Identification of antibacterial and antifungal natural products from and for the grapevine Vitis vinifera

Topic:	STEM impulses
Type of funding:	Individual funding programmes
Programme:	CZS research boost
Funded institution:	Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Prof. Dr. Lena Keller, Professor of Oenology and Process Engineering at the HS Kaiserslautern Wine Campus Neustadt, is researching antibacterial and antifungal natural substances from and for grapevines (Vitis vinifera) in the project.

Goals

The aim of the project is to identify and characterize new antimicrobial natural substances from wine by-products. In addition to the function of these substances for the grapevine, their potential use for the development of new drugs is being considered in cooperation with the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland. In the selection of grapevines, the focus is on fungus-resistant grape varieties for sustainable viticulture.

In the long term, Prof. Keller's research vision aims at expanding the research location in the analysis of must and wine constituents as well as in natural product research. In addition, a link to biotechnology and pharmaceutical research is being sought.