16.12.2024 (upm/sw)

Unveiling new roles for small rubber particle proteins in Russian dandelion latex

Our new publication “The interaction networks of small rubber particle proteins in the latex of Taraxacum koksaghyz reveal diverse functions in stress responses and secondary metabolism” is now online! Our study uncovers TkSRPP interaction networks in the latex of Taraxacum koksaghyz, highlighting their roles in natural rubber biosynthesis and beyond. A key finding includes the identification of a UDP-glycosyltransferase interacting with TkSRPPs, marking the first evidence for triterpenoid saponin synthesis in T. koksaghyz latex—compounds that may contribute to stress tolerance.

15.07.2024 (upm/ak)

Congratulations, Sina!

During last Friday's graduation ceremony, Sina received her PhD certificate and can now call herself Dr. rer. nat. In her thesis, Sina worked on elucidating the flowering time control network in the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris and found that this species does not require flower inducing proteins from its host for flowering induction, but produces endogenous flower regulators.

We thank Sina for her great work and the wonderful time we had together!

27.02.2024 (upm/ak)

Our new paper "Epigenetic variation in early and late flowering plants of the rubber-producing Russian dandelion Taraxacum koksaghyz provides insights into the regulation of flowering time" is now online! In this study, we used epigenomic and transcriptomic analyses to identify genes whose methylation pattern and/or expression levels correlate with flowering. Our results provide deeper insights into the control of flowering time in Russian dandelion and facilitate the development of new breeding varieties for further domestication of this fascinating rubber crop.

21.02.2024 (upm/ak)

Three at one go!

During last Friday's graduation ceremony, Jenny, Lisa and Kai-Uwe received their PhD certificates and can now call themselves Dr. rer. nat. In their dissertations, Jenny worked on elucidating the factors influencing the shape of yam tubers, Lisa investigated the reaction mechanism of conventional P-proteins and Kai-Uwe identified valuable genes for trait improvement in Russian dandelion. We thank them all for their great work and the fantastic time we had together!

01.02.2024 (upm/ak)

Our new paper "Gene complementation analysis indicates that parasitic dodder plants do not depend on the host FT protein for flowering" is now online. Together with our dear friend and colleague Prof. Susann Wicke and her team, we have shown that the parasitic plant Cuscuta does not require the floral inducing proteins of the host, but produces its own floral activators.

Our study provides deeper insights into flower regulation in these fascinating parasitic plants and will help to identify upstream regulators and downstream targets.

13.11.2023 Münster (upm/lg)

New insights into an evolutionary mechanism contributing to the diverse photoperiod-dependent flowering in closely related tobacco species! Our new publication “COL2-dependent photoperiodic floral induction in Nicotiana sylvestris seems to be lost in the N. sylvestris × N. tomentosiformis hybrid N. tabacum” is now online! We identified two tobacco genes closely related to the archetypal CONSTANS gene in Arabidopsis. Although overexpression or CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out did not support a substantial role for the CO homologs in the control of floral transition in N. tabacum, our data suggest that NsCOL2 transcriptionally controls NsFTd, providing new insights into photoperiod-dependent flowering in diverse Nicotiana species.

04.10.2023 Münster (upm/sw)

New insights into the regulation of isoprenoid biosynthesis in dandelion!

Our publication ‘Overexpression of a pseudo-etiolated-in-light-like protein in Taraxacum koksaghyz leads to a pale green phenotype and enables transcriptome-based network analysis of photomorphogenesis and isoprenoid biosynthesis’ is now online!

We identified a novel protein in Taraxacum koksaghyz that reduces chlorophyll and carotenoid levels upon overexpression and transcriptomic analyses broadened our knowledge on the complex regulatory network of isoprenoid synthesis and photomorphogenesis. It can help to facilitate future breeding approaches targeting the modulation of plant isoprenoid levels.

22.09.2022 Münster (upm/gn)

Our new publication “Guardians of the phloem – forisomes and beyond” is now online.

Together with our dear college Alexandra Furch from FSU Jena we published this Tansley review on the fascinating role of structural phloem proteins.

Everything you want to know about this remarkable first defense of the plant´s lifeline is laid out to the best of our knowledge in the review.

Enjoy reading and maybe you'll end up sharing our enthusiasm for forisomes and beyond.

07.07.2022 (upm/ak)

We feel very proud and honoured as our boss was awarded with the 2022´s Teaching Award for the Best Experimental Course! As a very generous boss, he forwarded this award to all his supervising staff. We are all passionate when it comes to teaching and are so happy that you like our teaching style and content! If you want to learn more about Plant Biotechnology, please check out our course programme. If you have become curious about our research and want to join us for a Research Module, please contact gnoll@uni-muenster.de or nicole.vandeenen@uni-muenster.de.

25.05.2022 Münster (upm/dp)

Our new publication „Amplification of cell signaling and disease resistance by an immunity receptor Ve1Ve2 heterocomplex in plants” is now online.

Together with our Canadian friends, we published this article on transgenic plants expressing both Ve1 and Ve2, resulting in enhanced signaling and disease resistance in susceptible potatoes in a race-specific manner against Verticillium in Communications Biology.

11.04.2022 Münster (upm/pk)

Our new publication „The tobacco phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein NtFT4 increases the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster by interacting with the proteostasis network” is now online.

Together with Prof. Dr. Christian Klämbt from the Institute of Neuro- and Behavioral Biology we published this interdisciplinary article on the remarkable effect of a tobacco protein on longevity of flies in Aging. The floral regulator NtFT4 surpassed an endogenous PEBP in rendering flies long-lived and counteracting age-related locomotor decline.

This publication offers an entirely new view on the functional diversity of the PEBP family and adds new players to the research field of aging.

07.03.2022 Münster (upm/ak)

Our new publication “So similar yet so different: The distinct contributions of extrafascicular and fascicular phloem to transport and exudation in cucumber plants” is now online.

Together with our colleagues from the FSU Jena, we published the article in the special issue “Phloem: A multidisciplinary system” in the Journal of Plant Physiology. Here, we show that the extrafascicular phloem, being a special feature of cucurbits, must not be put on a level with the “common” fascicular phloem but has unique and fascinating properties.

24.01.2022 Münster (upm/csg)

Back to the roots!

Our new publication on dandelion is online: "Comparative transcriptome analysis in Taraxacum koksaghyz to identify genes that determine root volume and root length", which we published in Frontiers in Genetics. Population-wide analysis of root volume and root length revealed homologs of known and novel candidate transcripts for these traits in the rubber-producing dandelion Taraxacum koksaghyz. Such candidate genes may be suitable for marker-assisted breeding programs in the future.

Congratulations to Annika and Q, great work!

 

16.12.2021 Münster (upm/gn)

Today, the next publication on forisomes is online: “The Ca2+ response of a smart forisome protein is dependent on polymerization” , which we published in Protein Science.

The manuscript aims to shed light on the mechanism of conformational change of forisomes, thanks to fancy methods such as circular dichroism spectroscopy, microscale thermophoresis and polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

07.12.2021 Münster (upm/ak)

Our new publication on shaping plant´s architecture is online: “Tissue-specific expression of barnase in tobacco delays axillary shoot development after topping”, which we published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.

Here, together with our cooperation partners, we succeeded in significantly reducing the number, length and weight of axillary shoots and thereby contributed to the understanding of how axillary branching is controlled in plants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

05.11.2021 - Münster (upm/gn)

A new publication on forisomes is online: “The functionality of plant mechanoproteins (forisomes) is dependent on the dual role of conserved cysteine residues" which we published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. Here, together with our cooperation partners, we were able to show that cysteine bridges stabilise the forisomes in their contracted form and thus enable these fascinating mechanoproteins to orderly regress into their spindle-shaped conformation.
So, have a look - there are even movies :-)

 

 

 

 

 

15.10.2021 - Münster (upm/ak)

Congrats, Tassilo!
During today’s graduation ceremony, Tassilo obtained his PhD certificate and now may call himself Dr. rer. nat. Tassilo Wollenweber! In his doctoral thesis, Tassilo analyzed the mechanism of self-incompatibility in the reproduction process of Russian dandelion. His work contributes to the development of new breeding approaches to facilitate the establishment of Russian dandelion as a crop with homogeneous progeny, thus predictable traits. We thank Tassilo for his great work, for wearing the best carnival costume ever, and the wonderful time we had together!

 

 

 

 

 

15.09.2021 - Münster (upm/ak)

Congratulations on the nomination for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis, dandelion team!

The joint research project "Sustainable tires from dandelions – Innovations from biology, technology and agriculture" with Prof. Dr. Dirk Prüfer, the Fraunhofer researcher Dr. Christian Schulze Gronover as well as Dr. Carla Recker from Continental AG was nominated for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis. Keep your fingers crossed with us for the final jury decision on November 17th!

• Forschende erhalten Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Preis für Löwenzahnforschung - 9. Juni 2015, Münster (upm/fraunhofer)

In einem gemeinsamen Projekt haben Forschende des "Fraunhofer-Instituts für Molekularbiologie und Angewandte Oekologie IME", des Instituts für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen (IBBP) der Universität Münster und des Reifenherstellers Continental die Grundlagen zur nachhaltigen Nutzung von Naturkautschuk aus dem Russischen Löwenzahn gelegt und Autoreifen-Prototypen entwickelt und hergestellt. weiter...

• Gummi aus Löwenzahn - 28. April 2015, Münster (upm/ch)

Wissenschaftler*innen identifizieren Schlüsselkomponenten der Kautschuk-Entstehung. Löwenzahn ist eine robuste und anspruchslose Pflanze, aus der sich ein begehrtes Produkt gewinnen lässt: Kautschuk. Seit einigen Jahren rückt Löwenzahn daher zunehmend in den Fokus der Gummi herstellenden Industrie. Doch wie entsteht der Kautschuk, der im weißen Milchsaft der Pflanze schwimmt? weiter ...

• "GreenTec Award" für das Löwenzahn-Projekt - Münster (upm), 07. Mai 2014

Für die Entwicklung einer besonders umweltfreundlichen Technologie wurde ein Team von Wissenschaftlern der WWU und des Fraunhofer-Instituts gemeinsam mit dem Reifenhersteller Continental ausgezeichnet: Die Gruppe um Prof. Dirk Prüfer hat den "GreenTec Award" erhalten. Es geht darum, Naturkautschuk aus Löwenzahn für die industrielle Verwertung nutzbar zu machen.
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• Biotechnologie-Projekt für Chemietechnik-Preise nominiert

Ein Kooperationsprojekt der WWU und des Fraunhofer-Instituts für Molekularbiologie und Angewandte Ökologie ist als einziger Beitrag aus Deutschland für die "ICHemE"-Awards der internationalen "Institution of Chemical Engineers" nominiert worden - und zwar für gleich zwei Preise in verschiedenen Kategorien. Bei dem Projekt geht es um die Verbesserung der Produktion pflanzlicher Biomasse.
weiter ...

• Poster-Award beim BMBF Plant2030 Status Seminar in Potsdam

Das Scientific Advisory Board der Plant2030-Initiative des BMBF hat Natalie Laibach mit einem Poster-Preis ausgezeichnet. Der Preis steht stellvertretend für "...die herausragenden Leistungen des Forschungs-verbundes zur Nutzung des Löwenzahns als alternative Quelle für Naturkautschuk, -latex und Inulin", so dass Komitee.

• Vortragspreis für Dr. Maria Bucsenez beim „Black Forest Retreat 2012“
  
  Auf dem internationalen „Black Forest Retreat 2012“ für molekulare Pflanzenforschung in Herzogenhorn (Schwarzwald) erhielt Dr. Maria Bucsenez den „Best talk award“ für ihren Vortrag mit dem Titel „Cis-regulatory elements mediating sieve element-specific gene expression“.

• Biotechnologen im Park von Schloss Bellevue - Münster (upm), 06. Juni 2012
  
  Biotechnologen der WWU stellen am 5. und 6. Juni ihr Projekt zur Rohstoffgewinnung aus Löwenzahn bei der "Woche der Umwelt" in Berlin vor. Tausende Besuchrende informieren sich dort über Technologien, Produkte und Projekte für einen nachhaltigen Umgang mit Ressourcen.
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• Löwenzahn im Park von Schloss Bellevue - Münster (upm), 24. Februar 2012
  
  Münstersche Biotechnologen sind mit Projekt zur nachhaltigen Rohstoffgewinnung bei "Woche der Umwelt" / Leistungsschau am 5. und 6. Juni in Berlin
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• Auszeichnung für Löwenzahn-Projekt - Münster (upm), 20. Mai 2011
  
  Münstersche Biotechnologen erhalten Hanson-Medaille der "Institution of Chemical Engineers"
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• Poster Award TERPNET2011
  
  Auf dem 10. interationalen Kongress für Terpenoid-Forschung „TERPNET“ in Kalmar, Schweden, erhielt Janina Post den Posterpreis. Die 20 Fachgutachter hatten das Poster mit dem Titel „Insights into the chain elongation process of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) in rubber biosynthesis of Taraxacum brevicorniculatum” aus über 180 Beiträgen ausgewählt.
   

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft kooperiert mit Universität Münster - Münster (upm), 20. Dezember 2010
  
  Eröffnung einer Außenstelle / Antrittsbesuch von NRW-Wissenschaftsministerin Schulze an der WWU
  weiter …