Challenges facing sustainable protein production: Opportunities for cereals.

Rising demands for protein worldwide are likely to drive increases in livestock production, as meat provides ∼40% of dietary protein. This will come at a significant environmental cost, and a shift toward plant-based protein sources would therefore provide major benefits. While legumes provide substantial amounts of plant-based protein, cereals are the major constituents of global foods, with wheat alone accounting for 15-20% of the required dietary protein intake. Improvement of protein content in wheat is limited by phenotyping challenges, lack of genetic potential of modern germplasms, negative yield trade-offs, and environmental costs of nitrogen fertilizers. Presenting wheat as a case study, we discuss how increasing protein content in cereals through a revised breeding strategy combined with robust phenotyping could ensure a sustainable protein supply while minimizing the environmental impact of nitrogen fertilizer.

Careers in Industry: Pioneering Spirit Prevails at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory.

The founder of the Carlsberg brewery, J.C Jacobsen, recognized the value of private-public partnership and established the Carlsberg Foundation in 1876 with the single aim of applying research and innovation to brew the best beer. One hundred and forty years on, Jacobsen's vision still prevails, and in this interview three scientists from the Carlsberg Research Laboratory (Birgitte Skadhauge, Anna Haldrup, and Ole Olsen) share their experience about finding a career at the crossroads between industry and basic research.