From Kitchen Gardens to Laboratories and Back: Plant Virus Research in Mid-Twentieth-Century Britain

Mini resumo da biografia

João P. R. Joaquim is about to complete a PhD in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, focusing on the history of plant virus research in twentieth-century Britain. His previous research examined the varied influences shaping the 1930s creation of Portugal’s leading agricultural research centre. His MA dissertation explored the transnational history of Cold War-era agricultural museums, reflecting his broader interest in the intersections of science, agriculture, and society.

Resumo/abstract do que se pretende apresentar:

This presentation examines the evolution of agricultural virology in 1920s-1960s Britain, focusing on the pioneering work at the Potato Virus Research Station and its later iterations. Originally established to address viral diseases affecting potatoes, the station became a hub for innovative experimental approaches, blending traditional horticultural knowledge with emerging technological infrastructures to study viral plant pathogens.

This research challenges the historiographical view that biochemical and physical methods entirely displaced biology and natural history-based approaches in virus research from the mid-1930s, particularly with the rise of biomedical considerations and the adoption of certain viruses as model organisms in molecular biology. Instead, this article highlights how living plant collections, agricultural extension efforts, entomological expertise, and landscape knowledge provided essential foundations for the growth and development of virology. This significance is reciprocal, as virus control remains crucial in the cultivation of potatoes and other crops to this day.

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