News - 2019

Plant seeds can store their energy in a dry state for years, only to suddenly release it and germinate. But how can the energy metabolism be started early and efficiently? Researchers at Münster University have discovered that thiol redox switches play a key role in this process. The study has been published in "PNAS".

Five scientists from the University of Münster are among the world's most cited researchers: According to the annual citation ranking of the U.S. company Clarivate Analytics, Prof. Armido Studer, Prof. Frank Glorius, Prof. Ralf Adams, Prof. Helmut Baumgartner and Prof. Jörg Kudla are represented.

Der Fachbereich Biologie, vertreten durch die Dekanin Prof. Susanne Fetzner, und das Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcen der Universität Okayama (Japan), vertreten durch Prof. Michael Hippler (Professor am Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcen der Universität Okayama (RECTORS Programm, für 3 Jahre berufen) und am Fachbereich Biologie (WWU)), haben eine Kooperationsvereinbarung unterschrieben. Diese Vereinbarung hat die Absicht, den Austausch von Studierenden und Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern zu fördern. Zudem sollen kooperative Forschungsprojekte und Austausch von Forschungsinformationen sowie und die Teilnahme an kulturellen Programmen gefördert werden. Im Rahmen des RECTORS Programm (Universität Okayama) kann der Austausch von drei Studenten bzw. Wissenschaftlern pro Jahr für die nächsten drei Jahre finanziell unterstützt werden.  more ...

Dr. Meret Huber vom Institut für Evolution und Biodiversität wurde mit dem "Walter-Enggist-Forschungspreis" des Kantons Thurgau für ihre Forschungsarbeit mit dem Thema: "Low genetic variation is associated with low mutation rate in the giant duckweed" ausgezeichnet. Der mit 15.000 Franken dotierte Preis wurde 2019 zum ersten Mal vergeben.

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They are tiny signalling molecules that play important roles in many processes in living organisms. However, the exact function of these substances is often still unknown. International researchers have developed a method with which they can further investigate an important messenger substance in plants - phosphatidic acid. The study was published in "Nature Plants".

International honour for Prof. Dr. Jörg Kudla: The plant biologist at Münster University has been awarded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences as an outstanding scientist. Once a year, the Academy awards the title "Distinguished Scientist" to leading international researchers from a wide variety of disciplines and selects around 30 prize winners from more than 200 nominees.

Biologists at Münster University have discovered that the dandelion has a large gene family of enzymes that have unusual catalytic abilities for plants. The enzymes might be partly responsible for the fact that dandelions hardly ever fall ill. Prof. Bruno Moerschbacher led the study published in "Angewandte Chemie" and reported on the new findings.

In the recently published final report of the nationwide initiative "Plant Biotechnology of the Future", a project by scientists of the University of Münster has been selected as one of six research highlights of the programme. The scientists investigated how the Russian dandelion can be used sustainably to produce raw materials such as latex or rubber.

Research groups from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the University of Münster have discovered a new switch that plants use to control their responses to iron deficiency. The findings from their research on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is published in the journal "Developmental Cell".