Director emeritus VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology | Laureate of the World Agriculture Prize 2017 | Member of the Scientific Council of the ERC

Joined March 2016
134 Photos and videos
Dirk Inze retweeted
Big step forward for gene editing and innovation in Europe 🇪🇺🌱 The EU Council has officially adopted new rules on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), creating a clearer, science-based framework for gene-edited crops. This opens the door to faster development of climate-resilient, pest-resistant, and more sustainable crops—while boosting competitiveness across the agri-food system. After years of debate, Europe is finally aligning regulation with scientific progress. 🔗 Link: consilium.europa.eu/en/press… #GeneEditing #CRISPR #NGTs #Biotechnology #AgTech #FoodSecurity #EU #PrecisionBreeding
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Generation of Brassica napus with enhanced Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resistance through CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated inhibition of the PROTEOLYSIS6 N‐degron pathway nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Good news. Took a long time.
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Our Scientific Council met for the first plenary in its new constellation! Meet our six new members and our three new Vice-Presidents: link.europa.eu/NdwjMm Learn more about our independent governing body: link.europa.eu/CPH7DW
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Dirk Inze retweeted
📢 ✅ The European Parliament’s ENVI Committee has approved the NGT compromise text with a strong majority. A key step forward for EU plant breeders & farmers, bringing the regulation closer to adoption. Next steps: Council confirmation and final votes in the coming months. 🌱🌾 Read our press release 📰➡️ tinyurl.com/5favm77p #GrowingTheFuture #NGTs
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Would You Eat This Purple Tomato? The purple tomato with a snapdragon gene is packed with powerful, cancer-fighting anthocyanins, the same compounds found in blueberries, purple cabbages, and plums atlasobscura.com/articles/no…
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Here are some facts and figures from the 2025 Consolidator Grant call: 🔶 €728 million in funding 🔶 349 mid-career researchers from Europe and beyond 🔶 44 different nationalities All of them pushing the frontiers of knowledge. Congratulations!
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Dirk Inze retweeted
12 Oct 2025
Hamas is the only army in the world that wears civilian clothes during war and puts on uniforms during ceasefires.
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4 Oct 2025
RT @sapinker: The French Revolution was a disaster: killed 2 million people, led to the rise of Napoleon--perhaps the world's first totalit…
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Maria Leptin re-appointed as ERC President 🇪🇺 ERC Vice Presidents: This is excellent, ensuring continuity at a critical moment. On behalf of the Scientific Council, we thank Maria for her leadership & strong commitment that has taken ERC to new heights. erc.europa.eu/news-events/ne…
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Cocoa production has been increasing threatened by disease. Gene editing has contributed to developing disease resistant cocoa. Gene editing can contribute to mitigating many production threats. It boggles the mind that organics & eNGOs are opposed. psu.edu/news/research/story/…
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Dirk Inze retweeted
The world can count on Europe's climate leadership. Our Nationally Determined Contribution will range between 66.25% and 72.5%. And we are working full speed on -90% by 2040. We are on our way to climate neutrality ↓ x.com/i/broadcasts/1ypJdqyZZ…
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Dirk Inze retweeted
"We don't hire smart people to tell them what to do, we hire them to tell us what to do." ERC grantee Jan Lagerwall (quoting Steve Jobs), during #RIDaysEU discussion of how a bottom up approach, supporting investigator-driven frontier research, helps us meet future challenges.
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Dirk Inze retweeted
👏 India releasing two rice varieties developed through genome editing, at a public sector research lab. Way to go!
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Dirk Inze retweeted
"In five to 10 years, gene technologies can achieve what a selective [apple] breeding programme would take 60 years to do. Thanks to the impacts of climate change, the industry can't wait 60 years. Climate change will have buggered us by then." rnz.co.nz/news/what-you-need…
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Dirk Inze retweeted
📣 Good news: 281 top researchers have just won ERC Advanced Grants! The new funding, worth nearly €721 million, is part of the 🇪🇺 EU’s #HorizonEurope programme. Read more 👉 europa.eu/!JYKxkD #ERCAdG #FrontierResearch @EUScienceInnov
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Dirk Inze retweeted
A newly published report highlights the results of ERC Proof of Concept (#ERCPoC) funding between 2014 and 2023. During this period, 1 731 projects across 30 EU and Associated Countries were supported, with a total investment of €259 million. 👉 europa.eu/!HT4FMV
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Dirk Inze retweeted
Pleasure to meet the President of the @ERC_Research @mleptin. Europe's strength and competitiveness depend heavily on our R&D ecosystem and ability to turn scientific achievements into commercial success stories. For that, cutting the red-tape & excessive regulation must be among top priorities of the EU agenda.
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Dirk Inze retweeted
EU research proposes dual system: one EU-wide organic label for “organic without NGTs” and another for “organic with NGTs,” so preserving transparency and consumer choice while allowing more progressive organic farmers to benefit from targeted innovation. seedworld.com/europe/2025/06…
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