Faster development of new tomato varieties

The domestication of crops is one of the greatest technological revolutions in human history. Humans have domesticated only about 250 out of the total 374,000 plant species in the world. Around 20 of these are currently used for large-scale agricultural production.

Symbiosis of a green alga investigated

As oxygen producers and CO2 reservoirs, algae contribute to the survival of the marine ecosystem and therefore also make a decisive contribution to climate protection. Algae, such as the green algae Ulva, have also long since become an important source of raw materials for industry. They are used to produce active ingredients for medicine or bio-based chemicals, food and animal feed or cosmetic products.

Securing food supplies with new wheat varieties

Wheat is one of the most important food crops in the world and is dependent on a supply of nitrogen. In agriculture, nitrogen is therefore applied in the form of fertiliser to promote plant growth and achieve good yields. However, the right amount is important. Nitrogen that the plant cannot process ends up in the environment and pollutes ecosystems. But how can the supply of wheat be secured without further harming the environment?

Future lab for agriculture: Small fields and smart helpers

Nowadays, potatoes, maize and other crops are planted in extensive fields so that agricultural machinery can work the land - even in locations where crops do not have optimal growing conditions. In such cases, fertilisers and pesticides are usually used to compensate for the disadvantage and achieve good yields. However, this common cultivation method is increasingly reaching its limits. An alternative could be the concept of spot farming.

Synthetic biology: Designing microbial communities

Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses never act alone. They form communities, interact and thus have a significant influence on humans and nature. One example of this is the microbial community in the human gut, the so-called microbiome. It is only through the interaction of microorganisms that nutrients are metabolised and made usable for the body. However, if the microbiome is composed incorrectly, this can lead to health problems.

Twice as effective towards more resistant grape varieties

The background to the SelWineQ research project goes back to the colonisation of North America by Europeans: at that time, returning emigrants unintentionally brought powdery and downy mildew to Europe. Since then, these fungal diseases have plagued the native grapevines, among others, because unlike their American relatives, which have been able to adapt to the pathogens over millions of years of evolution, European vines have practically no natural resistance to the fungus from overseas. Around 1870, the disease destroyed a good 70% of French vineyards.

RNA-based insecticides become competitive

Without pesticides, crop yields worldwide would fall by 20 to 30%, as studies have repeatedly shown. At the same time, many conventional pesticides are regarded as questionable in terms of biodiversity and health. For more than two decades, researchers have actually known of a great solution to overcome these problems: RNA interference. But until now, this approach has been unaffordable.