From October to the end of December 2025, the research group for Adaptive Lighting Systems and Visual Processing (ALSVV), led by Professor Tran Quoc Khanh at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (etit) at TU Darmstadt, is hosting a Vietnamese research team.

Dr. Ha Thi Thu Chu and Dr. Nghiem Thi Vu from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) are collaborating with the ALSVV team on new LED lighting techniques to control plant growth and the formation of bioactive compounds. In mid-December, additional researchers from Vietnam will join to further strengthen the collaboration.

Light Meets Plant Biology

The research focuses on the medicinal basil variety Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum. Together, the ALSVV scientists and their Vietnamese colleagues are investigating how different light spectra affect plants. The morphology and reflection spectra of the leaves are recorded using a 3D camera system, biochemical compositions are analyzed in the laboratory, and relationships between light, growth, and active ingredients are quantitatively modeled.

The goal is to develop simulation models that enable predictions for optimized plant growth.

The stay is supported by the Vietnamese government program Project 2395, which promotes international scientific exchange. For the ALSVV team, the collaboration provides an opportunity to share its expertise in spectral plant analysis and to develop long-term research projects with international partners.