Astrid Gadeyne

Featured Work

VIB Press Release •

Just BREEDIT – bridging the gap between conventional breeding and molecular biology

Agriculture faces major challenges – reducing yield losses during extended periods of heat and drought, to name one. To sustain food production, we must adapt our crops to rapidly changing climate conditions. But conventional breeding programs are labor-intensive and time-consuming. Scientists at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology and ILVO developed a fast gene discovery pipeline in maize to advance breeding programs for the benefit of humanity and the environment.
VIB Blog •

From Mendel to Minecraft: the 200-year evolution of genetics

In 1822, Gregor Mendel - the founding father of genetics – was born. In 1866, he published “Experiments on plant hybrids”, a 40-pager in which he describes the transmission of characteristics in pea to their progeny. Little did he know that it would become the foundation of modern genetics. In the early 1900s, after his death in 1884, his findings were rediscovered and Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance grew into the basis of modern biology. To celebrate his 200th birthday we look back and ahead...
VIB News •

Marc Van Montagu honored for his lifetime achievements with the 2021 World Agriculture Prize

The early days of the agribiotech ecosystem in Flanders

Building on his scientific findings, Van Montagu launched Plant Genetic Systems (PGS) in 1982 as the first agribiotech company in Europe best known for its work on insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops. In 1998, he co-founded CropDesign with Dirk Inzé, a company mainly focusing on genetic engineering of agronomically interesting traits for rice. To monitor growth of the engineered crops under field-like conditions, CropDesign devel
VIB Press Release •

Staying alive – delaying floral aging improves seed set in maize

To produce fruits and seeds, plants need to be fertilized in a narrow time frame during which the flower is receptive to viable pollen. In crops, excessive heat and drought stress can negatively impact fertilization causing a reduction in seed yield. Collaborative research between the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology and Corteva AgriscienceTM identified a key regulatory mechanism to prolong female fertility in maize. This knowledge may become an important asset to stabilizing seed prod
VIB News •

Permits for new field trials with genome-edited maize

The field trials will be performed over a three-year time period. The maize plants in these studies are generated via the precision breeding technique CRISPR-Cas9, which allows targeted modifications in the plant’s genetic material. By means of field trials, the effect of the genetic alterations on the complete life cycle of the plant can be estimated, in real agricultural growth conditions. The trials were authorized by three federal ministers for Health, Environment, and Agriculture after favo
VIB Blog •

From fundamental to applied science and later policy-making: sustainability is the recurring theme in alumna Stien Beirinckx's career

Early 2022, VIB-UGent alumna Stien Beirinckx started working on a European project as part of the LIFE program, which aims for a climate-neutral Europa by 2050. While she focused on improved crop production through plant-microbe interactions during her PhD, she now uses science to advance policy regarding farming management for climate-resilient agriculture. The shift from academic research to policy seems abrupt, but is it?

Your PhD project was a joint effort between the labs of Sofie Goormach
VIB Press Release •

New incubator biotope launches to support biotech startup teams on their journey to success

Incubator program biotope by VIB launches today to support biotech startup teams looking to impact people’s lives through innovation. Biotope will help early entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into viable businesses, with an initial focus on agrifood innovation. The incubator is an initiative by VIB, one of the world’s premier research institutes and the driving force behind the vibrant Flanders life sciences ecosystem. Thanks to strategic investment by the Flemish Government, the European
VIB Press Release •

Waking up bacteria to overcome antibiotic resistance

Sleeping bacterial cells or persister cells contribute significantly to antibiotic resistance. The research team of Prof. Jan Michiels (VIB-KULeuven Center for Microbiology) found that the timing of waking up can be linked with the development of antibiotic resistance. Together with their recent discovery that sour bacteria become hyper tolerant, the team highlights potential new targets for more efficient antibiotic treatments.

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise and one of the leading causes
Origin of Impact: 25 Years of VIB •

The VIB Agro-Incubator: where innovative projects grow into climate-resilient solutions for agriculture

The VIB Agro-Incubator: where innovative projects grow into climate-resilient solutions for agriculture

A trip through the countryside of Nevele, near Ghent, takes us to the former CropDesign (BASF) high-tech greenhouse site. The site is being revived into the VIB Agro-Incubator in collaboration with ILVO, the Flanders Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries, and Food Research. Both institutes team up to upgrade and expand the technical greenhouse installations and to run the facility. The ambiti
VIB News •

Protealis hits the Belgian charts with their first soybean varieties and welcomes new board members

Every year, ILVO publishes a descriptive and recommendation variety list of feed crops and green cover crops. Varieties are scored based on comparative trials which reflects their agronomic value. The list allows the farmers to objectively select for a variety suiting specific agricultural needs.

After successful registration, the first official Protealis soybean varieties Artemis and Hermes are included in the charts of best performing Belgian varieties. With increased average protein yield pe
VIB News •

Less bitter witloof and root chicory using targeted gene editing

"Charlotte's research provides unique insights into the mechanisms by which plants produce bitter substances. This fundamental knowledge creates numerous new opportunities to adapt the bitterness of crops such as witloof and root chicory to the needs and desires of the end-users," concludes promoter Prof. Alain Goossens (VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology).

Promoter Katrijn Van Laere (ILVO): "The identification and characterization of the genes involved is a major step forward in
VIB Press Release •

Keeping plant hormone levels in check

A team of researchers led by Bert De Rybel (VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology) discovers that a single transcriptional complex, called TMO5/LHW, coordinates vascular development in the plant root meristem by controlling cytokinin levels in space and time. Based on these insights, targeted modulation of specific tissue types in plant roots could lead to more efficient water usage and promote drought resistance.

Patterning of the different tissues and organs is extremely important during
VIB Press Release •

The Agro-Incubator, the hub of innovative crop development for sustainable agriculture

“Knowing VIB is as committed to transforming the global food system as we are at Inari makes them an ideal partner,” says Fred van Ex, vice president of R&D at Inari and managing director of the Inari site in Ghent. “Meeting the ambitious objectives of the European Union’s Farm to Fork strategy will require solid public-private partnerships with advanced technology and facilities. The combination of Inari SEEDesign™ technology and the VIB Agro-Incubator offers exactly that.”

The strategic locat