Alison Watson

I am currently investigating whether a natural but rare bee forage constituent with proven innate immune system priming in humans could be used as a bee feed supplement to improve bee immune function, thereby aiding colonies combat their pests and pathogens. This research is ERDF-funded. Prior to a career break (2005-2017) I was involved in the discovery and development of this compound for human health purposes, including clinical trials, as a founder member of a small biotech company (Phytoquest Ltd) in Wales, UK. Before this I was involved in natural product drug discovery from temperate and tropical plants, based at the BBSRC Institute of Grassland & Environmental Research in Aberystwyth, and prior to this I was a research fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (RBG Kew) where I investigated natural products for insecticidal and nematocidal applications. I gained my PhD in zoology whilst at RBG Kew.