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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...

Get to know the researchers driving cutting-edge research at VIB and delve into the latest advancements in life sciences.

VIB Blog: Insights and innovations in life sciences research

Op onze blog vindt u inhoud samengesteld door de VIB-gemeenschap. Ontdek ons onderzoek door de ogen van onze wetenschappers.

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Discover how research at VIB is aiding the plant-based industry by modifying plant cell walls to enhance biomass processing.

Engineering cell walls for a sustainable plant-based future

-written by Lennart Hoengenaert, a postdoctoral researcher at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology

Beneath the Waves: The Remarkable Evolution of Seagrasses 

A story for International Darwin Day 

In 1859, ‘On the Origins of Species’ by Charles Darwin was published. This world famous book is perceived as the foundation of evolutionary biology. The concept of evolutionary adaptation through natural selection did not only spark scientific debate in the 19th century, it still inspires researchers to this day. Yves Van de Peer, director of the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology and group leader of the lab for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Genomics, does research on the evolution of plants. In his latest publication, he and a team of scientists studied the evolution of seagrasses to understand how these plants adapted to an extremely challenging environment. To celebrate Darwin Day, we want to dive deep into this research and explain why evolutionary research remains important to this day.

In honor of his 90th birthday and impressive career

An interview with Marc Van Montagu

Professor Emeritus Marc Van Montagu turned 90 this month. On the occasion of this festive news and in honor of his spectacular career, we arranged an interview with him. Marc Van Montagu was the founder of the transformation technology with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, he was the director of the Department of Genetics at VIB-UGent, and he founded the companies Plant Genetic System (PSG) and Cropdesign, along with Johan Cardoen and Dirk Inzé. He has received several prestigious awards, nine honorary doctorates, and is a member of eleven academies. He has published more than 1100 articles and has been cited over 90,000 times. Sufficient reasons, therefore, to be granted the title of "Baron" by the Belgian royal family in 1990.

Facing Future Challenges

Our young researchers in the spotlight

In March 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its sixth synthesis report. Needless to say that this report did not paint a pretty picture. More extreme weather conditions like droughts and heatwaves are occurring globally. Even with a strong reduction of greenhouse gasses, it could take up to 30 years to see global temperatures stabilize. We are in it for the long run! The world needs to find ways to secure food and reduce carbon emissions for the decades to come. Luckily, we have bright young minds at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology. These researchers, at the beginning of their careers, make it their mission to tackle the challenges facing us in the next decades. Let us shine a spotlight on them.

An update on CRISPR-Cas Genome editing in plants

Facts series Reviewed

In 2019, our Facts series on genome editing was published. The revolutionary technology of CRISPR-Cas took biotechnology by storm, and questions from the public started to come in. Thanks to our publication, many of these questions were answered. However, science doesn’t stand still . New techniques and applications emerge every year, with new economical and societal impacts. Politicians around the world are adapting and updating their legislations in function of these scientific evolutions. In summer 2023, the European commission will propose a new regulatory framework on genome editing. At VIB we see this as the perfect opportunity to review our Facts series from 2019 and update you on how genome editing has evolved over the past 4 years, and what a changing legislation might mean for you.

A journey of innovation in sustainable agriculture

Harnessing the power of soybeans

Soybeans are not only a vital source of plant-derived protein for food and feed but they also offer numerous benefits beyond their nutritional value. Soy cultivation contributes to soil improvement and reduces nitrogen pollution via nitrogen fixation by associated bacteria, which makes it a sustainable crop, especially in the face of a changing climate and shifting dietary patterns. However, growing soybeans in Belgium is challenging due to the lack of adaptation to local soil and environmental conditions. Perhaps, though, bacteria can come to the rescue…

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