Denis Murphy

Denis J Murphy was awarded a D Phil in plant biochemistry from the University of York, UK, in 1977. He then spent three years as a Senior Fulbright Scholar at the University of California and one year as a Royal Society Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra. He has also researched and taught at the Universities of Münster, Germany; and Sheffield, Durham, and East Anglia, UK.

He has authored more than 250 research articles in international journals plus numerous books including: Plant Breeding and Biotechnology: Societal Context and the Future of Agriculture; People, Plants, and Genes: The Story of Crops and Humanity; Encyclopaedia of Applied Plant Science; and Designer Oil Crops

Denis has been involved in research and international consultancy in molecular biology and crop breeding since 1985, and was a Head of Department at the world renowned John Innes Centre, Norwich from 1990-2000. He is currently Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Glamorgan in Wales, UK, where he teaches courses on botany and the history of agriculture, manages a schools outreach programme, and heads a research programme into plant responses to environmental stress such as drought and salinity.

He works as a government advisor in the UK and overseas where he specializes in the areas of agriculture, plant breeding, and biotechnology. For example, since 2001, he has chaired the Biology Programme Advisory Committee of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, which monitors and advises on R&D about this major global oil crop. He has broad interests in research and education and frequently participates in public debates on scientific issues ranging from stem cells & cloning to GM crops & organic farming. Recent appearances include the Hay Literary Festival and Abergavenny Food Festival.

 Related Sessions

Saturday 1 November 2008, 3.30pm Lecture Theatre 2
Can GM crops feed the world?


 Publications

Plant Biotechnology, CABI/Oxford University Press, UK, 2009
People, Plants, and Genes: The Story of Crops and Humanity, Oxford University Press, UK, 2007


 Festival Buzz

"A rare opportunity to debate first hand with those involved in the great issues of our time."
Chris Rapley, director, Science Museum