What is the Earth and Life Systems Alliance?

The Earth and Life Systems Alliance (ELSA) is a unique multi-disciplinary Alliance integrating world-class expertise in biological, earth and social sciences to tackle the challenges posed by a changing climate.

ELSA is a major strategic collaboration between the John Innes Centre (JIC) and the University of East Anglia (UEA)in Norwich, UK.

The research agenda of the Alliance is focussed around three pillars:

Biodiversity and adaptation in the face of global environmental change

Human activities leading to climate change and inappropriate use of natural resources are major factors leading to biodiversity loss. Researchers within the Alliance are taking the unique approach of linking the genetic drivers of adaptive variation with large scale consequences to entire populations and ecosystems.

Advanced genomic and molecular technologies are being used to explore the genetic and molecular basis of adaptation within certain species. This knowledge is being integrated with holistic analyses of population dynamics to understand better the ecological impacts of adaptation. Such information will enable researchers to predict and respond to the ecological and evolutionary consequences of changes to habitats.
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Agricultural transitions under climate change

Major decisions must be made over the most appropriate use of land in the face of climate change and global pressures for food and energy. In addition, the kinds of crops grown may change as the local environment changes; this could alter the appearance of landscapes and potentially have socio-economic impacts across the globe.

As well as pioneering new research into crop plants and agricultural systems, researchers within the Alliance are using computational visualisation techniques to help stakeholders with the decision-making processes associated with changes in land-use.  This is supported by expertise in participatory approaches to decision-making, helping policy-makers with a framework within which decisions are made.
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Elemental cycles that sustain life and the planet

Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur, the elements crucial to support life on Earth, exist in finely balanced biogeochemical cycles that influence both molecular and global systems.

Harnessing JIC's knowledge about the central importance of plants and microbes in these cycles is a key focus of work within the Alliance. This, together with the expertise in UEA of climate system analysis and global biogeochemical cycles is enabling ELSA researchers to undertake integrated research into the biological systems involved in elemental cycling from the molecular to the global scale, as well as developing mechanisms to mitigate the effects of human activities on them.
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