The five milestones of chair Richard Visser

If anything has characterised Visser’s work over the years, it would be that he is willing to look outside the box. “If someone tells me that something can't be done, without providing convincing arguments, that's just an incentive for me to try. Sometimes you just need to look at things from a different perspective. New technologies and methods make it possible to do that. Because at the end of the day more than one road leads to Rome."

1. Fundamental research into starch (1989 – 1997)

"One of the first studies I did at Wageningen University & Research was related to potato starch. Some research had already been done on this in Wageningen, but that had been applied research into starch functionality. I was the first person at WUR to do fundamental research into starch biosynthesis. At one point, we worked with starch producer AVEBE using genetic modification to create a potential variety with only one type of starch, amylopectin. A single type of starch has advantages in processing a variety. Because former Minister Pronk had banned GMO cultivation, it never led to real production.

For this research, we were able to buy equipment and set up a starch analysis lab relatively cheaply through Mibiton - a foundation that had just been set up through the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It would have been far too expensive otherwise. So we were one of the first institutes in the Netherlands to perform analyses on a very small scale. Based on just 1 to 2 milligrams, we could already say something about the starch and its properties. Initially, we were also a service lab for companies, but later we started using the lab exclusively for scientific purposes."

2. First publication in Nature (2004)

"Publishing in the academic journal Nature is the holy grail for researchers. I was very proud when a publication which I had co-authored appeared in Nature in 2004. That research was about placing genetically modified crops in their centre of origin. For potatoes, that’s Peru. We studied the potential risks and challenges involved, such as the threats to wild potato species and the potential impact on the ecosystem.

It just took around 10 to 15 years for our publication in Nature to be cited. This was mainly because placing GMOs in nature wasn’t a popular research topic at the beginning of this century because of all the sensitivities. That only changed later and more researchers became involved. I think our publication has now been referred to more than a hundred times from other studies. So we were really simply too far ahead of our time."

3. Demonstrating Erwinia resistance (2012 - present)

"Before starting at Wageningen, I did a research internship on photosynthetic bacteria at the University of Warwick. There I met someone who was working on Erwinia bacteria. This can cause diseases in potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. When I came to Wageningen, I thought it would be interesting to do research on Erwinia resistance. However, the chair group administrator at the time thought otherwise. His view was that microbiological research had no place in the plant breeding department.

So I left it, but it always stayed in my head. Also because more and more experts were saying that no resistance could be found against it. Even though I was convinced that it must exist. About 15 years later, I took it up with a postdoctoral researcher. Tests then revealed a number of wild species that may have resistance genes. Other researchers subsequently took this further and two PhD candidates are currently continuing research on Erwinia resistance at Plant Breeding. For me, the Erwinia research is a good example of being willing to persevere and try new ways."

4. Research into 'smaller' diseases (2017 - present)

"The more seeds and crops we take around the world, the more likely diseases are to spread. A disease that is a problem in Brazil today may pop up in Europe the day after tomorrow. We need to be properly prepared for that scenario. A disease can wipe out an entire production somewhere in no time. So about seven years ago, we started a major research project on smaller diseases in potato through the Holland Innovative Potato (HIP) initiative. These are diseases that are not currently prevalent or are still manageable in Europe but could become more extensive and threatening.

To prevent that, we need good testing methods. These allow us to detect at an early stage in wild and cultivated species whether a disease is present and whether the species has resistance. For about 10 minor diseases in potatoes, we have now detected potential sources of resistance and developed testing methods that enable us to demonstrate presence of the disease. If the disease then shows up somewhere, we can act quickly and prevent it from becoming a bigger problem."

5. Reuse of data (2005 - present)

“In around the year 2000, we did a large field experiment with a segregating population of diploid potato. The aim was to create a dataset with information from different genotypes on root system, leaf and tuber development, among other things. With similar experiments in Finland, Ecuador, Japan and Ethiopia, we were able to expand this dataset even further. However, putting these data together was a huge undertaking. Every country has a different way of collecting, processing and storing data. The principle that data should be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) didn’t exist back then.

Over the years, at WUR we’ve worked with several researchers to harmonise these data. One of them was also involved in developing the FAIR principle in an EU partnership. Thanks to this harmonisation, the data have been immensely valuable in further research into the development of above- and below-ground tissues and their genetics. This has led to various PhD theses and publications. We also try to use the data to make predictions. In partnership with technology company IBM, we have not only been able to unravel the network of genes and metabolites involved in the colour of potato flesh, but also detected a network that predicts the number of tubers."

A paid hobby

Visser feels good when he looks back on his career in Wageningen. "I’ve been able to pursue my hobby of doing research - and get paid for it. Because I found lots of things interesting, I was always able to find enough variety and challenge in them. Managing a group or department was not only energising, but also very interesting. You are engaging with science in a different way: you are facilitating research for others."

Opportunities for Plant Breeding

For the future, Visser is particularly interested to see how his research field will develop. "There are many challenges, especially in terms of quantitative attributes such as yield, sustainability and climate resilience. Those are the traits that ultimately really matter, so there are distinct opportunities for Plant Breeding there. On behalf of Wageningen University & Research, I will continue to be involved in Vertical Farming projects in Singapore and China in the coming years. I will also help the remaining PhD candidates complete their theses. That’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing, so I look forward to that."