German-Chinese Research Group to receive 1.35 million euros
???Großansicht des Bildes???Claus-Peter Witte (Head of Department), Jana Scharnberg, Andrea Werner, FENG
Qiu Cao ©FU Berlin/Witte???aural:Bildende???
Dr. Claus-Peter Witte from the Institute of Biology, FU Berlin, is to receive 1.35 million euros from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), provided by the Federal Research Ministry, to set up a German-Chinese Research Group of junior scientists.
By collaborating, the scientists from the FU Berlin and the China Agricultural University in Beijing plan to find ways to use biotechnology to modify urea metabolism and so optimise nitrogen efficiency in rice. The German part of the research group will be integrated into the Plant Biochemistry working group headed by Prof. Tina Romeis.
The joint German-Chinese research group led by Dr. Claus-Peter Witte (FU Berlin) and Prof. Dr. Lai-Hua Liu (China Agricultural University) will focus on identifying the molecular structure of the rice proteins involved in the absorption and metabolism of urea. The scientists aim to produce knowledge-based and specifically targeted biotechnological changes to optimise the nitrogen efficiency of the rice.
In Asia, above all, it accounts for half of the fertilisers used. A large proportion of the urea is used in rice production, where nitrogen efficiency only amounts to between 30% and up to 40%. Such losses are not only an economic problem, but also an ecological one (groundwater contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, damage to the ozone layer). Even marginal efficiency improvements would lead to economic and ecological benefits.
Further information: http://www.fu-berlin.de/
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