Dr Laura Bowden

GM Manager Telephone Number +44(0)131 244 8891

Research interests/Areas of expertise

• Detection and quantification of GMOs using molecular methods.
• Seed vigour – improving methods for seed vigour assessment and investigating the potential of new techniques.
• Analysis of historical seed testing data to look into the effect of environmental and other (e.g. varietal, geographical) factors on seed quality. Implications of climate change on the quality of seed produced in Scotland.

Biography

• November 2019 – Present. GM Manager, responsible for providing a GM testing service and for providing advice to policy and other stakeholders on GM issues.
• Joined SASA in July 2010 to work as the seed physiologist for the OSTS.
• 2008-2010. I worked as a research technician at Warwick HRI on a systems biology project investigating the genetics of biotic and abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis.
• 2004 - 2007. PhD. Seed development, re-hydration and variation in seed survival. Jointly funded by the University of Reading Research Endowment Fund and the Millennium Seed Bank Project, RBG Kew.