Peng Meng
Vanholme Ruben
Ruben graduated in 2004 as Master of Chemistry at Ghent University. He made a master dissertation in the Ghent Quantum Chemistry Group, under supervision of Patrick Bultinck. In 2005, he obtained an IWT grant to start his PhD in the Bio-Energy and Bio-Aromatics lab of Wout Boerjan. His research included the study of systems-wide consequences of lignin perturbations in Arabidopsis. For this, transcriptome and metabolome approaches were used. After obtaining his PhD degree in Biotechnology, he got two consecutive FWO post-doc grants to further investigate the lignin biosynthesis and engineering in Arabidopsis, poplar and maize. Meanwhile, he is staff scientist in the Bio-Energy and Bio-Aromatics lab as an expert in MS-based phenolic metabolite profiling and identification.
Ruben is actively involved in communicating science-based information about genetic engineering of crops. In addition, he is a climate warrior with a mission: to inform people on climate change and the dramatic loss in biodiversity it causes. He also informs what can be done to avoid further dramatic scenarios.
De Moor Astrid
De Ridder Nette
Boerjan Wout
Transgene-free genome editing in poplar trees: a step toward sustainable forestry
Scientists at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology and VIVES University College have developed a new method to genetically improve poplar trees without introducing foreign DNA into its genome. This advancement could pave the way for faster and more widely accepted use of gene-edited trees in forestry and the bio-based economy. The work appeared in New Phytologist.
21 VIB researchers recognized as Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers 2024
Each year, Clarivate honors the world's ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ – exceptional scientists whose work ranks among the top 1% most cited in their field, showcasing their groundbreaking influence on global research. This year, we're excited to announce that 21 VIB researchers have earned this prestigious recognition for their remarkable contributions to science.
Professor Wout Boerjan receives the Marcus Wallenberg prize for his research on lignin
Professors Wout Boerjan (VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology) and John Ralph (University of Wisconsin-Madison, US) have been awarded the 2024 Marcus Wallenberg Prize for their pioneering contributions to understanding lignin biosynthesis and its structural diversity. The prize was presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm on November 11.
Engineering cell walls for a sustainable plant-based future
Did you know that engineering plant cell walls might be the key to a sustainable, plant-based future? In our latest Scientist on Stage blog, Lennart Hoengenaert, a postdoctoral researcher at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, tells you all about it!