New Research Hub Strengthens Sterile Insect Technique Science
18 May 2026
The Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) has officially inaugurated the Liebig Centre for Agroecology and Climate Impact Research on 12 May 2026 — a development of direct relevance to the REACT project and the broader scientific community working on Sterile Insect Technique (SIT).
The Liebig Centre is the first institution in Germany to formalise a cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), partnering with the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. Its remit spans sustainable crop protection, climate-resilient agriculture, and the development of biotechnological tools for pest management — fields that sit at the core of REACT’s work.
A central pillar of the new centre is the Institute for Insect Biotechnology, led by Prof. Dr. Marc Schetelig, who also coordinates the REACT project. Working in close collaboration with the Insect Pest Control Laboratory (IPCL) of the FAO/IAEA, the institute advances biological and biotechnological methods for pest control — with a particular focus on SIT. Research priorities include new approaches to sex separation, genetic markers, and further biotechnological tools for developing environmentally sound control strategies targeting invasive pest insects without the use of pesticides.
“Sustainable crop protection needs innovative and precise methods that are effective while protecting the environment and biodiversity,” said Prof. Schetelig. “The Liebig Centre provides a strong international framework for exactly that.”
For REACT’s target audiences — from researchers and regulatory bodies to fruit growers and extension services — the Liebig Centre represents a significant institutional investment in the science underpinning SIT deployment in Europe and beyond. Its international network, which includes partner universities across Europe, Asia, and South Asia, further strengthens the knowledge infrastructure on which projects like REACT depend.
🔗 Further info:
www.liebig-centre.org
www.uni-giessen.de/de/fbz/fb09/institute/iib/ibp
www.uni-giessen.de/de/fbz/fb08/Inst/pflanzenoek/mitarbeiter/cmueller
