Press

Researchers at Fraunhofer IME have shown that a single protein from green algae can significantly improve photosynthesis, nutrient-use efficiency and biomass production in plants. The findings highlight a promising new approach for developing more productive and resource-efficient crops.

The United Nations designated 12 May the International Day of Plant Health to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development. To feed the world by 2050, we need a 50 percent increase in agricultural production. Protecting agricultural crops from pest outbreaks is paramount. As each year, we lose up to 40 percent of crops, worth 200 billion euros, to plant pests and diseases.

The German Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space, Dorothee Bär, visited the Bioresources division of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Gießen. The visit highlighted innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture, ranging from a novel RNAi spray against the Colorado potato beetle to the use of insect larvae as a protein source and sustainable fertilizers.

Climate change and intensive agriculture are promoting the spread of insect pests. At the same time, conventional insecticides are coming under pressure due to environmental and health risks and increasing resistance. With Calantha® (active ingredient: ledprona), GreenLight Biosciences has obtained approval in the USA in 2023 for the world's first RNAi spray. A recent study by GreenLight Biosciences, the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME (Bioresources Division) and Justus Liebig University Giessen explains the mechanism of action. The spray specifically switches off a vital gene in the Colorado potato beetle and also triggers a previously undescribed secondary effect, which leads to a lethal accumulation of proteins in the insect's body. The study demonstrates the specificity of the dsRNA and identifies the subsequent proteasome malfunction caused by the downregulation as the mechanism of action of ledprona.

In addition to pathogens, the reed leafhopper hosts symbiotic bacteria that may have enabled it to adapt to new host plants.

In the third round of the “GreenEconomy.IN.NRW” innovation competition, the review committee gave the thumbs up to the project "SEASON – Slow Release of Biostimulants from Seed Coatings." Today, the kick-off meeting for the three-year joint project took place at Fraunhofer IME in Aachen. The project partners are Deutsche Saatveredelung AG and Humintech GmbH. Fraunhofer IME is responsible for coordination.

At the invitation of the MIT-Kreisverband Giessen, a lecture event with around 80 invited guests took place on Friday, August 29, at the Bioresources branch of the Institute in Giessen. The focus was on industrial insect farming in Giessen and the surrounding regio. Under the direction of Prof. Andreas Vilcinskas, participants from politics, research, and industry gained comprehensive insights into the latest developments in insect research at Fraunhofer IME. The presentations highlighted the wide-ranging opportunities insect biotechnology offers for sustainable and commercial use.

A new international research effort, the Sustainable Cowpea Grain Yield by Boosting Photosynthetic Efficiency (SCOPE) project, is underway to explore scientific approaches for improving cowpea yields in harsh climates. Led by partners in Africa and Europe, the project focuses on early-stage solutions for a crop central to food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

For over 20 years – ever since Prof. Dr. Bruno Moerschbacher from the University of Münster invited Fraunhofer IME to partner in his first European research project, CARAPAX – Fraunhofer IME in Aachen and later also in Gießen has been actively involved in research and development related to the biopolymers chitin and chitosan. With Prof. Moerschbacher's retirement at the end of this month, a circle is closing: his outstanding scientific expertise will strengthen the focus on biopolymers research at Fraunhofer IME's Münster location.

This year’s theme 'Shaping history, feeding the future' recognizes the potato's journey - from its domestication in the Andes, to its global dissemination following the Columbian Exchange, to the Irish Potato Famine, and finally to its current status as a staple food for millions. It also acknowledges the opportunities and challenges that exist across the potato's value chain for our nutrition today and in the future.