About
CABI’s science centre at Egham was established in 1992, but CABI has had a scientific base in the UK since its very beginning. Over the years its work has supported hundreds of CABI projects and reached thousands of farmers in countries across the world. Much of the team’s current work is for national government departments, in particular Defra and DfID.
The centre, managed by Dick Shaw, CABI’s Senior Regional Director, Europe and The Americas, operates across the globe providing support on a range of topics, including invasive species, pests and diseases, knowledge management and commodities.
Its scope is extensive – it carries out around 70 projects each year, which range from working to identify nematodes that are new to science in Chile, to seeking natural enemies for Europe and North America’s most invasive weeds.
With over 75 staff, a growing team of scientists carries out applied scientific research to find safe and sustainable solutions to problems in agriculture and the environment. An array of labs, glasshouses, poly tunnels and two level 2 quarantine suites with eight climate-controlled chambers, means the centre is perfectly equipped to work with almost any organism in the world, in ideal conditions.
The centre is also home to CABI’s Microbial services team. The team’s specialist staff provide microbial expertise, with particular emphasis on agricultural and biotechnological applications. Services provided include microbial identification, culture sales and deposit, environmental and industrial investigation, contract research and provision of publications and training. The team’s work is supported by the Genetic Resource collection on site, which holds cultures of 28,000 living micro-organisms.
The centre collaborates extensively with both public and private sector organizations, NGOs, universities, governments and many more, in order to work in the most effective and sustainable way.
Corporate office
CABI’s corporate office is home to over 140 staff working in Publishing, Sales and Customer Service, IT, Marketing, Finance, Project Development and Digital Development.
Contact us
Centre staff
Centre News & Blogs
Documents
Progress report: UK weed biocontrol projects - November 2021
This is the twelth in a series of annual summary notes on progress made on UK weed biocontrol projects and covers the time frame from February 2020 to the end of March 2021.
Progress report: UK weed biocontrol projects - March 2021
This is the thirteenth in a series of annual summary notes on progress made on UK weed biocontrol projects and covers the time frame from April 2021 to the end of November 2021.
Progress report: UK weed biocontrol projects - 2020
This is the eleventh in a series of annual summary notes on progress made on UK weed biocontrol projects and covers the time frame to the end of January 2020.
Related projects
Evaluating the mycoherbicide potential of a leaf-spot pathogen against Japanese knotweed
Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive weed that impacts severely on native biodiversity and local infrastructure in its introduced range. Whilst chemicals are currently used to control the weed, this approach is costly and unsustainable. Biological control is an alternative method. The damaging leaf-spot fungus, Mycosphaerella polygoni-cuspidati, which attacks the plant in its native range was found not to be suitable as a classical biocontrol agent. However, the pathogen is considered to hold potential as a mycoherbicide. The aim of this project is to undertake proof-of-concept research into a potential mycoherbicide, in collaboration with the private industry.
Start:31/01/16 -End:31/12/21
