Plant Molecular Breeding and Biotechnology

Aims

The threat of rapid climate change together with a steadily increasing global population require the development of crops that can grow in more extreme weather conditions and at the same time give both increased yields and more nutritious food. Higher level of environmental awareness and an understanding of that energy resources are not infinite have also highlighted the importance of plants. Furthermore, through biotechnological advances plants can be used in for example production of designed macromolecules and medicines. These are all important ashttps://www.uni-hohenheim.de/typo3/clear.gifpects and future challenges in plant science that falls under the newly established ELLS subject area in ‘Molecular Breeding and Plant Biotechnology’. This subject area encompasses the study fields of plant molecular biology and functional genomics including proteomics and metabolomics for breeding and biotechnological applications, plant genetic resources, plant pathology and stress response, plant modeling and engineering, and product quality and new products.

Initial goals

• survey the possibility to establish a new ELLS master program related to the subject area
• survey the possibility to establish joint summer courses in the subject area
• survey the possibilities of joint PhD courses related to the subject area
• discuss and find new ways to exchange knowledge and strengthen higher education related to the field ‘Molecular Breeding and Plant Biotechnology’ within ELLS and in Europe

Summer School

Ecological and evolutionary plant breeding for sustainability - Concepts of
Darwinian Agriculture

Institut Agro Montpellier, France

15. - 21. July 2024