The uses of death: plant virus research in Britain between 1926 and 1979

本论文的选题是关于世纪中期英国植物病毒研究的历史。它侧重于20世纪20年代和70年代之间国家赞助的植物病毒学研究的发展，从马铃薯病毒研究站的成立到约翰英纳斯研究所病毒研究单位的成立。植物病毒学研究在世纪发生了深刻的变化：从Redcliffe N.从萨拉曼的马铃薯园到罗伊·马卡姆领导的现代实验室。尽管最近人们对植物病毒学的兴趣有所增长，但英国农业研究的历史还没有得到充分的探索，在这种背景下，人们对植物病毒学的了解还很有限。相比之下，植物育种的情况要好得多。鉴于植物病毒作为植物育种者的挑战的公认重要性，奇怪的是，仍然很少有人关注病理学及其研究。我的主要研究兴趣是农业和农业科学研究在人类历史中的作用。我的方法遵循当前科学与环境史学的趋势，学者们将注意力集中在科学实践的多种形式物质性的不同方面。我打算使用广泛的来源，包括文献、材料和口头，特别强调约翰·英纳斯中心档案馆的资料。我特别感兴趣的是那些将工作实践和重要性联系起来的项目。

This dissertation proposal concerns the history of plant virus research in mid-20th century Britain. It focuses on the development of state-sponsored plant virology research between the 1920s and the 1970s, from the inception of thePotato Virus Research Station till the incorporation of the Virus Research Unit in the John Innes Institute. Plant virologyresearch deeply changed in the course of the 20th century: from Redcliffe N. Salaman's potato gardens to the modernlaboratories led by Roy Markham. Despite recent growth in interest, the history of agricultural research in Britain remainsunderexplored and within this context plant virology is poorly understood. By contrast, plant breeding has fared muchbetter. Given the recognised importance of plant viruses as a challenge for the plant breeder it is odd that such still littleattention has been devoted to pathologies and their investigation. My main research interest is the role of agriculture andagricultural scientific research in human history. My approach follows current trends in the historiographies of scienceand environment, with scholars focusing their attention on different aspects of the multiform materiality of scientificpractice. I intend to use a wide range of sources, both documentary, material, and oral, with particular emphasis on thosehold by the archives of the John Innes Centre. I am particularly interested in those items that link work practices andmateriality.