Scientists from the University of Nottingham have been awarded the 2026 Rank Prize for Nutrition in recognition of their pioneering work on elemental profiling to improve soil and crop quality, enhancing nutrition and health outcomes for people worldwide.
Professor David Salt and Professor Martin Broadley from the School of Biosciences have been awarded the prize for their research that has fused advances in high-throughput elemental profiling with genetics to reveal how plants accumulate mineral nutrients and trace elements from the soil. This research is transforming dietary interventions in developing countries, through profiling soil and crop quality, to enhance nutrition and health outcomes.
Founded in 1972 by the British industrialist and philanthropist Lord J. Arthur Rank, the prestigious Rank Prize is awarded biennially in the fields of nutrition and optoelectronics. The Prize will be awarded formally at an event in London in June 2026.
Micronutrient deficiencies—often termed "hidden hunger"—affect billions of people worldwide, particularly in regions where diets are dominated by staple crops low in essential minerals, notably in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Professors Salt and Broadley have led pioneering research to understand the dynamics of mineral elements in soils and plants, with a particular focus on improving the content of essential mineral nutrients in food crops and the impact on human health.
Professor Salt Professor Salt (Professor Emeritus, University of Nottingham) has been at the forefront of ionomics, the study of the elemental composition of organisms. His research has revealed the molecular basis of how plants uptake minerals that are essential for both plants and animals from the soil and distribute them through their tissues; these minerals include cobalt, copper, iron, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, sodium, sulfur and zinc, as well as potentially toxic trace elements including cadmium and arsenic. Further, he has uncovered how these processes are influenced by genetic, physiological and environmental factors. By identifying key genes and processes that control mineral accumulation, his work has laid the foundation for breeding crops with enhanced nutritional profiles.
Professor Martin Broadley (Rothamsted Research and University of Nottingham) has focused on translating the fundamental understanding of mineral elements in soils and crops into practical agricultural interventions and surveillance. His work spans soil and crop sciences through to nutrition and public health, with a strong emphasis on biofortification: using agronomic and genetic approaches to increase the concentration of essential nutrients in edible crops. His collaborations in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have supported to the development of regionally adapted crop varieties and farming practices that improve dietary mineral intake.
Their research has demonstrated that improving the mineral content of food crops is not only scientifically feasible but also socially and economically impactful. Their research has informed national and international strategies to combat micronutrient deficiencies, including the use of micronutrient-enriched fertilizers in Malawi and the development of zinc-rich wheat varieties for South Asia. Their work is helping to shape food systems that are more resilient, equitable and health-promoting.
I'm delighted to accept the Rank Prize with Martin. I have worked since my graduate days on many different aspects of mineral homeostasis in plants looking at both potentially toxic elements like cadmium and arsenic, and mineral nutrients that plants (and the things that eat then) require. This has taken me into both natural environments and farmers' fields, to study wild and domesticated plants, in search of answers from the landscape down to the gene. We uncovered some wonderful stories along the way, throwing light on important problems impacting the environment, plant and animal health. I look forward to telling some of these tales alongside Martin at the award ceremony.
I am deeply honoured to receive this award, which reflects the dedication and collaboration of an outstanding team of colleagues and partners over the past two decades. Addressing hidden hunger through improving crop nutrition, in the context of more nutritionally aware agricultural and food systems, remain global priorities, and this recognition underscores the vital role of science in building these more sustainable and resilient futures. I look forward to continuing our work to deliver solutions that improve health and livelihoods of people worldwideI am deeply honoured to receive this award, which reflects the dedication and collaboration of an outstanding team of colleagues and partners over the past two decades. Addressing hidden hunger through improving crop nutrition, in the context of more nutritionally aware agricultural and food systems, remain global priorities, and this recognition underscores the vital role of science in building these more sustainable and resilient futures. I look forward to continuing our work to deliver solutions that improve health and livelihoods of people worldwide.
Professor John Mathers, Chair of the Nutrition Committee said: "The seminal research by Professors Salt and Broadley has shown that dietary mineral deficiencies, also known as 'hidden hunger,' can be overcome. Their demonstration that soil and plant mineral profiling can be used to inform efforts by governments and NGOs to better target dietary interventions is helping to improve the health of millions of people in low and middle-income countries."
