Passion for chemical ecology
Benjamin Fuchs, a researcher in chemical ecology, has made the leap from Germany via Finland to Aarhus University in Denmark to continue his research in sustainable crop production. With a holistic approach to utilise biodiversity and specifically plant chemical diversity, his research aims for a sustainable transformation of agriculture.
Benjamin Fuchs' journey began in Germany, where he studied biology with a focus on ecology and pharmaceutical biology. "I became fascinated by how plant chemicals provide explanations for interactions between plants and surrounding organisms," he says. This fascination led him to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical ecology, where he studied so-called grass endophytes and their role in plant defence. "Microbe-assisted plant defence can be very dynamic and complex, and is affected by multiple biotic and abiotic factors," he explains.
Fact box: Grass endophytes Grass endophytes are fungi that live in symbiosis with grass plants. These fungi infect the grass without causing disease, and they live in a mutually beneficial relationship with the plant. The endophytes receive protection and nutrients from the grass, while the grass benefits from increased resistance to insects and better drought tolerance. |
From teaching in Berlin to research on pesticide pollution in Finland
After his Ph.D., Benjamin Fuchs took a position at Freie Universität Berlin, where he passed on his passion for chemical ecology to Biology students as university lecturer, until he received a Postdoctoral Fellow grant from the Finnish Research Council to pursue his research on chemical ecology of plant-insect interactions at the University of Turku, Finland.
He went to Finland with the goal to unravel mechanisms in microbe-mediated plant defence but very soon became intrigued to study the impact of pesticide pollution in soil on species interactions in agricultural ecosystems. His chemical ecology expertise was an excellent fit to the Finnish research group studying the effect of pesticide pollution on multiple non-target species aiming for a holistic understanding. In field-realistic setups, his research unravelled how glyphosate pollution in soil affects plant biochemistry, metabolite biosynthesis and cascading effects on plant-insect interactions.
"Applied research on topical issues in crop production provides the possibility to have a significant impact on the development of the agriculture of the future," he says.
The project in Finland
One of Benjamin Fuchs' projects in Finland focuses on how glyphosate pollution in the soil affects interactions between crops, microorganisms and insects. "We found that glyphosate residues in soil affect the plants' phytohormones differently depending on the crop species," he explains. "For example, potatoes showed a strong response, probably because their tubers are constantly in contact with the pollutant in the soil," he explains. The project in Finland also involves a Ph.D. student whom Benjamin Fuchs continues to supervise even after moving to Denmark.
Fact box: What are phytohormones? Phytohormones, also known as plant hormones, are phytochemical compounds that regulate growth and development in plants. They play a crucial role in the plants' response to environmental stimuli and stress factors. |
A new beginning in Denmark
When Benjamin Fuchs saw the opening in Denmark entitled “Chemical Ecology of Agricultural Crops”, it resonated with his passion to connect to fellow researcher aiming for the green transition in agriculture.
"The aim is to build a network and a research community to scale up my research and collaborate directly with farmers and the agricultural industry," he says. As a tenure track assistant professor at the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Benjamin Fuchs is working on utilising smart and sustainable alternatives to the use of chemical pesticides. “Plants possess so many dynamic and fine-tuned strategies of protection and now it’s the time for us to understand and utilise these to foster a zero-input agriculture of the future” he adds.
Benjamin Fuchs has received a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation of 4 million DKK. "Receiving this funding provides a kick start into building my research group at AU” he says. "I want to find sustainable ways to control pest insects and weeds by using the power of species interactions, where biodiversity and chemical diversity will be a central component in sustainable practice as ecosystem services” he explains. “There are so many unexplored factettes to species interactions in agroecosystems, waiting to be implemented into a regenerative future”, he adds.
More information
Contact: Tenure Track Benjamin Fuchs, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University. E-mail: bf@agro.au.dk