John Innes Centre

02/09/2026

NEWS - ‘Sunshine’ tomato one step closer to market

The first marketing notice for a precision bred tomato in England has now been approved, moving the biofortified ‘Sunshine’ tomato developed at the John Innes Centre closer to commercialisation.

This tomato, which was recently the focus of a landmark study at The Quadram Institute to test bioavailability accumulates high levels of pro-vitamin D3 in the fruit and leaves and was developed in Professor Cathie Martin FRS’ lab.

Professor Martin said: “I am passionate about science supporting public health, and with vitamin D deficiency a widespread problem, our biofortified tomato could one day be a low-cost, simple, plant-based solution that can improve diets across the world."

This tomato is also the first crop to receive PBO marketing approval at the John Innes Centre, marking an historic moment for the institute.

Read more: https://okt.to/dJbRsc

02/09/2026

VACANCY - We’re looking for a Science Support Administrator (Maternity Cover) to join our core administration team, working closely with our Heads of Department (HoD), Group Leaders, Scientific Facilities and Laboratory Managers.

https://okt.to/8NPuUi

Closing date - 16 September 2026
Salary - £30,600 - £33,920 per annum depending on qualifications and experience
Contract - 12 months, full-time

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Science Support Administrator to join the Core Administration Team to support the cutting-edge science of the John Innes Centre.

02/09/2026

BLOG - How research software engineers are bridging the gap between biology and computer science

Miguel Gonzalez Sanchez looks back at his unconventional career path to becoming a research software engineer, and the skills he has developed that help support quality science with solid digital infrastructure.

As part of his journey, he has been supported by the Technician Commitment Collaboration Fund and the RSE Society to deliver the RSEEE & WHPC Meeting 2026 which he reflects on here.

https://okt.to/8QiSsJ

Norwich Research Park

01/09/2026

It’s ! 🖊️✉️

Communication is a central part of science work, and our JIC Archives contain many handwritten letters between well-known scientists, discussing their experiments and findings 🔬

Today we wanted to share this letter from crystallographer Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958). Franklin is best known for her role in the discovery of DNA, but this letter relates to her work on viruses in the 1950s, where she employed groundbreaking techniques in X-ray crystallography to improve our understanding of plant viruses.

In the letter, she thanks recipient Roy Markham for providing samples of turnip yellow mosaic virus, and discusses her work with them at Birkbeck, University of London Crystallography Department.

At the time, Markham was working at the Plant Virus Research Unit in Cambridge, later becoming director of our predecessor, the John Innes Institute.

While handwritten letters don’t play much part in our work today, collecting and preserving prior correspondences shows how the science of the past can lead to the discoveries of tomorrow!

Learn more about our Historic Collections: https://okt.to/zqco0f

Norwich Research Park

31/08/2026

EVENT - Innes Lecture 2026 – The Potato: between science and peasant knowledge

🗓️16 September 2026
⏰ Doors open at 6:00 pm
📍 John Innes Conference Centre, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7UH

Join us for the FREE annual Innes Lecture 2026 ‘The Potato: between science and peasant knowledge’ with Prof. Rebecca Earle, University of Warwick.

Find out how the history of the potato provides evidence of peasant farmers as important sources of agronomic innovation throughout history, and how this relates to today’s concerns about biodiversity and food security.

There will also be a chance to learn about related science taking place at the John Innes Centre.

Book your ticket today: https://okt.to/1KVnF8

28/08/2026

NEWS - A new rapid test helping Ethiopian researchers stay ahead of a wheat disease threat

Ethiopian researchers are using a new diagnostic test created by John Innes Centre researchers to identify a growing wheat disease threat.

The system provides a simple test that can confirm within just 90 minutes whether the infected material contains wheat blast, a devastating disease that spreads on the wind and can cause up to 100% losses in severe outbreaks.

https://okt.to/VroTuG

Watch the video: https://okt.to/xHa6P7

Norwich Research Park International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research - EIAR

26/08/2026

VACANCY - We’re looking for a Science Support Administrator (Maternity Cover) to join our core administration team, working closely with our Heads of Department (HoD), Group Leaders, Scientific Facilities and Laboratory Managers.

https://okt.to/lPyC2n

Closing date - 16 September 2026
Salary - £30,600 - £33,920 per annum depending on qualifications and experience
Contract - 12 months, full-time

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Science Support Administrator to join the Core Administration Team to support the cutting-edge science of the John Innes Centre.

26/08/2026

BLOG - How research software engineers are bridging the gap between biology and computer science

Miguel Gonzalez Sanchez looks back at his unconventional career path to becoming a research software engineer, and the skills he has developed that help support quality science with solid digital infrastructure.

As part of his journey, he has been supported by the Technician Commitment Collaboration Fund and the RSE Society to deliver the RSEEE & WHPC Meeting 2026 which he reflects on here.

https://okt.to/xVSwHY

Norwich Research Park

24/08/2026

EVENT - Innes Lecture 2026 – The Potato: between science and peasant knowledge

🗓️16 September 2026
⏰ Doors open at 6:00 pm
📍 John Innes Conference Centre, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7UH

Join us for the FREE annual Innes Lecture 2026 ‘The Potato: between science and peasant knowledge’ with Prof. Rebecca Earle, University of Warwick.

Find out how the history of the potato provides evidence of peasant farmers as important sources of agronomic innovation throughout history, and how this relates to today’s concerns about biodiversity and food security.

There will also be a chance to learn about related science taking place at the John Innes Centre.

Book your ticket today: https://okt.to/9G2eNt

24/08/2026

VACANCY - Funded by European Research Council, we have three exciting opportunities for Postdoctoral Researchers to join the newly appointed Salem Group. These roles span:

Developmental biology - https://okt.to/zSkdGe

Protein evolution and experimental biochemistry - https://okt.to/gEIiFb

Evolutionary genetics - https://okt.to/2OGQ4p

Closing date - 16 September 2026

Salary - £39,000 - £46,500 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. A starting salary of £40,100 is guaranteed for candidates who can evidence their PhD certificate on appointment

Contract - 24 months, full-time

Norwich Research Park