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VIB Blog

On our blog, you can find content curated by the VIB community. Discover our research through the eyes of our scientists.Want to be kept...

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VIB researchers on the legacy of Gregor Mendel's work

From Mendel to Minecraft: the 200-year evolution of genetics

In 1822, Gregor Mendel - the founding father of genetics – was born. In 1866, he published “Experiments on plant hybrids”, a 40-pager in which he describes the transmission of characteristics in pea to their progeny. Little did he know that it would become the foundation of modern genetics. In the early 1900s, after his death in 1884, his findings were rediscovered and Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance grew into the basis of modern biology. To celebrate his 200th birthday we look back and ahead together with VIB scientists Ive De Smet, Joren De Ryck, and Matilde Sanches from the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, and Seppe De Winter from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research.

Early 2022, VIB-UGent alumna Stien Beirinckx started working on a European project as part of the LIFE program, which aims for a climate-neutral Europa by 2050. While she focused on improved crop production through plant-microbe interactions during her PhD, she now uses science to advance policy regarding farming management for climate-resilient agriculture. The shift from academic research to policy seems abrupt, but is it?

From fundamental to applied science and later policy-making: sustainability is the recurring theme in alumna Stien Beirinckx's career

Early 2022, VIB-UGent alumna Stien Beirinckx started working on a European project as part of the LIFE program, which aims for a climate-neutral...

Trouble in the breadbasket

The Ukraine conflict and wheat import

Ukraine is one of the biggest producers of maize, wheat, and barley, covering around 30% of the worldwide supply. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has made an end to the export of these grains to Western Europe. Although France, Germany, and Belgium are also substantial grain producers, these countries experienced bad harvests in the past couple of years – thank you, hot and dry summers. As a result, wheat reserves in Western Europe are low and the production of bread, pasta, and animal feed largely depends on imports.

Plant Biology

From Mendel to Minecraft: the 200-year evolution of genetics

From fundamental to applied science and later policy-making: sustainability is the recurring theme in alumna Stien Beirinckx's career

Trouble in the breadbasket

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