The major Plant Biotechnology, Physiology and Genetics is offerend by the following supervisors:
Institute of Biostatistics
Dr. Frank Schaarschmidt
Main fields of research: Biostatistics, statistical methods in bioinformatics
Institute of Plant Genetics
Plant Breeding section
Prof. Dr. Thomas Debener
Main fields of research: Plant genetics, marker assisted selection, gene isolation and characterisation, genetic engineering.
Biotechnology section
Prof. Dr. Jens Boch
Main fields of research: Bacterial plant pathogens and their weapons, Genome editing (TALENs)
Molecular Biology section
Prof. Dr. Udo Schmitz
Main fields of research: Extrachromosomal genetics, cytoplasmic male sterility and biochemistry of higher plants.
Plant Proteomics section
Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Braun
Main fields of research: Plant mitochondria, respiration, photosynthesis, proteomics, protein transport.
Institute of Horticultural Productions Systems
Fruit Science section
Prof. Dr. Moritz Knoche
The section Fruit Science is particularly concerned with the physiology of fruits like apple and cherry and covers both, basic research questions as well as strategies for breeding and propagation.
Dr. Bishnu Khanal
Main fields of resarch: Mechanical properties of cuticles and their primary determinants
Phytomedicine section
Prof. Dr. Edgar Maiß
Main fields of research: Molecular characterization of plant viruses, genetic engineering, transgenic plants, risk assessment of virus resistant transgenic plants.
Dr. Rainer Meyhöfer
Main fields of research: Development of sustainable plant protection strategies in open land vegetable production, Optimisation of the application of beneficial organisms in the greenhouse, Intraguild predation: mechanisms and impact on populations, Invasive insect species in Germany: threat or enrichment?
Woody Plant and Propagation Physiology section
Prof. Dr. Traud Winkelmann
Main fields of research: Physiology of propagation of horticultural crops, in vitro culture techniques, propagation of woody plants, interspecific hybridization, genetic transformation, somatic embryogenesis.
Institute of Botany
Prof. Dr. Jutta Papenbrock
Main fields of research: Plant sulfur metabolism, abiotic stress, salt – and drought tolerant plants
Institute of Plant Nutrition
Prof. Dr. Claus-Peter Witte
Main fields of research: Nucleotide and urea catabolism, physiological function of genes/proteins involved in nutrient remobilization