News

Gatersleben Lecture - Michael Schatz

21.04.2026 Im Rahmen der Gatersleben Lecture spricht Prof. Dr. Michael Schatz George (Johns Hopkins University, Department of Computer Science, Baltimore, USA) zum Thema: ”Pangenome to Phenotype: Trait Mapping in Solanum and Beyond”. Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter dem Link:

Digital Developments in Plant Research: Nils Stein is presenting at a workshop at the Vatican

In the digital age, how can we preserve the diversity of our crop plants and make better use of it? This was the key question discussed at a workshop organised by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Crop Trust in mid-March. Nils Stein, Head of the ‘Genebank department’ at the IPK, attended the event in Rome.

The risk-taking Swabian

Martin Ganal is one of the most important figures at the research campus. He is set to retire soon, and the company he founded, TraitGenetics, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Time for a look back.

published on 23. February 2026

‘And Action’ – the new feature video for the Genebank!

The IPK Genebank preserves over 150,000 samples of cultivated plants, including cereals, legumes, oil crops, fodder crops, and potatoes. This treasure is becoming increasingly valuable amid climate change. This is a good reason to feature the Genebank in a new video clip. The release event took place in mid-February in the IPK lecture hall.

Den neuen Genbankfilm gibt es auf Deutsch und in Englisch, jeweils in einer Kurz- und einer Langfassung.

published on 9. February 2026

IPK participates in World Pulses Day

10 February was World Pulses Day. Kerstin Neumann shares information about IPK’s plans for the occasion, discusses current research projects, and highlights why peas, lentils, and other pulses matter for both health and climate.

Kerstin Neumann with her colleagues at dinner in Quedlinburg on World Pulses Day.

published on 4. February 2026

Passing the baton at the Genebank

Anna Backhaus has taken over the ‘Resource Genetics and Reproduction’ research group from Andreas Börner. This is reason enough to meet both of them for a double interview in the ‘Vavilov Building’.

published on 4. February 2026

The tuber researcher

Delphine Van Inghelandt has led a joint research group between IPK and JKI for over a year. Now is the time for an on-site visit with the scientist working on the potato of tomorrow in Groß Lüsewitz.