The European Space Agency’s FLEX mission marks the beginning of a new era of plant research from space. The satellite, which was specifically developed to observe photosynthesis, will track how plants react to drought, heat, and other environmental stresses. The insights could help to develop climate-resilient agriculture, better protect natural ecosystems, and increase food security in the long term. Forschungszentrum Jülich operates the German FLEX project office, contributes its scientific expertise to the mission, and supports researchers in using the freely available satellite data. 

The Minister of Finance of North Rhine-Westphalia, Dr. Marcus Optendrenk, has just visited the University of Bonn. Following talks with Rector Michael Hoch, the Finance Minister visited Poppelsdorf Campus to learn about the latest research methods for sustainable agriculture and bioeconomy, and inspected ongoing construction projects of BLB NRW (the building and real estate management agency of North Rhine-Westphalia). The visit commenced with the Minister visiting Rector Hoch at his offices at the University, where they talked about current issues and developments at the University of Bonn. These included the recent confirmation of the institution’s status as a University of Excellence, remaining indeed the most successful German university in the Excellence contest with eight funded Clusters of Excellence. Dr. Optendrenk and Rector Hoch then went over to Poppelsdorf Campus to view the climate chambers.

How can we feed a growing global population? And what role are new technologies playing in making food systems sustainable? The PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn welcomed a class of schoolchildren to Klein-Altendorf Campus to show them some innovative approaches being taken in the world of agriculture. The young people spent a morning gaining an insight into current research projects and learning how robots, drones and digital technologies are transforming the agricultural sector.

Over the course of evolution, plants have developed an elegant strategy to counteract a lack of phosphate in the soil — they form symbiotic relationships with soil fungi. These mycorrhizal fungi efficiently supply their plant partners with phosphate and other essential minerals. Recently, scientists at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) in Halle, in collaboration with partners at the University of Bonn, discovered a molecular switch that detects the plant's phosphate content and signals whether to initiate or inhibit the symbiosis. This signaling pathway could enable plants to form partnerships with soil fungi even when sufficient phosphate is available. The study, published in the renowned journal Science Advances, offers a potential solution to a long-standing agricultural problem and opens new avenues for reducing fertilizer use.