Research output per year
Research output per year
Dr, PhD
Research activity per year
Research in the Farrar lab focuses on increasing biomass yield in energy crops in order to replace fossil fuel usage, sequester atmospheric carbon, & ultimately contribute to climate change mitigation. In order to achieve this, there are two main research areas: Plant developmental biology & genetics and Plant-soil-microbe interactions.
Specialties
Current Projects
Lab members:
Sarah Hawkins (Lab Manager), Gareth Raynes ('Endophytic bacteria: co-existence and chemical warfare', BBSRC iCASE studentship), Rebecca Entwistle (‘Targeting extremophilic bacterial endosymbionts for plant growth promotion and phytoremediation applications’, IBERS PhD studentship), TBA (Dissecting perenniality – molecular & physiological factors regulating rhizome formation and function, BBSRC/IBERS PhD students
I participated in the first UKERC/NESTA Carbon Crucible programme, and subsequently the establishment of the THE award winning Welsh Crucible. I have a personal interest in promoting diversity among the research community, and have been appointed an Aberystwyth University Equalities Champion.
I co-organise the BioEnergy Grass Genomics workshop at the annual Plant and Animal Genome Conference.
I graduated in 1996 with a Plant Sciences degree from the University of Edinburgh. I obtained a PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Durham and spent three years (2000-2003) as a postdoc at Aberystwyth University. I have worked at IGER/IBERS since January 2004 as a postdoc (2004-2007) and started as a BBSRC Institute Career Path Fellow here on July 1st (2007-2013) and most recently as research group leader for Energy Crop Biology (2011-present).
Research in my lab aims to understand both plant development and plant-microbe interactions, with a focus on the energy grass Miscanthus. Miscanthus is a tall C4 grass from South East Asia which grows to a height of several metres even in temperate climates. Increasing biomass yield is essential in order to replace petroleum-based energy, liquid transport fuels, and bulk chemicals.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01 Apr 2023 → 31 Mar 2028
Project: Externally funded research
British Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy
13 Jun 2022 → 31 Mar 2025
Project: Externally funded research
03 Dec 2018 → 02 Dec 2021
Project: Internally funded research
Donnison, I., Bosch, M., Clifton-Brown, J., Farrar, K. & Robson, P.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01 Apr 2017 → 31 Mar 2022
Project: Externally funded research
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
15 Oct 2016 → 29 Dec 2016
Project: Externally funded research
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01 Feb 2016 → 30 Sept 2019
Project: Externally funded research
15 Nov 2015 → 31 Dec 2015
Project: Externally funded research
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01 Oct 2015 → 30 Sept 2019
Project: Externally funded research
01 Jan 2015 → 30 Sept 2018
Project: Externally funded research
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01 Oct 2013 → 30 Sept 2020
Project: Externally funded research
19 Oct 2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media coverage
11 Aug 2022
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media coverage
10 Aug 2022
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media coverage
19 Nov 2020
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media coverage
Gareth William Raynes & Kerrie Farrar
18 May 2017
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Media contribution
Kerrie Farrar (Participant), Beatrice Ifie (Participant), Richard Lucas (Participant) & Abigail Sanders (Participant)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Festival or Exhibition
Kerrie Farrar (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Kerrie Farrar (Invited speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Kerrie Farrar (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
Kerrie Farrar (Speaker)
Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
Kerrie Farrar (Participant)
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Festival or Exhibition