5. PUKI NEWSLETTER

(06/26)

Here you’ll find our latest PUKI newsletter.

The focus is on changes at PUKI:
A new coordinator, a new design, and a new questionnaire.
You can also follow the development of PUKI data entries from the last data collection seasons, and we’ll give you a glimpse into the future: Will PUKI continue to receive funding? What are our visions?

All about it you can read in the new issue.

We’re thrilled that so many enthusiastic citizens continue to participate and drive the project forward. THANK YOU!

Dr. Lilly Pazurek-Weber, PUKI Coordinator

SUSTAINABILITY DAY 2026

(06/26)

„Vielfalt leben. Verantwortung zeigen. Jetzt.“ is the motto of this year’s Sustainability Day, organized by the Heine Center for Sustainable Development (HCSD):

• June 9
• 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
• around the Heine Monument in front of the ULB.

For more information on the program & schedule, visit the HCSD website.

The Institute of Botany will be represented with a booth for the citizen science project PUKI: The focus of this project is the adaptation of plants to a changing environment:
“Our mission is to foster interest in wild plants and, together with citizens, to explore the fascinating ways in which plants adapt to urban environments and climate change.”

PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL

(05/26)

Pint of Science describes the international (nonprofit) organization that hosts festivals bringing researchers to local pubs to discuss their latest research findings and discoveries with guests.

Events in Düsseldorf:

• Café "DIE FLIESE", Flügelstraße 58 am 18th May
• Café “Modigliani”, Am Friedensplätzchen 6 am 20th May

On 20th May, the focus will be on “Wurzeln, weiche Materie und Wissenschaft zm Mitmachen”:
Dr. Anne Hofmann will talk about how plants cope with crises and Dr. Lilli Amal Pazurek-Weber will present the PUKI citizen science project.

NOMINATION FOR THE TEACHING AWARD 2026

(05/26)

The HHU Teaching Award is presented for outstanding achievements in teaching. Students at the university may nominate any faculty member for this award. The right to nominate candidates rests exclusively with the students.

Among others, Dr. Anne Hofmann was nominated for the 2026 Teaching Award in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences this year.

* * *
For information on the teaching awards, see SELL

* * *

The Award ceremony will take place on “Teaching Day,” June 23, 2026, at P.A.L.M.E.

VISIT TO THE COLOGNE BIOCENTER

(03/26)

A small group of staff and students from the institute visited the Biozentrum at the University of Cologne to take a look at the equipment used for ICP-MS analyses.

https://biologie.uni-koeln.de/department/wissenschaftliche-einrichtungen/ms-plattform

Dr. Metzger began by giving a very informative presentation to introduce the topic. This was followed by a tour of the lab, where we were able to see the equipment and experience it firsthand. We had many questions, all of which she answered. Thanks!

JOINT COLLABORATION & INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

(02/26)

A vibrant Indo‑German partnership has been funded by the SPARC program in 2025 to 2026: Professor Sanjib Kumar Panda (Chair of Plant Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, CURaj) and Professor Petra Bauer (Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, HHU) are leading a two‑year project to accelerate research on stress‑resilient, nutrient‑rich legume crops. Focusing on mungbean tolerance to acidic soils, a condition causing iron and aluminium toxicity, and common in North‑East India, the team is uncovering genes and mechanisms that control iron homeostasis and iron toxicity responses — knowledge that will drive development of hardy, high‑yielding mungbean varieties for acidic soil‑stressed regions.

The collaboration has already seen intensive exchange:

• Prof. Bauer visited CURaj twice for manuscript preparation and conference planning,
• German PhD researcher Mary Ngigi joined project discussions in India and supported a genome editing project
• and Indian PhD candidates Asha Kumari and Mayur Patel conducted physiological and transcriptomic experiments at HHU.

A highlight of these efforts, has been the CURaj-hosted international SPARC conference on 25–26 February 2026: “Advancing Plant Biotechnology for Stress Resilience and Nutritional Food Security — Chances for Legume and Orphan Crops,” bringing together experts in plant physiology, genomics, biotechnology and breeding to explore innovative solutions for food security, malnutrition and sustainable agriculture.

This partnership exemplifies the international teamwork to translate cutting‑edge science into real agricultural impact. SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration) is an initiative of India’s Ministry of Education to strengthen research ties between Indian higher-education institutions and top global universities.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DOCTORATE

(01/26)

Your doctorate is a well-deserved reward for all your hard work!

We congratulate Dr. Mary Njeri Ngigi on completing her doctorate and wish her luck, success, and all the best for her future career!

GUEST RESEARCHER AT THE INSTITUTE

(01/26)

Dr. María Bernal Ibáñez from the Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD), a research institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Zaragoza, Spain, has joined our group as a guest researcher. 

Her research focuses on the molecular analysis of the interplay between copper and iron homeostasis in crops.

ALEXANDER-VON-HUMBOLDT FELLOWSHIP

(01/26)

Dr. Hasthi Ram from National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, India, has joined our group as an "Alexander von Humboldt Fellow".

His research focuses on the functional exploration of iron homeostasis genes in rice and the development of iron biofortified rice using CRISPR-Cas technology.