University Research Collaboration

Scientists in England have been testing a simple but promising idea that could help farmers reduce their reliance on pesticides: planting long strips of wildflowers directly through crop fields. Traditionally, wildflowers are planted only around the edges of fields. These flower-rich borders attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies, parasitic wasps, and ground beetles, which naturally feed on crop pests. While this method has been successful, researchers found that these helpful insects often struggle to reach the middle of large fields, allowing pests to thrive farther from the field edges. To solve this problem, researchers from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology launched a five-year trial on 15 farms across central and eastern England. Instead of placing flowers only along the borders, they created six-meter-wide strips of wildflowers running through the fields. These strips occupy just 2% of the total farmland while giving beneficial insects easier access to the entire crop area. The wildflower mixes include species such as oxeye daisies, red clover, common knapweed, and wild carrot. Scientists hope these plants will provide food and shelter for insects that naturally control pests like aphids, reducing the need for chemical treatments. Modern GPS-guided farming equipment has made this approach more practical. Harvesters can now accurately work around the flower strips, allowing them to remain in place year-round as safe habitats for beneficial insects. Researchers are monitoring how well the system works across different crops, including winter wheat, oilseed rape, and spring barley. They are also studying whether attracting insects into the middle of fields could expose them to more pesticides and unintentionally harm them. Similar experiments are taking place in Switzerland, where farmers are using flowers such as cornflowers, coriander, buckwheat, poppies, and dill. Scientists hope these habitats will create stable populations of beneficial insects that keep pest numbers low from year to year. The project comes at a time of growing concern about the environmental effects of pesticides. Many studies have linked heavy pesticide use to declining insect populations and other ecological problems. Some experts argue that many farms could significantly reduce pesticide use without harming crop production. However, agricultural specialists caution that pesticides may still be necessary during years when severe pest outbreaks occur. They believe the goal should be smarter, more targeted use rather than complete elimination. If successful, these flower-strip projects could offer farmers a practical way to protect crops, support wildlife, and reduce dependence on chemical pesticides while maintaining healthy harvests.

A 12-year-old girl in Vietnam has been declared cancer-free after fighting an aggressive form of leukemia - a victory that would have seemed impossible just years ago. She had exhausted conventional treatments, including a bone marrow transplant. When options ran out, hope came from a cutting-edge therapy: CAR-T, a “living drug” that transforms a patient’s own immune system into a precision weapon against cancer. What makes this breakthrough even more extraordinary is global collaboration. Her immune cells were harvested locally, sent across borders to Taiwanese specialists for genetic reprogramming, and returned to her body to hunt down the disease. Science, expertise, and care converged across countries - and lives were changed. This story is a lesson for healthcare and leadership alike: bold innovation, relentless perseverance, and seamless cooperation can turn the impossible into reality. In our work, in our teams, in our lives, the greatest breakthroughs come when we combine vision with courage, and knowledge with collaboration. #Healthcare #Innovation #GlobalHealth #Oncology #Leadership #Collaboration #Breakthroughs #PatientCare

WHY AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH OFTEN FAILS TO REACH FARMERS — A Consultant’s Perspective Having worked with dozens of cooperatives, farmer groups, and agrifood projects across Kenya, I’ve seen a pattern that’s hard to ignore: Agricultural research is abundant. Impact on the ground? Minimal. Why? Research is often academic, not practical. Brilliant findings end up in journals, not in farmers’ hands. Most farmers I work with have never seen or heard of the latest research that could transform their yields or earnings. Top-down approaches dominate. Solutions are designed in labs or research stations with minimal farmer involvement. Yet, farmers are the experts of their own environments. Poor extension linkages. Even when good innovations exist, there’s a huge gap between research institutions and grassroots extension systems. As consultants, we often end up "translating" research that should have been made farmer-friendly from the start. No market lens. Research tends to focus on production. But farmers ask: “Will it sell? Is it profitable?” Without market integration, innovation is just theory. Feedback is ignored. Farmers are rarely involved in evaluating what works or doesn’t. We need more participatory learning, less top-down training. From a consultant’s view, the solution is not just more research—but more relevant, inclusive, and actionable research. Let’s invest in: Co-creating with farmers, Bridging research with market realities, Translating findings into practical guides, audio-visuals, and demos, Strengthening extension and private sector partnerships. The knowledge exists. The gap is in the approach. Farmers don’t need more data—they need results. #Agriculture #FarmersFirst #ResearchToImpact #KenyaFarming #AgriConsulting #FoodSystems #ValueAddition #DairyDevelopment #ExtensionServices #AgriPolicy #AfricanAgriculture

I am very excited to share a new preprint where we entirely de novo #designed proteins that are able to neutralise 🐍 #snake #venom #toxins in vivo. 📎 You can find the preprint here: https://lnkd.in/dzF-pyDN This is the result of a #collaboration with an amazing group of people. I want to particularly thank Susana Vazquez Torres and David Baker for their commitment to this project! However, many more brilliant scientists were key to this project's success: Melisa Benard Valle, PhD, Stephen Mackessy, Stefanie Menzies, Nicholas Casewell, Shirin Ahmadi, Nick J. B., Edin M., Isaac Sappington, Max Overath, Esperanza Rivera de Torre, Jann Ledergerber, Andreas Laustsen-Kiel, Kim Boddum, Asim Bera, Alex Kang, Evans Brackenbrough, Iara Aimê Cardoso, Edouard Crittenden, Rebecca Edge, Justin Decarreau, Robert Ragotte, Arvind Pillai, mohamad abedi, Hannah Han, Stacey Gerben, Analisa Murray, Rebecca Skotheim, Lynda Stuart MD PhD, Lance Stewart, and Thomas Fryer. It's amazing what can be done over the course of a year when you effectively collaborate across institutions (DTU Bioengineering, University of Washington, University of Northern Colorado, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology), disciplines, and countries. 🌍🔬 It's incredible how #biologics discovery has been revolutionised by #AI tools such as #RFdiffusion. 🤖 Being able to detect high affinity, epitope specific, stable, and neutralising binders out of 100 or less tested designs, given nothing more than a target structure is game changing (we demonstrate that both experimental or AF2 predictions can work). This is just the first step towards unlocking the full potential that #generativeAI brings to therapeutics and in particular #neglected #diseases such as #snakebite. 🧬💉 Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, DTU - Technical University of Denmark

Don't go it alone - collaborate to deliver global impact with your research! Delighted to share findings from our newly published pilot-scale study on CO₂ capture heat integration. It's exciting not only because of new approach to reducing the reboiler duty by 6% and cooling duty by 24%, resulting in operating cost savings of CO2 capture. It's exciting because it proves that collaboration is essential for credible, impactful research. Our team brought together multi-institutional expertise, industrial partners, and real-world site access on a coal-fired power plant. This work was possible because this collaboration enabled: - Access to infrastructure - Operating a mobile pilot on a live power plant requires partnerships beyond any single lab. - Data rigour - Validating marginal energy gains demanded cross-disciplinary expertise, including thermodynamics, advanced data reconciliation, and process engineering. - Industrial validation - Co-developing with site operators built credibility and practical insight from day one. - Diverse expertise - Chemistry + engineering + simulation + field operations. Individual researchers miss insights that teams can easily identify. The lesson: Impact = great ideas + rigorous execution + real-world validation. Collaboration is how you deliver all three. If you're pursuing energy research with genuine traction, treat collaboration as a core strategy, not optional. Build networks early. Your best work will come from teams you haven't yet assembled. #science #research #scientist #researcher #professor #phd #CCUS #engineering

When #Technology Meets #Humanity: Research Making a Global Impact Imagine moving a robotic arm with nothing but your mind. It sounds like science fiction, but thanks to groundbreaking research—enabled by years of collaboration and dedication across institutions—it’s now a reality. At Chalmers University of Technology, we are proud to be at the forefront of this innovation in brain-computer interface (#BCI) technology. This research is not just restoring movement for individuals with paralysis—it’s restoring independence, dignity, and hope. This incredible achievement, featured in The Times and Le Monde, would not have been possible without the global research community’s collective efforts. It’s a testament to the power of science and collaboration to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible. We are also proud to announce that this work has been published in Science Magazine, marking a significant milestone in addressing some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. A heartfelt thanks to the dedicated researchers behind this breakthrough, including Dr. Giacomo Valle at Chalmers, and our incredible collaborators: University of Chicago: Ali H. Alamri, John E. Downey, Patrick M. Jordan, Anton R. Sobinov, Linnea J. Endsley, Dillan Prasad, Peter C. Warnke, Nicholas G. Hatsopoulos, Charles M. Greenspon, Sliman J. Bensmaia University of Pittsburgh: Robin Lienkämper, Michael L. Boninger, Jennifer L. Collinger, Robert A. Gaunt Northwestern University: Lee E. Miller This work exemplifies what we mean by "technology for a better world"—not innovation for its own sake, but innovation that transforms lives. Curious to learn more? Read the full article in The Times: https://lnkd.in/dFVvbg2M This is what science can achieve when curiosity and collaboration meet. What other areas of innovation do you believe will transform lives in the near future?

From Boardrooms to Barnyards: Learning from Farmers to Decode Agriculture!! In the ever-evolving world of agriculture, where technology meets tradition, the key to real progress lies not just in innovative ideas but in validating them where they matter most – on the farm. While concepts, frameworks, and technologies may be conceived in boardrooms or laboratories, their true potential is tested and realized in the fields. Farmers, with their hands in the soil and eyes on the skies, hold centuries of practical wisdom. They are not only the end-users of innovations but also the co-creators, shaping solutions to fit the realities of diverse agricultural landscapes. Farming is an intricate blend of science and art, deeply influenced by nature's unpredictability. No simulation can perfectly replicate the challenges farmers face – from erratic weather patterns to fluctuating market demands. This is why stepping into their world and learning from their experiences is essential for anyone aspiring to make a meaningful impact in the agriculture sector. The farm is a dynamic classroom. It teaches us resilience when crops fail, ingenuity when resources are scarce, and adaptability in the face of unforeseen challenges. It’s on the farm that we see how digital tools, sustainable practices, or advanced inputs translate into tangible outcomes – or don’t. Farmers provide insights that no academic paper or market study can offer, bridging the gap between theoretical solutions and practical application. As someone deeply invested in agriculture and food systems, I’ve realized that the best innovations stem from listening to farmers and co-developing solutions with them. A drone that detects pests, a seed variety that resists drought, a bio fertilizer which reduces cost of cultivation, or a blockchain system for traceability – all must align with a farmer’s needs, constraints, and aspirations. Without their feedback and validation, even the most groundbreaking idea risks irrelevance. Let us not forget that farmers are the backbone of our global food system. Respecting their knowledge and collaborating with them is not just a necessity but a responsibility. The future of agriculture lies in this synergy – where boardroom strategies meet on-ground realities. So, let’s step out of the comfort of our air-conditioned rooms and into the fields. Let’s make farmers our teachers, and together, let’s decode the complexities of agriculture to build a more resilient and sustainable future. What lessons have you learned from farmers? Share your experiences in the comments!

Leadership part 41 Collaboration rather than Competition True leadership is not about standing above others, but about bringing others together to rise collectively. 1. Meaning Collaborative leadership means: • You don’t try to defeat people around you • You try to connect strengths, align goals, and multiply outcomes • You shift from “I lead” → “We achieve” 2. Competitive vs Collaborative Leadership Competitive mindset: • “How do I outperform others?” • Information is power → so it is hidden • Credit is personal • Short-term victory, long-term isolation Collaborative mindset: • “How do we win together?” • Information is shared • Credit is shared • Long-term trust and scalable success 3. Why collaboration creates stronger leaders • Builds trust (people follow leaders they trust, not fear) • Increases innovation (diverse thinking creates better solutions) • Improves speed of execution (less internal conflict) • Creates resilient systems (not dependent on one person) 4. Real leadership example A manager who says: • Competitive: “Only my idea will be implemented” • Collaborative: “Let’s combine your idea + my idea + team feedback” The second leader produces better results because the team feels ownership, not control. 5. Core leadership principle A leader’s success is measured not by how many followers he has, but by how many leaders he creates. 6. Bhagavad Gita insight The Gita emphasizes Lokasangraha (welfare of all). Krishna leads not by ego, but by aligning people toward dharma (right action). This is leadership through collaboration: • guiding Arjuna, not replacing him • empowering action, not controlling outcomes 7. Daily leadership application • In school/work: ask “What do you think?” before deciding • In teams: give credit publicly, correct privately • In conflict: solve problem, not win argument • In growth: build people, not just results Final thought Competition builds individuals. Collaboration builds systems, movements, and nations. A great leader doesn’t shine alone—he lights others so the whole environment becomes brighter. By Acharya Viren Shah

Cross-disciplinary science teams are being asked to solve increasingly complex problems—but many of our leadership habits are still built for a simpler world. I’ve been re-reading Dr. Gemma Jiang’s 2023 paper on collaborative leadership in team science, which frames these teams as complex adaptive systems and then asks a practical question: how do we actually lead when outcomes are emergent, not predictable? The article highlights three recurring pitfalls: 1. Perpetual sensemaking with no real decisions or actions 2. Decisions made by a small inner circle without inclusive sensemaking, undermining both quality and buy‑in. 3. Rigid adherence to initial plans even as context shifts, treating the project plan as “the bible.” To move beyond these traps, Gemma brings together three conceptual frameworks that, in effect, act as lightweight operating systems for collaborative leadership: >> Theory U – Encourages teams to go “down the left side of the U” into deep, inclusive sensemaking before committing to action, linking the depth of inquiry to the quality of outcomes. >> Divergence–Convergence Double Diamond – Makes visible the oscillation between divergence and convergence in both sensemaking and action, including the inevitable “groan zone” where integrating diverse perspectives feels hard but is essential for innovation. >> Strategic Doing – Replaces long, hierarchical planning cycles with fast iterations and “pathfinder projects,” integrating thinkers and doers in short loops of sensemaking, deciding, and acting. What I find especially useful is how these frameworks shift leadership from a person to a process: distributed leadership becomes the disciplined practice of structuring conversations so that coherence, decision making, and actions continually inform one another. For those working in large, multi-institutional projects—or building innovation platforms and ecosystems—this paper offers a practical way to design the rules of engagement so that adaptive behavior can emerge without generating chaos or reverting to the rigidities of command‑and‑control practices.

Plant breeding as a systems intervention recognizes that developing improved crop varieties must be coupled with the seed delivery, agronomic, institutional, and market systems that determine whether smallholder farmers actually benefit. It maps the feedbacks among genetic traits, local farming practices, seed‐multiplication and distribution channels, and value‐chain incentives to identify leverage points for poverty reduction. By designing both the varieties (e.g. stress tolerance, yield) and the supporting pathways (community seed enterprises, gender‐sensitive extension, market linkages), programs ensure new seeds are affordable, adoptable, and profitable for resource‐poor households. Institutional innovations—such as public–private partnerships and farmer field schools—amplify the impact of genetic gains by strengthening local capacity and trust. A systems‐thinking approach aligns breeding objectives with farmers’ livelihoods, policy environments, and market demands to create sustainable pathways out of rural poverty. The Dryland Crops Program of CIMMYT and the Africa Dryland Crops Improvement Network (ADCIN) embed systems thinking by co-designing breeding goals with farmers, national research bodies, seed companies, and market actors (the Product Design Team!) to ensure traits meet local needs. They share breeding pipelines with national partners to increase ownership, accountability and capacity of NARES, implementing modern breeding schemes. They strengthen seed delivery through community seed enterprises, quality-declared seed production, and training “lead farmers” so improved varieties actually reach remote dryland areas. Participatory varietal selection and gender-responsive extension capture both men’s and women’s preferences, refining breeding targets and maximizing adoption. Finally, they engage with regional policy bodies to speed variety release and link producer groups with buyers, aligning genetic gains with market demands and ensuring sustainable livelihood impacts.