Research, Law and Biotechnology in Dialogue

On 14 and 15 October 2026, the University of Bayreuth hosted the third consortium meeting of the EU research project DETECTIVE. The event was organised by the Chair of Food Law within the Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health. Around 50 international project partners took the opportunity to discuss the current state of their research and coordinate future collaboration.

DETECTIVE (Detection of NGT Products to Promote Innovation in the European Union) is funded under the EU's Horizon Europe programme and runs for four years. Its aim is to develop and validate methods for detecting, identifying and quantifying plant and animal products derived from new genomic techniques, including genome editing. The research is intended to help ensure the origin and traceability of such products, support market surveillance and regulatory enforcement, and provide consumers with reliable information.

The University of Bayreuth contributes its expertise to the project particularly in the field of food law. Researchers at the Chair of Food Law examine the legal requirements applicable to products derived from new genomic techniques and analyse the interaction between regulatory frameworks and emerging scientific detection methods.

The meeting in Bayreuth marked an important milestone as the project moves towards its final year in 2027. In addition to scientific presentations and working group sessions, the event placed a strong emphasis on personal exchange among the international partner institutions.

“The third meeting of the European HORIZON DETECTIVE research programme, bringing together around 50 participants from across Europe and beyond, vividly demonstrated the value of international and interdisciplinary exchange. I am particularly pleased that our team was able to help strengthen this collaboration here in Bayreuth,” says Professor Kai Purnhagen, Chair of Food Law at the University of Bayreuth.

By hosting the consortium meeting, the University of Bayreuth has further highlighted its interdisciplinary research profile at its Kulmbach campus and strengthened its international network at the intersection of law, biotechnology and food sciences.