Some of our researchers from Kew Science were up in Scotland this week visiting the other half of their project team. They met up with the Forest Research scientist at FR’s Northern Research Station just outside Edinburgh for project meetings. They followed this up with a trip out to the field to visit the birch provenance trials at Loch Tay. These are long-term trials that take seeds from different origins and grow them in the same environment, enabling researchers to study the differences between populations of trees from different places. Our project is sequencing the genomes of these trees to find out more about the genetics behind these differences.

If you are a recent graduate who would like to experience fieldwork like this, or the analysis of genomes, take a look at our internships. Closing date 4 August 2023.

Vacancies – Six month internships

View across Loch Tay

Using a Resistograph to measure wood density

Photo credits Richard Buggs