CEPLAS researchers are analysing which traits affect plant yield, plant quality and the usage of available resources. With our research we want to contribute to a sensible approach for future agricultural challenges: an increasing demand for food caused by a growing world population, changing cultivation conditions for crops due to climatic changes, the need of careful and sustainable usage of resources, changing requirements for food quality and plant raw materials.

Therefore CEPLAS investigates if and how optimising central biological processes, e.g. photosynthesis, nutrient uptake or defence of pathogens and pests, could increase plant yield. We are addressing how the uptake and usage of resources could be optimized, especially regarding the protection and preservation of limited resources. Furthermore, we are examining the adaptability of plants enabling them to colonize almost every habitat on earth.

We would like to address these questions in cooperation with partners from industry and non-governmental organisations in order to integrate their expertise in utilization and management of crops at an early stage, but also to ensure the transfer of research results into cultivation and utilization of crops. 

As an additional way for translating basic scientific know-how into socio-economic impact the support of startup-foundations on the basis of research results gains increasing relevance in the area of CEPLAS research transfer. Our goal is to build up a lively platform for the development of “scientific entrepreneurship”.