NCCR Guide 2013 - Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)

Plant Survival in Natural
and Agricultural Ecosystems
NCCR Plant Survival
• Entomology Department,
Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation,
Wembley, AU
• Entomology, International Maize
and Wheat Improvement Center,
Mexico, MO
• Evolution et Systématique
Laboratoire ES,
University of Paris Sud, Orsay, FR
• Facultad de Agronomía,
Universidad Mayor de San Andrés,
La Paz, BO
• Fisiologia Vegetal,
Universitat Jaume, Castillon, ES
• Genetics Research Unit, United
States Department of Agriculture,
Geneva, US
• Institut de Biologie Physicochimique,
Centre national de la
recherche scientifique, Paris, FR
• Institut de Chimie Moléculaire,
Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, FR
• Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia,
Centre Universidad de Lleida, ES
• Institut für Biowissenschaften,
Universität Würzburg, DE
• Institut für Umweltforschung,
Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische
Hochschule, Aachen, DE
• Institute for Wetland and Water
Research, Radboud
University Nijmegen, NL
• Institute of Biochemistry and
Biology, University of Potsdam, DE
• Institute of Biology,
University of Tromsø, NO
• Institute of Botany, Slovak
Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, SK
• Institute of Molecular Biology,
Academia Sinica, Taipei, TW
• Institute of Plant Protection,
Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing, CN
• Istituto di Ingegneria Biomedica
del CNR, Università di Padova, IT
• Laboratorio Ecotono, National
University of Comahue, Bariloche, AR
• Laboratory for Electron Microscopy,
University of Chicago, US
• Legume Gene Technology
Research, Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation, Canberra, AU
• Lehrstuhl für Biologie, Technische
Universität Kaiserslautern, DE
• Lehrstuhl für Pharmazeutische
Biologie, Universität Würzburg, DE
• Lethbridge Research Center,
Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, CA
• Molekulare Biotechnologie,
University of Bonn, DE
• Molekulare Physiologie,
Max-Planck Institute of Molecular
Plant Physiology, Golm, DE
• Mycorrhiza, Institute of Botany,
Pruhonic, CZ
• National Research Laboratory
of Plant Functional Genomics,
Pohang University of Science
and Technology, KP
• Physical Oceanography Research
Division, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, San Diego, US
• Physical Oceanography Research
Division, University of Davis,
California, US
• Plant Energy Biology Institute,
University of Western Australia,
Perth, AU
• Research Unit Mt Albert,
HortResearch,Auckland, NZ
Achievements of the previous years
Interdisciplinary
and applied research
The NCCR Plant Survival,
initiated in 2001, enabled
the creation of an interdisciplinary
network of skilled
scientists around the general
theme of plant survival.
In 2012, two research
teams were honoured by
publications in Nature and
Science. The first one is the
group led by Enrico Martinoia,
Professor of plant
physiology at the University
of Zurich. Their discovery
deals with mycorrhiza,
a symbiosis between
plants and soil fungi, which
increases the plants’ access
to water and nutrients.
The second topic refers to a
research carried out by the
group of Antoine Guisan
at the University of Lausanne
in collaboration with
researchers from the ETH
Zurich and from the University
of Hawaii (USA).
With the analysis of fifty invasive
plant species introduced
worldwide, this study
confirms that it is possible,
for the most part, to predict
the regions of potential
invasion based on the
principle of climatic niche
conservation. “This study
offers the strongest empirical
evidence to date that climate
is a determining factor
in the geographic distribution
of invasive plants”,
states Antoine Guisan.
In the same field, the European
research organisation
COST has given in Summer
2012 the green light to a
large project aimed at controlling
ambrosia – one of
the most notorious invasive
plants. With the support
of NCCR Plant Survival
and under the direction of
Professor Heinz Müller-
Schärer, a coordinated action
against this weed will
be carried out in collaboration
with Urs Schaffner at
CABI Delémont. Entitled
SMARTER (Sustainable
management of Ambrosia
artemisiifolia in Europe),
this COST action will integrate
new control strategies,
such as biological
pest control and promoting
strongly competitive plants.
It is also worth mentioning
the work of Brigitte
Mauch-Mani and her team
the University of Neuchâtel
published in the journal
Plant Physiology. This
study highlighted an epigenetic
phenomenon of
heritable disease resistance.
The researchers have
shown for the first time that
stimulating a plant’s natural
defences also increases
the capacity for disease
resistance in its offspring.
The substances used for
stimulating the defences
are harmless to the environment
and easy to apply.
Technology transfer
The technology transfer activities
linked to the NCCR
aim at consolidating what
has been achieved by the
partners in the previous
two phases, at continuing
to raise awareness of the
NCCR partners to intellectual
property issues and at
ensuring better exploitation
of current projects. Particular
emphasis is put on
exploiting the results and
the intellectual property
through an efficient policy
of licensing to or partnering
with third parties. For the
Phase III the organisation
of the TT activities is taken
over by the Technology
Transfer Office of the University
of Neuchâtel in collaboration
with the NCCR
coordination. Coordination
with technology transfer
offices of the partner institutions
is encouraged.
Public relations
More than 136 quotations
in the media (web, written
press, radio and TV) on
activities, results and interviews
of members of the
NCCR Plant Survival have
been recorded in 2011. We
note very regular quotations
of our research activities
along the year. We got
a worldwide success with
the story about the identification
of genes controlling
the accumulation of arsenic
in plants. This success
is explained by the great
concern that raises the pollution
of drinking water by
arsenic in developing countries,
and by the fact that
this research is the result
of an international collaboration
from South Korea,
USA and Switzerland. In
addition, we noticed 7 invitations
of NCCR Plant
Survival members by the
media as experts in their
research field. These kinds
of interventions contribute
to the fame of our research
network.
Doctoral programme
The financing and management
of the doctoral
programme have now been
taken over by the University
of Neuchâtel, becoming one
of the regular inter-university
programmes within
the CUSO. Mobility grants
are awarded to allow Ph.D.
students to visit and work
in other laboratories and
to present their research at
international congresses.
Equal opportunities
A network of Equal Opportunity
Offices at the Swiss
universities currently provides
optimal conditions
for female scientists of our
NCCR to pursue an academic
career. In Neuchâtel,
the Equal Opportunity
Office offers scholarships
and mentoring programs,
and promotes part-time
employment opportunities.
The advancement of women
in academic careers is supported
through courses and
workshops, while different
programmes and a nursery
grants family life and career
balance for all NCCR
scientists.
Further information see
www.unine.ch/nccr/
44 | Guide 2013