Projects
NIBIO is a project driven research institute and collects approximately 400 million NOK annually in project funding from both national and international sources. A lot of activity is carried out through EU and EEA-projects and we also participate in research projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America. NIBIO coordinates several large international projects with a particular focus on food security and climate change. The list of projects is not complete.
Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health
PROTECT: Priming for Resistance Of Trees and its Effects on microbial CommuniTies
Spruce trees protect themselves from pest and pathogens using a wide range of defenses. These defenses adapt to changes in the environment. These defenses can also be sensitized so that they can be more rapidly activated upon attack. This sensitization is similar to a person getting a vaccination. Like humans, plants live in relationship with beneficial microorganisms. These organisms help plants to be healthy and avoid sickness. In this project, we seek to better understand how sensitizing of the Norway spruce immune response effects their relationship with helpful microorganisms and how these microorganisms effect the Norway spruce immune response. We will identify novel spruce vaccinating chemicals that increase spruce resistance with minimal secondary effects, such as growth inhibition. We will also determine the effects of vaccinating on spruce associated microorganisms and the effects of these microorganisms on spruce defenses. Knowledge gained from this project will deepen our understanding of the relationship between spruce and its microogranisms. In addition, we hope to find a solution to use less pesticides, protect spruce from damage and develop a more sustainable and profitable forestry practices.
Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health
PROTECT: Effects of defense priming on Norway spruce needle microbiome and pest resistance
In correlation with our Research Council of Norway funded project on the effects of Norway spruce defense priming on the root microbiome and resistance, we will also analyse the effects of spruce defense priming and soil microbiota on the spruce needle microbiome and resistance. This project is funded by SNS - Nordic Forest Research.
Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health
DivGene - Diversity analyses of key genes involved in interaction between potato and Phytophthora infestans
A main objective of the project is to improve our understanding of interaction and co-evolution of host and pathogen using potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and its economically most important pathogen, Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, as a model. Our main hypothesis is that co-evolution of potato and P. infestans in agroecosystems is based on diversity of the resistance genes present in the cultivated potatoes and effector genes present in the pathogen populations.