Prof Pete Hollingsworth

Prof Pete Hollingsworth, Director of Science and Deputy Keeper
I am a biodiversity scientist with a particular interest in understanding and conserving plant diversity. As Director of Science and Deputy Keeper I am responsible for managing a team of ca 100 staff, students and volunteers in the science division at RBGE. Science Division at RBGE includes four research departments (Tropical Diversity, Major Floras, Genetics and Conservation, Cryptogamic Plants and Fungi), a herbarium of 3 million specimens, a world class botanical library and archive and laboratory facilities.

I have a particular interest in the integration of genomic science and whole organism biology. My research aims to:
- Enhance understanding of the relationship between species traits and genomic diversity
- Develop effective mechanisms for rapid characterization of species diversity, such as DNA barcoding
- Gain an increased understanding of the processes governing the evolution of biodiversity, with a particular emphasis on those processes which lead to diversification and taxonomic complexity
- Enhance understanding of pest and pathogen threats to plants in the natural environment
- Use large scale distributional data to enhance strategies for the conservation of plant biodiversity
- Improve strategies for species reintroductions and habitat restoration
I am involved in collaborative projects in many countries around the word with a particular focus in Scotland, China, South Africa, New Caledonia and Patagonia.

Google scholar profile

Orcid ID: 0000-0003-0602-0654

Contact: P.Hollingsworth@rbge.org.uk
Pete Hollingsworth

Further information

Research Group

Research Group

Dr Matt Elliot
Plant health and biosecurity

Dr Giada Ferrari
Herbarium genomics and historical DNA protocols

Dr David Bell
Darwin Tree of Life

PhD students

Lu Meng
Biodiversity genomics and the British flora
Supervisors Alex Twyford (University of Edinburgh) and Pete Hollingsworth

Ding Uanqian
Resolving taxonomic complexity in diploid and tetraploid British eyebrights (Euphrasia)
Supervisors Alex Twyford (University of Edinburgh) and Pete Hollingsworth

Wu Huang
DNA barcoding and plant diversification
Supervisors: Pete Hollingsworth and Alex Twyford (University of Edinburgh)

Cornelia Simon-Nutbrown
Recommendations for improving maerl bed protection, informed by a combined genetic, physiology and modelling approach
Supervisors Heidi Burdett, Teresa Fernandes (Heriot Watt University), John Baxter (SNH), Pete Hollingsworth

Project web pages

Plant health: Scotland’s Plant health centre aiming to improve Scotland’s resilience in the face of threats to the UK arable crops, trees, horticulture and wild plants
DNA barcoding: RBGE’s research projects using DNA to tell species apart
Molecular Ecology: using genetic data to understand species biology and develop conservation plans

Awards

Honorary Professor Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Institute of Botany
Visiting Professor University of Edinburgh
Visiting Professor Heriot Watt University Edinburgh
Visiting Professor University of Johannesburg
Saltire Society/Royal Society of Edinburgh ‘Scottish Science Award’ for Biological Sciences
Linnean Society Bicentenary Medal
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh