NWO Open Competition Science-M1 grant for GELIFES researchers

GELIFES researchers Kira Tiedge (principle PI) and Casper van der Kooi (co-PI) have received an Open Competition Science-M grant of EUR 350,000 from the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

How do flower colours and odour signal to pollinators?

Plants attract pollinators via brightly coloured, fragrant flowers. Visiting pollinators obtain a nutritious reward such as pollen and nectar. This project studies the evolution of flower colour and fragrance with regard to pollinators’ visual and olfactory systems. It determines whether colour and scent convey information on the composition of floral rewards. The results of this project will yield fundamental insights into the interaction of plants and pollinators and have applied relevance for, for example, food production and conservation biology.

NWO Open Competition Domain Science-M

M-grants are intended for realizing curiosity-driven, fundamental research of high quality and / or scientific urgency. The grant offers researchers the possibility to elaborate creative and risky ideas and to realise scientific innovations that can form the basis for the research themes of the future.