EXCURSION TO IPK GANTERSLEBEN

During a visit to the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research Dr. Jochen Kumlehn (head of the Plant Reproductive Biology working group) introduced us to the functioning of genetic information, conventional plant breeding and the targeted manipulation of plant genes in a „crash course in biology“.

Above all, he reminded us that genetic information exchange even among unrelated species is completely natural and thus a prerequisite for evolution, and how deeply humans have already intervened in the genome of today’s cultivated plants through crossing and domestication. The newly gained insights sparked lively discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of conventional versus organic farming, the creation of new varieties through random mutagenesis, the assessment of risks associated with transgenic crop plants and much more.

Thank to Dr. Jochen Kumlehn

IPK Gatersleben