School of Life Sciences welcomes new professor
Toby Bruce, Professor of Insect Chemical Ecology, has joined Keele University’s School of Life Sciences this month.
Professor Bruce, originally from London, joins Keele from Rothamsted Research, an organisation that has pioneered using science to benefit agriculture and where agricultural research first began. His role was to study agriculturally important insects, their interactions with their host plants and their natural enemies; seeking novel interventions that could improve pest management and reduce dependency on pesticides.
He studied Biology at the University College of London, completed an MSc in Applied Entomology at Imperial College London, and a PhD in Chemical Ecology at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, and has held honorary lectureship roles in various universities.
Professor Bruce said: “It felt like the right time to move into Higher Education. I’ve always enjoyed working with students and I’m looking forward to having more interaction with them which was part of the attraction to come to Keele, as well as focus on my research in a new environment.
“For the last few decades agriculture has been heavily reliant on pesticides, which are now restricted by legislation, and the pests themselves build resistance to pesticides. My research focuses on how to protect the harvest and find new ways of managing the pests, so we are not so dependent on pesticides.”
During his time at Rothamsted Research, Professor Bruce collaborated with scientists at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya, to help develop improved management maize stemborers. With partners in the UK, he substantially improved management of orange wheat blossom midge, based on resistant wheat varieties and pheromone traps to rationalise insecticide use. He also evaluated transgenic wheat engineered to release the aphid alarm pheromone.
Professor Bruce will establish a new Insect Ecology Group within the School of Life Sciences’ Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology (CAEP). The group will conduct cutting-edge research on insect-host interactions and test hypotheses to better understand how to sustainably manage pest species and conserve beneficial species.
He added: “I am very excited about this new opportunity to strengthen hypothesis-driven research, geared towards improving food security by reducing crop losses to pests. I hope to inspire the next generation of researchers to tackle global challenges and push back the boundaries of science.”
Professor Bruce is interested in working with academics from other disciplines whose research might be relevant for inventing new ways of managing crop pests. To get in touch please email t.j.a.bruce@keele.ac.uk