On November 5th, students in the Plant Biology programme were informed that there will be no further intakes for the degree at the University of Nottingham.

Current students have been told their studies will continue unaffected, but this decision effectively erases a field that has been part of Nottingham’s scientific identity for decades.

This matters far beyond one university.
The University of Nottingham is globally recognised for its research in:
• Crop improvement and food security
• Climate resilience and drought resistance
• Sustainable agriculture and soil health
• Biodiversity and conservation science

Plant Biology is not a niche subject, it is a foundation of every ecosystem, every food system, every breath of oxygen we take.

As the world faces:
• Climate change
• Habitat loss
• Food shortages
• Pollinator decline

Cutting Plant Biology sends the message that this work is no longer a priority.
Students are left feeling that their skills, passions and futures don’t matter. Academics are facing the loss of the next generation of researchers. Research groups that rely on undergraduate participation and recruitment may struggle to survive. Job losses are a real fear.

We are calling for:
- Transparency about why Plant Biology was chosen for suspension
- A reconsideration of the permanent closure
- Consultation with students, researchers, and industry before cutting essential scientific pathways
- A plan to protect staff, research, and the future of the field at Nottingham

I spent the last month working with @plantsciencefutures to inspire the next generation of plant scientists. To wake up and find that my own institution is making that future harder to access feels devastating.

This is bigger than one degree.
This is about the future of science, food, climate, and biodiversity.

If you believe plants, and that the people who study them, matter, please sign and share.

🌱 Plant biologists aren’t going extinct. Not if we refuse to let them.