Prof Pete Hollingsworth
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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.
Orcid ID: 0000-0003-0602-0654
Contact: P.Hollingsworth@rbge.org.uk
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Pete Hollingsworth
Further information
- Research Group
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Research Group
Dr Matt Elliot
Plant health and biosecurityDr Giada Ferrari
Herbarium genomics and historical DNA protocolsDr David Bell
Darwin Tree of LifePhD students
Lu Meng
Biodiversity genomics and the British flora
Supervisors Alex Twyford (University of Edinburgh) and Pete HollingsworthDing Uanqian
Resolving taxonomic complexity in diploid and tetraploid British eyebrights (Euphrasia)
Supervisors Alex Twyford (University of Edinburgh) and Pete HollingsworthWu 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
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- 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
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- 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
Prof Pete Hollingsworth
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