With an increasing interest in sustainability and the circular economy, research in duckweed biology and duckweed-based applications has rapidly intensified over the last 10-15 years. So, where does a budding investigator with an interest in duckweeds start?
Fortunately, the duckweed research community is exceptionally well organised, thanks to the “International Steering Committee on Duckweed Research and Applications” (ISCDRA) which plays a critical role in coordinating various research and development activities. The committee comprises five members, at least one of whom is an industry representative. ISCDRA spans the entire field – from basic research to commercial applications – resulting in many synergistic interactions.
A key ISCDRA activity is the organisation of the biennial ICDRA conference, the most recent of which took place in Thailand in November 2024. The next conference is scheduled to take place in Italy in the autumn of 2027. These conferences are prime networking activities, inspiring researchers and linking fundamental research to commercial applications. In addition, small-scale local workshops typically take place in the intervening years.
Another ISCDRA activity is the publication of the free quarterly newsletter, the “Duckweed Forum”. This newsletter addresses issues critical to the entire community, such as the use of standardised terminology for clones and strains, standardised identification methods for duckweed species (important, as many duckweed species appear visually similar), and improved cultivation methods. The “Duckweed Forum” also captures and highlights recent publications, and shares informal “behind-the-scenes” reports on key publications.
Finally, the community hosts several duckweed stock centres, which are a critical resource for duckweed species and clones. Historically, the first stock collection was gathered and curated by the “father of duckweed biology”, Prof. Elias Landolt, at ETH Zürich in Switzerland. Major parts of this collection are now present in the Rutgers Duckweed Stock Cooperative, with smaller collections located in various countries. New duckweed researchers are strongly encouraged to begin their work with a well-characterised line from one of these stock centres rather than using a wild-collected, unidentified species.
The IMPRESS work at University College Cork is centred on the use of Lemna minor “Blarney” which is a clone collected in 2010 in the south of Ireland by Dr Lahive and Prof. Jansen. Since then, the clone has been fully sequenced by Dr van Hoeck et al. (2015), unambiguously identifying the species as Lemna minor.
Whether you’re a researcher or entrepreneur, the duckweed community has much to offer, along with a supportive global network. Explore more on the ISCDRA website: http://www.ruduckweed.org/. All issues of the Duckweed Forum can be downloaded from the site, along with details of the current ISCDRA committee members.
References
Acosta, K., Appenroth, K.J., Borisjuk, L., Edelman, M., Heinig, U., Jansen, M.A.K, Oyama, T., Pasaribu, B., Schubert, I., Sorrels, S. and Sree, K.S., 2021. Return of the Lemnaceae: Duckweed as a model plant system in the genomics and postgenomics era. The Plant Cell, 33(10), pp.3207-3234.
Lahive, E., O’Halloran, J. and Jansen, M.A.K., 2011. Differential sensitivity of four Lemnaceae species to zinc sulphate. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 71(1), pp.25-33.
Van Hoeck, A., Horemans, N., Monsieurs, P., Cao, H.X., Vandenhove, H. and Blust, R., 2015. The first draft genome of the aquatic model plant Lemna minor opens the route for future stress physiology research and biotechnological applications. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 8, pp.1-13.
The article was written by University College Cork.
All photographs in this article are sourced from University College Cork and Envato Elements.
