Press

We mourn the passing of Professor Dr. Fritz Kreuzaler, a pioneer in molecular plant science, plant synthetic biology and photosynthesis engineering. Fraunhofer IME has lost a dear friend, trusted scientific adviser and highly valued mentor. His ideas, wisdom and generosity will remain an enduring source of inspiration.

120 years ago, in 1906, unusually tall tobacco plants were described in Maryland, flowering only under short-day conditions and reaching remarkable height under long days. This cultivar — Maryland Mammoth — became foundational to our understanding of photoperiodism. Yet the molecular basis for its distinctive phenotype has remained elusive. In our latest paper, we identify the causal genetic mechanism underlying this unique growth habit.

An innovation developed within the completed EU project PhotoBoost, coordinated by the Fraunhofer IME, has been featured in the European Commission's Innovation Radar Platform. For the innovation "Multilevel biotechnological rewiring of photosynthesis for yield and biomass enhancement under climate change", the platform identifies the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (FhG), as the Key Innovator, recognizing its leading contribution to the development of this breakthrough technology.

“COCO-AI”, a new Horizon Europe project coordinated by Fraunhofer IME, combines artificial intelligence and plant cell culture to develop a scalable platform for producing high-value natural ingredients without farmland. Using cocoa as its first demonstration, the project aims to strengthen Europe's bio-manufacturing capacity while reducing dependence on climate-vulnerable agricultural supply chains.

Next Step Toward Implementing the Requirements for Environmental Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials The new standard test method is designed to investigate the solubility and dissolution rate of nanomaterials under relevant environmental conditions. It thus represents an important new step toward an appropriate environmental risk assessment within the framework of chemical safety regulations.

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.