Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2024
Authors
Sonja Keel Alice Budai Lars Elsgaard Brieuc Hardy Florent Levasseur Zhi Liang Claudio Mondini Cesar Plaza Jens LeifeldAbstract
To increase soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, we need to improve our understanding on how to make best use of available plant biomass. Is it better to leave harvest residues on the field, or can we achieve higher SOC storage after processing biomass through, for instance, composting or pyrolysis to produce biochar? In the present study, we developed new parameters for different types of exogenous organic materials (EOMs), which allowed us to estimate the long-term effect of EOM addition on SOC storage using the soil carbon model RothC. For this purpose, we used a model version that included two additional EOM pools. First, we simulated the SOC evolution after addition of equal amounts of C in plant material and different EOMs (manure, compost, digestate, biochar) for a 38-year cropland trial in Switzerland. As expected, biochar showed the greatest increase in SOC due to its high stability. Next, we estimated how much C would remain after subjecting equivalent amounts of plant material and other EOMs to different processes. Loss rates of C for different processes were obtained from the literature. Due to different decomposition rates, the amounts of C remaining in the EOMs ranged from 7 % for anaerobic digestion of animal excreta to 100 % for plant material added directly to soil. These amounts of C were then added to the soil in the model experiments. Although the largest amount of C is lost during processing to biochar, biochar would clearly lead to highest long-term SOC stocks. Based on these first results we conclude that the trade-off between off-site stabilization and in-soil mineralization does not compromise the use of biochar for soil C storage. This means that despite the high C losses of about 50 % during biochar production, higher amounts of C remain in the soil because biochar has very low decomposition rates. In terms of C sequestration efficiency, biochar thus clearly outperforms the other biomass processing pathways. However, for practical recommendations, additional factors should be considered, such as nutrient availability of EOMs and environmental effects during processing, storage and soil application like nutrient leaching or gaseous emissions. Furthermore, we suggest a full life cycle assessment that considers e.g. energy costs for transport of biomass and energy savings from fossil fuel substitution by natural gas.
Authors
Xueqi Li Sujie Zhang Chenyang Wang Bin Ren Fang Yan Shaofang Li Carl Jonas Jorge Spetz Jinguang Huang Xueping Zhou Huanbin ZhouAbstract
In situ epitope tagging is crucial for probing gene expression, protein localization, and the dynamics of protein interactions within their natural cellular context. However, the practical application of this technique in plants presents considerable hurdles. Here, we comprehensively explored the potential of the CRISPR/Cas nuclease-mediated prime editing and different DNA repair pathways in epitope tagging of endogenous rice (Oryza sativa) genes. We found that a SpCas9 nuclease/microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ)-based prime editing (PE) strategy (termed NM-PE) facilitates more straightforward and efficient gene tagging compared to the conventional and other derivative PE methods. Furthermore, the PAM-flexible SpRY and ScCas9 nucleases-based prime editors have been engineered and implemented for the tagging of endogenous genes with diverse epitopes, significantly broadening the applicability of NM-PE in rice. Moreover, NM-PE has been successfully adopted in simultaneous tagging of the MAP kinase (MPK) genes OsMPK1 and OsMPK13 in rice plants with c-Myc and HA tags, respectively. Taken together, our results indicate great potential of the NM-PE toolkit in the targeted gene tagging for Rice Protein Tagging Project, gene function study and genetic improvement.
Authors
Alois Bilavčík Stacy Denise Hammond Hammond Jana Fránová Igor Koloniuk Zhibo Hamborg Dag-Ragnar Blystad Milos Faltus Jiri ZamecnikAbstract
This study aims to establish a cryopreservation protocol for in vitro grown raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) without the use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The protocol exploits cryotherapy for virus eradication in selected favourable genotypes and will facilitate safe preservation of raspberry genotypes in the Czech national cryobank. Raspberries are highly valuable perennial berries grown in temperate countries including the Czech Republic. Raspberry cultivars and elite breeding lines must be maintained as plant collections either in the field or as in vitro cultures. Both maintenance methods are suboptimal primarily because of the many viral and other pathogens transmitted in raspberry field collections, the industriousness, the maintenance costs, and possible somaclonal variation associated with maintenance of in vitro cultures. For these reasons, cryopreservation is currently considered as a prospective method for the long-term preservation of germplasm. One of the best-performing vitrification procedures for plant cryopreservation is based on DMSO solutions. However, due to the potentially mutagenic effect of DMSO, which is contradictory to the principle of germplasm preservation, we focused on testing a DMSO-free procedure using two raspberry varieties. Regrowth rate of the raspberry variety ‘Tulameen’ after application of Plant Vitrification Solution 3 (PVS3) followed by immersion in liquid nitrogen (LN) was 86%. For the raspberry variety ‘Autumn First’, the regrowth level was 73%. In vitro shoots of the cryopreserved variety ‘Tulameen’ were multiplied in a standard cultivation medium and RT-PCR screened for eradication of Black raspberry necrosis virus (BRNV). The eradication rate of BRNV from in vitro cultures of ‘Tulameen’ by cryopreservation was 94%. The eradication of BRNV from control samples, not subjected to LN, was not significantly different (92%). It can be concluded that the DMSO-free tested method is suitable for efficient cryoconservation. Although the LN phase of the cryoprotocol is not required, the PVS3 protocol alone represents a valuable tool for eradication of BRNV from in vitro cultures of tested raspberry shoots. The suggested protocol will be used for the safe backup of healthy plant material.
Authors
Jason Lee Anders Marie Louise Davey Bram Van Moorter Frode Fossøy Sanne Boessenkool Erling Johan Solberg Erling Meisingset Atle Mysterud Christer Moe RolandsenAbstract
Parasitic nematodes are ubiquitous and can negatively impact their host by reducing fecundity or increasing mortality, yet the driver of variation in the parasite community across a wildlife host's geographic distribution remains elusive for most species. Based on an extensive collection of fecal samples (n = 264) from GPS marked moose (Alces alces), we used DNA metabarcoding to characterize the individual (sex, age class) and seasonal parasitic nematode community in relation to habitat use and migration behavior in five populations distributed across a wide latitudinal gradient (59.6°N to 70.5°N) in Norway. We detected 21 distinct nematode taxa with the six most common being Ostertagia spp., Nematodirella spp., Trichostongylus spp., T. axei, Elaphostrongylus alces, and an unclassified Strongylida. There was higher prevalence of livestock parasites in areas with larger sheep populations indicating a higher risk of spillover events. The individual level nematode richness was mostly consistent across study areas, while the number and type of nematode taxa detected at each study area varied considerably but did not follow a latitudinal gradient. While migration distance affected nematode beta-diversity across all sites, it had a positive effect on richness at only two of the five study areas suggesting population specific effects. Unexpectedly, nematode richness was higher in winter than summer when very few nematodes were detected. Here we provide the first extensive description of the parasitic nematode community of moose across a wide latitudinal range. Overall, the population-specific impact of migration on parasitism across the distribution range and variation in sympatry with other ruminants suggest local characteristics affect host-parasite relationships.
Authors
Michel VerheulAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Johannes RahlfAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Kalkidan Mulatu Ayele An Notenbaert Shimelis Gizachew Raji Bimrew Asmare Niklas Wickander Solomon Mwendia Peter Dörsch Caroline Brophy Karl Thunes Marit JørgensenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Marta Vergarechea Astor Toraño-Caicoya Clemens Blattert Julian Klein Daniel Burgas Tord Snäll Mikko Mönkkönen Rasmus Astrup Fulvio Di Fulvio Nicklas Forsell Enno Uhl Werner Poschenrieder Clara Antón-FernándezAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
The global packaging sector has grown consistently, and the use of sustainable materials, including recycled and biodegradable products, is expected to rise. This study focuses on the potential of producing barriers for water and water in moist air (water vapor) from proteins to protect cellulosic materials. Owing to the specific requirements of packaging materials, the main subject of this research was their barrier and strength properties. The scope of this work includes selecting components and their physicochemical treatment to produce functionalized coatings on sprayed paper and pure films, as well as film-coated samples (paper laminated with film). The following tests were used to estimate the hydrophobic, hygroscopic, and strength properties: Cobb absorption, contact angle testing, dynamic vapor sorption, and dynamic mechanical analysis. In most cases, the spray-coated paper and film-coated samples absorbed less liquid water than untreated paper. Wheat gluten protein was the most effective water barrier. In all variants, the vapor sorption, desorption, and hysteresis effects (or the lack thereof) showed significant differences compared to those of cellulosic materials. All variants of the spray-coated and film-coated samples in the dynamic mechanical analysis showed an increase in the strength properties of the samples in comparison to the untreated paper. The increased humidity caused a significant loss in the mechanical properties of all variants, exceeding the strength loss of the untreated control samples.
Authors
Heine Nygard Riise Erlend Hustad Honningdalsnes Dagmar Hagen Markus A. K. Sydenham Anne Catriona Melhoop Trond Aalvik Simensen Jonathan Rizzi Torunn KjeldstadAbstract
No abstract has been registered