Plant scientists at Washington State University and in Germany will launch a new research collaboration through a series of virtual talks about advances that help feed and sustain our world, starting Tuesday, May 4.
WSU scientists Mechthild Tegeder, Herbert L. Eastlick Distinguished Professor in the School of Biological Sciences, and Helmut Kirchhoff, professor in the Institute of Biological Chemistry, are leading efforts to exchange graduate students with CEPLAS members, including the University of Cologne, the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, and Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program, the European Union student exchange Erasmus Program, and the German Research Foundation.
“Direct cooperation between German and U.S. scientists and collaborative education of our scholars helps expand society’s knowledge about beneficial crops,” Tegeder said. “Interdisciplinary research experiences in Germany can also train WSU students on how to start, establish, and cultivate scientific collaboration, which will benefit them in their professional careers, make them more marketable for research occupations, and sustain our regional and national agricultural industries and economies.”