spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Marcel Quint, coordinator: Dr. Carolin Delker, Dr. Julia Grimmer (funding 2024-2028) (link)

The major objective of the collaborative research centre (CRC) is to understand the translation of genome-encoded sequence variation to structural, mechanistic and functional proteoform diversity. The SFB 1664 is an interdisciplinary collaborative research centre at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

The highly interdisciplinary nature of the CRC requires extensive expertise in plant molecular biology, structural protein biochemistry and computational methods. Early career researchers (ECRs) will therefore need to acquire a broad understanding of all disciplines involved to efficiently progress in their project work.

spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Edgar Peiter, Prof. Dr. Sven-Erik Behrens, coordinator: Dr. Amanda Ratier Backes (funding 2024-2027) (link)

Agri-Explore is embedded in the globally visible focus on plant research in Saxony-Anhalt. The acronym EXPLORE highlights the need for training young scientists who, during their work in the graduate school and their subsequent leading roles in academia and industry, optimize the resilience and productivity of crops by exploring new avenues. The particular strength of the Agri-Explore concept lies in the integration and combination of findings on various resilience mechanisms of crop plants, in order to be able to intervene specifically in the development of optimized genotypes. The projects focus strongly on crop plants and integrate supportive work on model species. The targeted modification of plant resilience mechanisms in crops using genome editing is supported by a newly established Plant Transformation and Genome Editing core facility at the MLU Biocentre, which is available to all projects of the graduate school and supports the training of doctoral students in plant biotechnology methods.

spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Nicolaus von Wirén, coordinator: Dr. Britt Leps

Doctoral students from over 30 countries are engaged in research aiming to improve crop plants. Their work is focused on enhancing adaptation to drought and high temperature, strengthening host resistance to a number of diseases, bolstering the plants‘ capacity to take up nutrients and water from the soil, and generally increasing crop productivity. [read more]

The graduate school is part of Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK). It is one of the world’s leading international institutions in the field of plant genetics and crop science. Its research programme and services contribute materially to conserving, exploring and exploiting crop diversity. Its research goals are driven by the need to ensure an efficient and sustainable supply of food, energy and raw materials, thereby addressing a major global ecological challenge. website

Partners:

• Universität Göttingen
• Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
• Julius Kühn-Institut, Quedlinburg
• Hochschule Anhalt
• Hochschule Harz
• Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Golm
• National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan