diff --git a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/JEInterface.m b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/JEInterface.m
index 46f454e9..3bc7e776 100644
--- a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/JEInterface.m
+++ b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/JEInterface.m
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ int.optParamValues = [];
 int.hexMask=hex2dec('ffffffff');
 int.dataType=''; % to be set later!
 int.outputAllStatsFields=1;
+int.seedPop=[];
+int.seedPopFit=[];
 
 if (isa(fhandle, 'function_handle'))
     int.f = fhandle;
diff --git a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/getDesc.m b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/getDesc.m
index 7f16c9cf..0e8664a4 100644
--- a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/getDesc.m
+++ b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/getDesc.m
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 function desc = getDesc(int, ID)
-% Return the String description of an indicated optimizer
-% with member descriptions.
+% For an integer ID, return the String description of the indicated optimizer
+% with member descriptions. In case ID is of a different type, it is attempted
+% to retrieve a String description for that object directly.
 
 import eva2.gui.BeanInspector;
 import eva2.server.modules.GOParameters;
 import eva2.OptimizerFactory;
 
-params = OptimizerFactory.getParams(ID, int.mp);
-desc =  BeanInspector.getDescription(params.getOptimizer, false);
+if isnumeric(ID)
+  params = OptimizerFactory.getParams(ID, int.mp);
+  desc =  BeanInspector.getDescription(params.getOptimizer, false);
+else
+  desc = BeanInspector.getDescription(ID, false);
+end
+
 
diff --git a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/optimize.m b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/optimize.m
index eb176c33..6ca2eaad 100644
--- a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/optimize.m
+++ b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/optimize.m
@@ -95,6 +95,11 @@ if ((nargin == 2) || (nargin == 3))
         error('invalid Display option, only off/final/notify/iter are recognized');
     end
     
+    if isempty(int.seedPop) % set the seed data
+        int.mp.clearSeedPopulation;
+    else
+        int.mp.setSeedPopulation(int.seedPop, int.seedPopFit);
+    end
     int=runEvalLoopJE(int, 1, optType, outputFilePrefix, -1, -1, -1);
     
 else
diff --git a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/setSeedPopFit.m b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/setSeedPopFit.m
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f963528d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/setSeedPopFit.m
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+function int=setSeedPopFit(int, seedData, seedDataFit)
+%   int=setSeedPopulation(int, seedData)
+% Set the seed data for optimization. A 2-D array of doubles is expected
+% which will be converted to the appropriate data type if necessary.
+% The seed data must fit the problem dimension, while the population size
+% will be adapted if necessary. If the seed data is an empty array, the
+% seed population will be initialized randomly as by default.
+%    int: the interface instance
+%    seedData: 2-D array of dimension popSize x problemDim or [] to reset
+%       and use random initial population
+
+if length(seedData)>1
+    %size(int.range,1)
+    %int.dataType
+    %int.dim
+    if size(seedData,2)~=int.dim
+        error(['Mismatching dimension: seed data should be of size popSize x problemDim. Current problemDim is ' num2str(int.dim)]);
+    end
+    if size(seedData,1)~=size(seedDataFit,1)
+        error('Mismatching dimension of fitness array: expecting equal no. lines in seedData and seedDataFit!');
+    end
+    int.seedPop=seedData;
+    int.seedPopFit=seedDataFit;
+else
+    int.seedPop=[]; % reset it
+    int.seedPopFit=[];
+end
diff --git a/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/setSeedPopulation.m b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/setSeedPopulation.m
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16c7f871
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/MatlabInterface/@JEInterface/setSeedPopulation.m
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+function int=setSeedPopulation(int, seedData)
+%   int=setSeedPopulation(int, seedData)
+% Set the seed data for optimization. A 2-D array of doubles is expected
+% which will be converted to the appropriate data type if necessary.
+% The seed data must fit the problem dimension, while the population size
+% will be adapted if necessary. If the seed data is an empty array, the
+% seed population will be initialized randomly as by default.
+%    int: the interface instance
+%    seedData: 2-D array of dimension popSize x problemDim or [] to reset
+%       and use random initial population
+
+if length(seedData)>1
+    %size(seedData)
+    %size(int.range,1)
+    %int.dataType
+    %int.dim
+    if size(seedData,2)~=int.dim
+        error(['Mismatching dimension: seed data should be of size popSize x problemDim. Current problemDim is ' num2str(int.dim)]);
+    end
+    
+    for i=1:size(seedData,1)
+        if (isempty(int.args))
+            fit(i,:) = feval(int.f, seedData(i,:));
+        else
+            fit(i,:) = feval(int.f, seedData(i,:), int.args);
+        end
+    end
+    int=setSeedPopFit(int,seedData,fit);
+else
+    int.seedPop=[]; % reset it
+    int.seedPopFit=[];
+end