Research
Research groups
Plant functional genomics
The Chair of Plant Functional Genomics studies plant traits related to healthy food and sustainable agriculture. Climate change and declining biodiversity make it necessary to understand the basis of natural variation observed in breeding lines. Our vision is that understanding this variation will be the basis for defining strategies to further strengthen important traits to make plants more resilient to stress, more nutritious and therefore healthier.

Plant Envirogenetics
Plant Envirogenetics is the study of the interaction between genetics and environmental factors in relation to the phenotype of the plant. At Maastricht University we are particularly interested in quality traits, such as taste and nutritional value of vegetables. We investigate the relative contribution of the plant’s genetics, its growth conditions and the postharvest handling methodology.

Controlled Environment Agriculture engineering
Research in CEA engineering focuses on optimizing various factors like climate control, LED lighting technology, hydroponics, and aeroponics to enhance plant growth and crop yield. Advanced climate control systems, AI and ML integration, and energy-efficient practices are explored to make CEA sustainable and economically viable.
