Research

Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs), i.e. the COUSINs of domesticated crops, represent a natural source of genetic variation. The COUSIN consortium recognizes the value of CWRs for agriculture, but also the challenges of their utilisation. Through the COUSIN Readiness Levels (CRLs) we will demonstrate a roadmap for the use of CWRs in breeding and farming. We will work with five flagship crops: wheat, barley, pea, lettuce and brassicas. With these exemplary crops, we demonstrate how current challenges of stakeholders from farm to fork can be overcome using CWRs in formalised and participatory breeding.

The COUSIN consortium has unique CWR-related expertise, data and breeding material that allows us to cover the translational pathway from the identification of wild plants to a marketready crop in a five-year project. For each flagship crop, we identify priority traits of CWRs, design selection toolboxes and apply them in current breeding programmes in order to fulfil current and emerging stakeholders demands. Effective characterisation protocols are designed and will guide conservation of the naturally occurring functional and genetic trait diversity across Europe. Characterisation will occur in- and ex-situ through high-throughput phenotyping, chemotyping and genotyping of priority traits incl. plant-associated microbiomes. Conservation measures cover in-situ reserves and ex-situ collections with the widest possible trait diversity.

For easy access of priority trait information and corresponding CWR accessions, a user-friendly data portal will be developed. All collected data will be offered for integration into national and international repositories. Through on-farm pilots and actual breeding sites realised across the European pedoclimatic regions, the value of CWRs will be demonstrated to stakeholders with direct applications for breeders and farmers to provide climate change-resilient crops as a vital means towards sustainable production systems.

Countries where partners are based: Spain (lead partner), Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Download the COUSIN brochure in different languages here: English version –  French version – Italian version – Spanish version – Dutch version – Portuguese version

The EU-funded InnCoCells project was established to develop sustainable production processes for the commercial exploitation of scientifically validated cosmetic ingredients derived from underutilised plants. Consortium members have used plant cell cultures, hairy roots, aeroponics and greenhouse/field cultivation, applying metabolic engineering tools to optimise growth conditions and the yields of valuable bioactive, small-molecule compounds. The optimised processes have been demonstrated by pilot-scale production and extraction, bringing at least 10 cosmetic ingredient candidates to the pre-commercial stage. The extracts were evaluated using a unique group of innovative enzyme-based and cell-based assays to ensure safety and validate claimed activities based on robust scientific data without the need for animal testing. The most promising candidates were tested on human skin models.

The InnCoCells project has released six promotional videos. The first and second videos were published in 2022, featuring short interviews with the work package leaders and early-career researchers, respectively, explaining their roles in the project and how the project will benefit consumers by focusing on sustainability and efficacy. Three videos were published in 2023, one looking at commercialisation (the company perspective) and another summarising scientific progress at the half-way stage, whereas the third “Dream Video” was a more concept-driven approach outlining key facts and figures about the project. The fifth video in the project’s regular series was divided into two parts, one describing the composition and function of the Stakeholder Group and the other featuring interviews with stakeholders to gain insights into their collaboration with the project from a stakeholder perspective. The final video, released in August 2025, highlights the project’s achievements, including interviews with five partners about the new ingredients they have developed.

Further information can also be found in our series of four project brochures, which provide annual updates on our progress, as well as our podcasts featuring personal interviews with members of the InnCoCells consortium. All these assets are available on the InnCoCells website.

Countries where partners are based: Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, Latvia, Austria, Bulgaria, Norway, United Kingdom

Integrated plant phenotyping infrastructure for the Improvement of plant performance under different climate conditions.

Plants are the basis of all food, feed and renewable bioenergy production and are essential for transfer from a fossil fuel-based economy to a bioeconomy. A major challenge for food production in the coming decades is the difficulty of expanding agricultural land. This is complemented by climate change and the increase in world population. This complex system of challenges raises the need to accelerate research to improve yield-potential and adaptation to stressful environments.

Plant phenotyping offers innovative tools to face these challenges. Plant phenotyping is an emerging discipline that provide the technology to analyze the interaction among plant genotypes, phenotypes and environment which determining the plant performance under different climate conditions.

Improvement of plant performance under changing climates requires the use of different categories of installations in field and platforms, which need to be combined with a coordinated infrastructure for storing. For this purpose, the European Infrastructure for Multi-scale Plant Phenomics and Simulation (EMPHASIS) aims at developing  an integrated pan-European infrastructure of instrumented phenotyping facilities available to the user community and able to quantitatively test plant performance under current and future agro-climatic scenarios.

Preparatory project (2017 – 2021): BE, DE, FR, IT, NL, UK

Implementation phase (2021 onwards): BE, CH, DE, EE, FR, Israel, IT,  NL, PT, RS, UK “open for further countries to join”

EMPHASIS on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EMPHASIS.EU
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emphasis_eu/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emphasis-on-plant-phenomics/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMPHASIS_EU
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsRSmEci3eG7XSf4zeoJyeA

CHIC is a research and innovation project supported through the EU Horizon 2020 funding programme.

The €7.3 million projects support the establishment of a responsible innovation pathway for the development and application of New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) for chicory as a multipurpose crop to produce high-value consumer products, in line with societal needs and concerns. The project consortium is composed of SMEs, an industrial partner, non-profit organizations, and research institutes from 11 European countries and one from New Zealand.

The CHIC project aims to develop chicory varieties to produce dietary fibre with enhanced prebiotic effects to promote gut health. Given the chicory’s biosynthetic capacity, high yields, and low agronomic requirements, it has significant potential as a versatile production host in molecular farming that can ideally produce many additional health-related products with benefits to consumers. CHIC’s potential also aims to extract other types of health-related compounds (such as terpenes) as potential lead molecules for drug development.

CHIC explores the interactions between technological potential and societal acceptance of modern plant breeding. By developing and implementing a set of new plant breeding technologies, CHIC will adapt the biosynthesis and architecture of root chicory, which will strengthen its production system for high-quality dietary fibres and establish it as a source of bioactive terpenes.

The consortium will evaluate the technological performance of these new plant breeding technologies, including the safety, environmental, regulatory, socio-economic, and broader societal issues associated with them.

CHIC will ensure responsible innovation and raise public awareness by involving all stakeholders and considering their needs and concerns in all aspects of the project.

Check out published scientific publications at http://chicproject.eu/scientific-publications/

For example:

PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL – OPEN ACCESS

Inactivation of the germacrene A synthase genes by CRISPR/Cas9 eliminates the biosynthesis of sesquiterpene lactones in Cichorium intybus L.

Authors: Katarina Cankar, Paul Bundock, Robert Sevenier, Suvi T. Häkkinen, Johanna Christina Hakkert, Jules Beekwilder, Ingrid M. van der Meer, Michiel de Both, Dirk Bosch

CHIC Project Social Media Platforms

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/H2020_CHIC
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/h2020-chicproject/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/H2020.CHICproject/
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/h2020.chicproject/
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdEvOAEO_sWd3i1SyGF5nCw