Kew Science blog

Owen Durant, Natural Product Researcher at Kew, explains how scientists are using plant science in the quest to discover life-saving drugs.

Thousands of orchid species in the American tropics formed more recently than expected. Kew scientist, Oscar Alejandro Pérez-Escobar explains more.

Tom Heller describes the important role of seed conservation in protecting vulnerable plants, while Kew Associate Phil Lambdon recounts the challenges involved in his visit to Gough Island.

New research led by scientists at Kew has revealed a ‘vicious cycle’ of warmer temperatures, tougher plants and increasing emissions of greenhouse gases from livestock; but changing livestock diets may be the solution.

Kew scientist Colin Clubbe reveals the first area to formally qualify as a Tropical Important Plant Area (TIPA), which was identified during a workshop held in the British Virgin Islands.

In a surprise final part of the Tahina spectabilis story, Lauren Gardiner reveals a stunning discovery the team made in Madagascar last year after their return to the original site at Antsingilava, which they can only now reveal and which has just been published in the international conservation journal, Oryx.

This year’s MSc students have just returned from their exciting field trip to Madagascar. Yannick Woudstra (MSc student) tells us about the students’ experiences with conservation and field work in this biodiversity hotspot. In Part one Yannick looks at Madagascar’s difficult conservation story.

Peter Giovannini and Melanie-Jayne Howes in Kew’s Natural Capital and Plant Health Department assess the scientific evidence supporting the local use of plants to treat snakebites.

2016 saw the publication of over 450 new genera, species and varieties of fungi and plants in papers co-authored by Kew scientists and their collaborators around the world. Of these, more than 200 can be directly ascribed to Kew scientists themselves.