With an increasing interest in sustainability and the circular economy, research in duckweed biology and duckweed-based applications has rapidly intensified over the last 10-15 years. So, where does a budding investigator with an interest in duckweed start? Fortunately, the duckweed research community is exceptionally well organised, thanks to the “International Steering Committee on Duckweed Research and Applications” (ISCDRA) which plays a critical role in coordinating various research and development activities. The committee comprises five members, at least one of whom is an industry representative. Indeed, ISCDRA covers the entire field ranging from basic research to commercial applications resulting in many synergistic interactions.

Logo of ISCDRA

A key ISCDRA activity is the organisation of the biennial ICDRA (International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications). The most recent conference took place in Thailand in November 2025, while the next one will take place in Italy in the autumn of 2027. These conferences are prime networking activities, inspiring researchers, and linking basic research to commercial applications. Furthermore, small scale local workshops typically take place in intermediate years.

Another ISCDRA activity is the publication of the free quarterly newsletter, the “Duckweed Forum”. This newsletter discusses issues critical to the entire duckweed community such as the use of standardised terminology for clones and strains, standardised identification methods for duckweed species (critical as many duckweed species appear visually similar) and improved cultivation methods. The Duckweed Forum also captures and highlights recent publications and publishes informal “behind-the-scenes” reports on key publications.

Recent cover of Duckweed Forum

Finally, the community hosts a number of duckweed stock centres which are a critical resource of duckweed species and clones. Historically, the first stock collection was gathered and curated by the “father of duckweed biology” Prof. Elias Landolt at ETH Zürich in Switzerland. Major parts of this collection are now present in the Rutgers Duckweed Stock Cooperative. Smaller collections are held in different countries. New duckweed researchers are highly recommended to initiate their research by using a well-characterised line from one of these stock centres rather than working with an unknown, wild-collected species. Duckweed work in projects such as Duck-Feed at University College Cork is centred on the use of Lemna minor “Blarney” which is a clone collected in 2010 in the south of Ireland by Dr Lahive and Prof. Jansen. Since then, the clone has been fully sequenced by Dr van Hoeck et al. (2015), unambiguously identifying the species as Lemna minor. 

Whether researcher or entrepreneur, the duckweed family has loads to offer with a supportive community into the bargain. Have a look at what is on offer on the ISCDRA website at http://www.ruduckweed.org/. All previous issues of the Duckweed Forum can be downloaded from the site, and include the details of current ISCDRA committee members.

Acosta, K., Appenroth, K.J., Borisjuk, L., Edelman, M., Heinig, U., Jansen, M.A.K, Oyama, T., Pasaribu, B., Schubert, I., Sorrels, S. and Sree, K.S., 2021. Return of the Lemnaceae: Duckweed as a model plant system in the genomics and postgenomics era. The Plant Cell, 33(10), pp.3207-3234.

Lahive, E., O’Halloran, J. and Jansen, M.A.K., 2011. Differential sensitivity of four Lemnaceae species to zinc sulphate. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 71(1), pp.25-33.

Van Hoeck, A., Horemans, N., Monsieurs, P., Cao, H.X., Vandenhove, H. and Blust, R., 2015. The first draft genome of the aquatic model plant Lemna minor opens the route for future stress physiology research and biotechnological applications. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 8, pp.1-13.