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Dame Ottoline Leyser

Michael Berkeley's guest is botanist and chief executive of UK Research and Innovation, Dame Ottoline Leyser.

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser first realised plants are extraordinary and astonishing at school, when introduced to the round and wrinkled peas of Gregor Mendel. She is fascinated by plant genetics and as Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge her particular focus has been on a hormone called auxin which controls the growth of plants.

In 2020, she was appointed the chief executive of UK Research and Innovation whose mission is to work in partnership with research organisations, universities, businesses, charities and government to “push the frontiers of human knowledge and understanding" and deliver economic, social and cultural impact, with a budget of more than £8 billion each year.

Dame Ottoline is a fellow of the Royal Society and in 2017 she was appointed DBE for services to plant science, science in society and equality and diversity in science.

Her music choices include Mozart, Vaughan Williams and Debussy.

Available now

36 minutes

Last on

Sun 10 Dec 2023 12:00

Music Played

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Super flumina Babylonis

    Ensemble: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Palestrina Volume 6.
    • CORO.
    • 5.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Don Giovanni (Act II Finale)

    Singer: Umberto Chiummo. Singer: Bo Skovhus. Singer: Alessandro Corbelli. Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • Mozart: The Great Operas.
    • Telarc.
    • 165.
  • Claude Debussy

    La fille aux cheveux de lin (Preludes, Book 1)

    Performer: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
    • Debussy: Complete works for piano vol.1: Bavouzet.
    • Chandos.
    • 8.
  • Camille Saintâ€Saëns

    Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Op.28

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • Fantasie.
    • Decca.
    • 3.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor, Op 18 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Krystian Zimerman. Orchestra: Boston Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Seiji Ozawa.
    • Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1&2 Zimerman/Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Ozawa.
    • Deutsche Grammaphon.
    • 4.
  • Arthur Sullivan

    The Elements

    Lyricist: Tom Lehrer. Singer: Tom Lehrer.
    • Dr Demento's 30th Anniversary Collection.
    • Rhino.
    • 3.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington.
    • Decca.

Broadcast

  • Sun 10 Dec 2023 12:00

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