, especially in the developing world.

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Produce Quality Centre Packaging Challenge

The PQC are coordinating a network of academic and commercial experts in materials science (recyclable and compostable plastics, biocomposites, edible coatings) supply chains and postharvest plant physiology. We are interested to hear from industry stakeholders, with an interest in the efficacy of films with varied recycled content and biodegradable films for fresh produce.

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