Key Profile Area Sustainable Plant Production
The researchers working within the KPA Sustainable Plant Production are addressing fundamental plant science issues. In doing so, they generate new knowledge that significantly influences future breeding strategies and fosters the development of scientifically sound solutions that ensure sustainable food security for an ever-growing global population.
At the heart of this work lies the CEPLAS Cluster of Excellence, a collaborative initiative between the universities of Cologne and Düsseldorf, the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, the Forschungszentrum Jülich, and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research. CEPLAS investigates the molecular and genetic basis of complex traits in plants and their microbiota (holobionts), which influence adaptation to limited resources and environmental changes. This provides the foundation for developing sustainable, resource-efficient food, feed and energy crops.
The KPA offers coordinated, forward-focussed training for young scientists and supports programmes that promote them in the early stages of their careers.
It also encourages interdisciplinary dialogue with representatives from society, politics, and business. Events are held to specifically support the transfer of knowledge to society. Additionally, the transfer of knowledge between basic research and application is actively supported. The KPA provides a platform for professional networking amongst scientists from various disciplines. The existing network of national and international partners in academia, business, and politics is strengthened and continuously expanded.
Participating faculties
Global Faculty Members
Scientists from various countries are currently participating in the Sustainable Plant Production KPA as part of the Global Faculty Program.
Here you can find all members of the Global Faculty Program at the University of Cologne.
Collaborative and third-party funded projects
The Sustainable Plant Production KPA is linked to several collaborative and third-party funded projects:
Transfer
The KPA actively shares scientific findings with society and organizes a variety of events, including conferences, panel discussions, workshops, school projects, citizen science projects, podcasts, and much more.
The transfer activities also include the transfer of knowledge between science and industry, with the aim of maximizing the impact of basic research in plant sciences.
A specially appointed coordinator for technology transfer and cooperation management is responsible for organizing and coordinating research transfer activities at CEPLAS. These include:
- active scouting,
- training programmes in the field of IP protection,
- research transfer and entrepreneurship,
- co-operation with commercial enterprises in the areas of research, teaching, research transfer and public outreach,
- events for the external presentation of cooperation opportunities with the private sector or for establishing contacts and initiating cooperation,
- partnership with an annual international conference to establish public-private partnerships (‘Crop Innovation & Business Conference’).
The TRANSPLANT project
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the TRANSPLANT project was created by researchers from the two CEPLAS universities together with Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve. The project is intended to promote innovations in plant science and support CEPLAS when it comes to knowledge and technology transfer. Extended workshop formats and a series of events are designed to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset among scientists, enabling them to translate their research results into socio-economic impact. TRANSPLANT innovation managers support the development of cooperation projects between researchers and scientists, and the formation of partnerships with the private sector. In addition, support is given to scientists to help them protect the intellectual property (IP) of their research results, and they are brought into contact with stakeholders, ranging from the transfer department to the start-up centre.
Netzwerk Food Security
The Network Food Security promotes knowledge transfer between different disciplines and brings together stakeholders from research, business, politics and humanitarian aid organizations at an international level. Events with different formats and target groups are organized for this purpose. The network also offers research funding for scientists.
Teaching
Bachelor's degree programme (B.Sc.) ‘Quantitative Biology’
In cooperation with the University of Düsseldorf and with the support of CEPLAS, an interdisciplinary Bachelor's degree programme in ‘Quantitative Biology’ is offered, which is geared towards the needs of modern biological and medical research and is taught in English.
Research internships for Bachelor students
As part of a 3-week, maximum 4-week, paid full-time internship, research interns work on a plant science topic in one of the CEPLAS working groups.
Development of research-based teaching modules - the CEPLAS school project in ‘Research and Education’
This project supports the transfer of knowledge from research to the school environment.
Interdisciplinary lecture series: ‘Global Food Security’
This lecture series is designed for interested members of the public, as well as students and university employees. It addresses the global challenges arising from the conflict between climate change, sustainability, and global food security.
Partnerships
The KPA Sustainable Plant Production cooperation network includes both regional and international universities and AUFs.
Regional partnerships
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research
- Forschungszentrum Jülich
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
- Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences
International partnerships
- Washington State University, USA
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi-Arabien
- CBGP – Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics, Spanien
Research infrastructures
The research infrastructures provide a wide range of support for KPA scientists and are also available to external researchers. They include:
Media
More information can be found on the CEPLAS website under the heading ‘Discover Plant Sciences’, with trainings available in various formats, including video.