Videos

Ilse

Goyens

FWO

KU Leuven

VIB

Bacteria in the fight against 'crazy root disease'

Have you ever heard of the mysterious "crazy root disease"? Sounds like something you'd rather not have in your garden or greenhouse, right? 🌱 Find out more about this bizarre plant disease and how the VIB and the KU Leuven are determined to get rid of it! 💡✨

Maria

Culman

KU Leuven

VITO

Satellite images: giving computers better eyes for tree mapping

Trees are an important source of food and fuel for local communities all over the world. It is important to map them, so as to be able to protect them. But how do you start mapping millions of trees? Well, by combining satellite images with digital image processing technology. Problem solved? Not yet, as even computers have a hard time recognizing trees on top-down satellite images of the Earth's surface. Maria Culman (KU Leuven - VITO) explains how she intends to overcome this challenge.

Joran

Verspreet

VITO

Micro-algae: how to make space food your daily snack?

Micro-algae form a healthy protein-rich meal. No wonder this is eaten by astronauts during space travels 👨‍🚀 Joran Verspreet's (VITO) mission is to get this fancy space food onto your plate 🍽

Karina

Rios Rios

VITO

Feeding your superhero bacteria with prebiotics

Your gut is filled with 'superhero' bacteria that help you maintain your body in a healthy way. These superheroes rely on prebiotics; compounds that help them grow. Karina Rios Rios (VITO) is looking for such prebiotics in unsuspected resources... Find out how she wants to help you feed your superhero bacteria.

Lise

Soetemans

VITO

More and healthier strawberries thanks to insect breeders 🍓 🐛

Insects and fruit, it doesn't seem like a very successful combination. And yet, insect breeders and their 'critters' can help strawberry farmers to grow more and healthier strawberries. Lise Soetemans (VITO) explains how.

Astrid

Gadeyne

UGent

VIB

More corn with less fertilizer 🌽

Fertilization is crucial in agriculture, but over-fertilization causes environmental pollution and all-rich algae growth in our watercourses. Wouldn't it be great if plants and crops could grow well with less fertilizer? That's what Astrid Gadeyne wants to achieve in her PhD.

Joren

De Ryck

UGent

VIB

How do bacteria hack the immune system of plants?

Like humans, plants are constantly attacked by diseases. Joren De Ryck (VIB - UGent) does research on a bacterium called Ralstonia, which can infect and kill all these crops in a few weeks time.

Antoine

Persyn

FWO

UGent

VIB

The four seasons: a challenge for our farmers

Winter, with its cold temperatures, is not the favourite season of our farmers. Certain plants and crops suffer greatly from the cold. But did you know that these plants themselves have the key to withstand the cold? Antoine Persyn explains exactly how this works.