Humanity faces major challenges. Could roots hold the answers? It’s possible: Research shows that roots have the potential to provide food for the world's population, stop climate change and help extract resources in an environmentally friendly way.

Along the world's coasts, too, roots are a lifesaver. Coastal ecologist Professor Tjeerd Bouma has discovered that if special grasses are planted in front of dikes, they create a salt marsh that acts as a natural breakwater.

Meanwhile, geochemist Dr. Oliver Wiche of the Technical University of Freiberg is researching something known as "phytomining." He wants to know which plants are best suited for mining metals from the soil. Could this root research give rise to a new, environmentally friendly branch of industry?