Prof. Dr. Wolf B. Wolf Frommer has been named a Highly Cited Researcher for 2025 by Clarivate. This recognition counts among the most respected indicators of outstanding scientific achievement, reflecting the exceptional impact of his research within the global scientific community.

Clarivate awards the title “Highly Cited Researcher” annually to researchers whose publications are cited with particular frequency within their respective fields. The distinction is based on analyses of the Web of Science and the Science Citation Index and highlights individuals whose work has significantly shaped and advanced scientific knowledge.

In the current issue of Nature Biotechnology, researchers from the Healthy Crops Project describe how long-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) can be used to reliably verify that no foreign DNA remains in genome-edited plants. The study shows that long-read WGS is currently the most reliable method for meeting regulatory requirements for the release of such plants (link to publication).

In a recent publication in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, the Healthy Crops Team describes methods for the safe removal of transgenes from genome-edited rice plants. The study shows that targeted crossbreeding and the use of long-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) can be used to verify that foreign DNA has been completely removed. It was also demonstrated that the edits made had no impact on yield or plant growth (link to publication).

The Healthy Crops project was awarded first place in this year's Bio-Gründer Wettbewerb 2025 (Organic Start-up Competition 2025). The international research team is developing disease-resistant rice varieties that are particularly suitable for cultivation in Africa and Asia. By using modern biotechnological methods, the project is making a decisive contribution to reducing crop failures, strengthening local agricultural systems, and improving long-term food security in particularly affected regions. (more…)

A new eLife reviewed preprint reports that several proteins previously known from nuclear pores are also found at plasmodesmata – the channels that connect plant cells and enable intercellular communication. The authors identified around 20 nucleoporins (NUPs) in plasmodesmata-enriched fractions and confirmed dual localization for several of them at both nuclear pores and cell junctions. Notably, the transmembrane protein CPR5 appears to be positioned near plasmodesmata openings, potentially influencing cell-to-cell transport. These findings suggest that plasmodesmata and nuclear pores may share similar molecular gating mechanisms. While further functional studies are needed, the results open new perspectives on how plants regulate intercellular exchange. (link to publication).