Meet Silvia Shaked: Overseeing CROP4CLIMA’s vision for climate-resilient crops

Silvia Shaked’s journey into the realm of plants began some time ago at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. “My introduction to the world of plants came during my tenure there, where I was studying autophagy,” she recalls.

Since then, Silvia has built an impressive career, getting valuable experience in genetic engineering, plant biotechnology, and agricultural innovation. As Vice President of Experimental Technologies at Evogene — a computational biology company she joined in 2011— she has led projects using an artificial intelligence platform to improve critical plant traits like drought resistance and yield improvement.

Silvia recently joined the Horizon Europe project CROP4CLIMA as project coordinator, focusing on enhancing these traits and improving carbon dioxide assimilation in rapeseed crops. “I facilitate collaborations between partners and guide research activities to align with scientific and strategic objectives”, she explains.

Silvia is particularly excited about the milestones ahead, including the testing and validating of the rapeseed varieties the project aims to develop. “This outcome is crucial as it tackles the dual challenge of improving crop productivity while reducing environmental impact,” she notes.

As for the project’s European framework, Silvia values its access to cutting-edge research, a network of international experts, and the opportunity to face global challenges. “It’s great to be part of our diverse team of experts in synthetic biology, plant science, and climate science,” she said. “We are sharing knowledge and coordinating experiments to integrate our expertise and meet the project’s goals.”

With Silvia’s leadership and expertise guiding CROP4CLIMA, the consortium is in good hands and set to develop climate-resilient rapeseed crops. “These new advances could help us rely less on fertilizers and irrigation, which is better for the environment. By boosting drought resistance and carbon uptake, our team wants to provide solutions to grow more food while cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.”