Prof Angharad Gatehouse has the Chair of Invertebrate Molecular Biology at Newcastle University and is Director of Expertise for BioEconomy. Her research focuses on the molecular and biochemical bases of plant-pest interactions with a view to developing novel strategies for crop protection. Her group was one of the first to produce insect-resistant transgenic crops. More recently her group has been using functional genomics to better understand the molecular responses of crops to biotic stress (pathogens and insect pests) for the development of molecular markers. In collaboration with Durham University, her group are actively involved in developing novel biopesticides including those based on RNAi. In addition to their efficacy, the group is also involved in the biosafety of these strategies, notably in terms of their potential effects on beneficial insects such as pollinators and natural enemies. She has published extensively in the field, including in discovery journals (Nature, PNAS).