A Kerry company is part of a new €1 million research project aiming to make crops more resilient to the effects of climate change.
The “CropPrime” project is funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme.
The research will focus on developing novel technologies to improve the tolerance of crops to stresses associated with adverse weather events which are increasing due to climate change.
The study will include crops such as tomato and strawberry.
Project
BioAtlantis, which employs over 50 people at its headquarters in Tralee, will be part of an international network of scientists focused on the development of “molecular priming” technologies.
The marine biotechnology company produces natural compounds for crops, animals and humans and sells to 30 countries.
The new project brings together expertise in plant systems biology, chemistry, genetics and bio-stimulant technology across Europe, Africa and South America.
As a result of the research, it is hoped that products will be developed which can help growers to “prime and protect” their crops.
The scientists will seek to develop “plant bio-stimulant products” using natural compounds sustainably derived from marine and terrestrial sources, such as seaweed.
They will also work to develop fungicides to help reduce fungal infection in crops.
Bioatlantis will be joined on the project by VIB-Plant Systems Biology in Belgium, The James Hutton Institute in the UK, the Mendel University and the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences in the Czech Republic and the Centre of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnologyin Bulgaria.
The University of Johannesburg, South Africa and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology of Rosario, Argentina will expand the research across three continents.