Ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Elizabeth Creak Horticultural Technology Centre (ECHTC)

A facility using gene-editing technology to improve quality, resilience and sustainability of vegetable crops.

The Elizabeth Creak Horticultural Technology Centre (ECHTC) at the University of Warwick is a £1.5 million facility using cutting edge techniques such as gene-editing to improve vegetable crops.

Funded by donations from the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust and the estate of Jim Brewster, ECHTC addresses issues relating to disease resistance, crop yield, adaptability to climate change and nutritional value in horticultural plants. The research will help with the key global challenges of climate change and feeding the world’s growing population.

The Centre also trains future research scientists in vegetable tissue culture and gene editing techniques, with Jim Brewster Scholarships awarded to PhD students working in the area of crop science.

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University of Warwick

Warwick Crop Centre is a national centre of excellence for research on fresh produce. We provide post-graduate training and specialise in research projects promoting sustainable agriculture, horticulture and food security.

Vegetable Genetic Improvement Network (VeGIN)

An interactive network of researchers and industry leaders, who work together to promote market delivery of improved vegetable varieties using sustainable production systems.

The UK Vegetable Genebank (UKVGB)

The UK Vegetable Genebank (UKVGB) manages a collection of approximately 14,000 samples of vegetable crops such as cauliflower, carrot, kale and onions which are essential for a balanced and healthy diet