‘I really hope we succeed in this coup,’ you said in December 2024. Now it’s done. What does being accepted into the CEPLAS Cluster of Excellence mean for the IPK?

I would like to emphasise two points: Firstly, CEPLAS will increase the visibility of our institute, both nationally and internationally. Secondly, together with the other four research institutes, we will form a significant critical mass in future, enabling us to focus on key topics and work on them more extensively. This is particularly important because of international competition, for example, from China, where large research clusters also exist. To survive this competition, resources and expertise must be pooled.

When and where did you hear that the IPK would be involved in future?

On 23 May, the day of the announcement, I watched the DFG livestream in my office while enjoying a cup of Earl Grey, and I was naturally delighted to see ‘CEPLAS’ on the list of approved proposals.

So, how exactly did the application process go?

We developed some initial ideas at a meeting in Düsseldorf in 2023. From our side, in addition to the four department heads, Hannah Schneider, Andreas Houben, Martin Mascher, and Thorsten Schnurbusch were also present. The University of Düsseldorf submitted the proposal in August 2024, and an oral hearing and defence took place at the DFG in Bonn in December 2024. Nils Stein and I represented the IPK there.

How were you involved in preparing the 138-page proposal?

The proposal’s core deals with five research areas that essentially revolve around control processes in plant development and metabolism, as well as their interaction with environmental factors. I co-wrote four of the proposal's chapters. It was very time-consuming, but it was worth it in the end. We at the IPK are also very prominently represented in the application.

What does the actual funding entail? What is planned with it?

Firstly, we are very pleased with the financial support. With the €56 million that has been applied for over the next seven years, CEPLAS will be one of the largest of the 70 Clusters of Excellence. However, the funding does not go directly to all partners; it is managed centrally by the University of Düsseldorf. All partners can now apply for funding for doctoral and postdoctoral positions via a simplified procedure. Ideally, projects will involve at least two partners.

What will the IPK contribute to the Cluster of Excellence?

We are, of course, contributing our outstanding infrastructure. This includes the gene bank, which contains more than 151,000 samples of cultivated plants; the globally unique PhenoSphere, which can control and reproduce environmental conditions to simulate the future fields; and the NMR technology, which provides insights into living plants and seeds. We also contribute our expertise in genetics, cell biology, and physiology.

How does the IPK benefit from CEPLAS?

We live in an age in which knowledge from model plants is increasingly being applied to cultivated plants. Therefore, we benefit from the basic research findings already achieved at CEPLAS, particularly with the model plant Arabidopsis. This means we can now combine our knowledge at CEPLAS to conduct translational research, improving our understanding of and genetic improvement of our crops.

But that’s not all: many CEPLAS colleagues have great ideas, drive, and the courage to tackle risky issues. I am sure CEPLAS can provide fresh impetus at the IPK to help us move forward and stay motivated.

How will young researchers at the IPK benefit from CEPLAS?

CEPLAS offers a structured training programme with targeted opportunities for Master's students, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, from which our young scientists will benefit greatly. The programme aims to prepare young people for various career paths, within and outside the academic world. CEPLAS also financially supports young scientists when they attend events and organise their own workshops and meetings.

In what ways and to what extent have IPK and CEPLAS already cooperated?

In addition to the recently held ‘International Summer School’ at Drübeck Monastery in the Harz Mountains, CEPLAS and IPK have had close links for some time. However, these were mostly bilateral. The aim for the future is to successfully launch joint projects with several partners and implement a joint research strategy.

Following the approval of the Collaborative Research Centre ‘Plant Proteoform Diversity’ in 2024, IPK has also become a partner in the CEPLAS Cluster of Excellence. What will this mean for the upcoming evaluation?

We feel a strong tailwind for our development at the IPK and are confident ahead of the November evaluation. After all, a high-ranking commission has already rated some of our research ideas as ‘excellent’. We were also very pleased about the approval of the Collaborative Research Centre last year. However, so far, we have only been represented there with one group. The situation is very different with CEPLAS. All IPK scientists can benefit from the Cluster of Excellence.

‘Simply excellent’ was Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Science, Armin Willingmann’s succinct comment on the IPK's inclusion in CEPLAS. What ‘hot potatoes’ does the IPK still have in the fire?

Yongyu Huang, Stefan Heckmann, Laura Dixon and I are still in the running with four applications for an ERC grant, and I very much hope that we will also be at least partially successful there. Specifically, we are each looking for funding between 1.5 and 2.0 million euros.