From October 31st to November 13th, the world leaders gathered for COP26 in Glasgow (UK) to agree upon the necessary actions to keep global warming below 2 degrees. At VIB, scientists are constantly working toward solutions that enable sustainable climate resilience. Find their stories on Twitter with #whywecare #VIBforCOP26.
Accelerated actions are needed to meet the 1.5 degrees target
The aim of the 26th annual UN climate change conference of the parties, known as COP26, was to agree on actions needed to keep global warming below 2 degrees. Crossing the 2 degrees threshold will lead to a faster sea-level rise, more frequent heatwaves, and compromised food security because of extreme heat and drought. This will put millions of lives at risk. To keep the target of 1.5 degrees within reach, all parties must take urgent action to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
How is plant research helping to find answers to the climate challenges?
Many labs at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology focus on the molecular or metabolic processes that drive plant growth – including in staple food crops. Gaining insight into the regulatory mechanisms involved in nutrient nutrition, stress response, or pathogen defense allows for targeted adjustments to increase plant performance under varying conditions. Recently, the group of Bert De Rybel showed that spatiotemporal modulation of hormone levels is crucial for the development of vascular tissue. Specific changes in the root vasculature could enhance water storage capacity and help to overcome extended periods of drought (read the press release).
“In our lab, we translate results to economically relevant crops and investigate how they behave in the field. Together, we aim for improved crops for society," says Jessica Joossens, PhD student in the lab of Hilde Nelissen and Dirk Inzé.
Read more about understanding plant growth and development and how it can help enable climate-resilient solutions for agriculture, via our researcher’s testimonies on Twitter.
Collage of testimonies on Twitter during COP26 with hashtags #whywecare #VIBforCOP26
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