1. Awarded research grants in 2022!

Congratulations to all researchers of Lund University and SLU Alnarp that received funding for plant and food-related research projects! In total, both institutions in these particular fields received 49.5 M SEK from VR and 56 M SEK from Formas. See the list of newly funded projects here.

We would also like to congratulate Carl Trygger Foundation recipients in the field of plant sciences!
 
Olivier van Aken (LU): Molecular dissection of mitochondrial responses to environmental stress

Sajeevan Radha Sivarajan (SLU): Molecular dissection of pathways regulating plant responses to a combination of drought and heat stress

Mats Hansson (LU): Involvement of ferredoxins in chlorophyll biosynthesis

2. MSc theses linked with industry – searching for students and collaboration

• Electrostimulation of plant growth and induction of cross-tolerance in oats

• Cooperation with Saveggy company

3. NordPlant news – video, online course and publications

A lot is going on in NordPlant, A Hub for Sustainable Agriculture and Forest Production in Future Nordic Climates!
 

NordPlant is soon to finish its fifth year out of six. To celebrate that all the major goals have been reached a year earlier than planned, a video sharing NordPlant’s vision, presenting the five partners involved and the achievements, was released!

Interested in plant phenomics and data management? Do not miss to sign up for the Online workshop: intro and user training on 6-7^th of March.

To get updates from “Plant Phenotyping for a Sustainable Future”, check out the latest NordPlant publications released in the high-impacted Journal of Experimental Botany.

4. NordGen PPP Conference: 1-2 February

Join the NordGen PPP Conference “Use of Genetic Resources in Breeding for Climate Change in the Nordic Region – Why Research and Innovation Do Matter”. The conference is based on the Nordic Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Pre-breeding. A poster session with a focus on young scientists will also be organized! 1-2 February in Malmö.
More information and registration.

5. SPPS Early Career PI Meeting in Lund: 13-15 March

The Early Career PI (ECPI) network supported by the Scandinavian Society for Plant Physiology (SPPS) will get together in Lund to promote plant science in the Nordic countries. Starting and consolidating group leaders (e.g. Assistant/Associate Professors), as well as senior post-docs aspiring to start independent groups are invited. The meeting will help to foster new collaborations among researchers focussing on all aspects of photosynthetic organisms. The number of participants is limited to 40 people, please register by sending a request to olivier.van_aken@biol.lu.se.
The deadline is the 13th of January!
More information.

6. NOVA PhD course: Genomics-based plant breeding for climate adaptation course: 22-27 January

The main focus of this NOVA course will be on abiotic stress tolerance and how knowledge of stress responses and tolerance mechanisms can be used to breed new crop plants with improved climate adaptation. The course takes place on 22-27 January in Trolltun Gjestegård, Dombås, Norway.
More information.

7. Quantitative genetics and advanced breeding course: 5-9 June

How to orientate in the constant flux of new technologies for plant improvement? The course offers breeders state-of-the-art training in modern plant breeding tools with the goal of transferring current technologies to a wide audience of users (i.e. Ph.D. students, post-docs, researchers and professors). The course will be given by Dr. Bruce Walsh (University of Arizona, USA) and Dr. Lucia Gutierrez (University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA; SLU, Sweden, visiting scholar) on the 5-9^th of June in Alnarp. 
More information and registration.

8. What is ELLS organization and how to join its events?

The Euroleague for Life Sciences Universities (ELLS) is an alliance of twelve leading universities in the field of life sciences, SLU being one of them. Who are the other members and how does the organization work? Discover the target ELLS subject areas and possible research cooperation by checking out the newly released video and ELLS webpage.

9. Open positions in the region!

Postdoc in Phytopathology (scholarship), SLU Alnarp. More information.
 
Associate senior lecturer in Biology with emphasis on Plant Biotechnology, Cellular Totipotency and Tissue Culture, SLU Alnarp. More information.
 
Senior Lecturer in biology with a focus on breeding of host plant resistance in agriculture crops, SLU Alnarp. More information.
 

10. What is the importance of Nordic/Baltic plant phenotyping?

Your ideas and opinions matter! Join the Menti survey, share it with your colleagues, and help us to shape the future of plant phenotyping in 2023 onwards. The survey will close soon on the 12^th of December!

11. PlantLink Researcher in the spotlight – Rodomiro Ortiz

Rodomiro Octavio Ortiz Rios is the Chair Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding at SLU and a holder of the prestigious Bertebos prize. Rodomiro contributes to the development of plant breeding as a key scientific discipline helping to fight hunger and malnutrition in developing countries, as well as to produce high-yielding and healthy crops. Interested in his fascinating career? Read the full interview!