On May 13, 2024, the first PhD projects within the Wallenberg Initiatives in Forest Research research school were approved. These projects are carried out in collaboration with industry and focus on forest genetics and breeding. Their aim is to provide knowledge for adapting forests to a changing climate and to develop methods for using environmental DNA to assess forest biodiversity.
The approved projects:
Malin Elfstrand, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, SLU and Södra, Stress tolerant trees for the future climate
Rosario García Gil, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU and Sveaskog, Development of a tool for drought assessment in Norway spruce and Scots pine
Judith Lundberg-Felten, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, SLU and Holmen, The capacity of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the Suillus genus to enhance plant drought resistance
Nathaniel Street, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå universitet and Stora Enso Establishing standardised protocols for the use of environmental DNA sequencing to assess biodiversity of forests
Harry Wu, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU and SCA, Adapting Scots pine breeding populations to climate changes
Harry Wu, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU and Skogforsk, Breeding for drought resistance in Norway spruce