Scientific Concept

The aim of CEPLAS is to understand the mechanistic basis of four complex plant traits using an evolutionary approach combined with modern genomic technologies. This knowledge will be used to facilitate engineering of these traits in heterologous species. Thus we will be able to engineer a new generation of crop plants harbouring complex traits that are expected to increase yield and make more land available for agricultural purposes.

As the only cluster focusing exclusively on plant science within the German Excellence Initiative, CEPLAS applies a new approach, driven by evolutionary analysis and synthetic biology, and contributes new paradigms to solve urgent problems in plant performance.