His research interests include understanding the genetic architecture of crop plant genomes at the structural and functional level, as it is deemed of critical importance for the knowledge-driven valorization of genetic diversity held in genebanks. He has been using genetic and genomic approaches to develop strategies for an improved conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources. In this context, he has employed barley (Hordeum vulgare) as a model plant for genome analysis at the structural and functional level, to study genome evolution, and to identify genes that underlie important agronomic traits such as seed quality and disease resistance.
Project Management
Since 1991 coordination of numerous projects and consortia funded by:
German Research Foundation (DFG),
Federal Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF),
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL),
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ),
State of Saxony-Anhalt,
European Union (EU),
Australian Grain and Research Development Council (GRDC),
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and
private sector.
Awards and Fellowships
1985-1987 PhD FellowshipTechnical University Munich
1987 Kurt von Rümker Award
1988 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
2001 Elected member German Academy of Sciences LEOPOLDINA
2004 Gregor Mendel Innovation Award
2006 Honorary Fellow, Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI)
2015 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher
2018 Elected member Indian Academy of Agricultural Sciences
2020 Elected member Indian National Science Academy
Board Activities (selection)
2003-2011 Scientific Advisory Board of Max-Planck-Institute for Breeding Research Cologne, Germany (Chair)
2008-2015 Executive Board: CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme, c/o CIMMYT, Mexico
2005-2016 Scientific Advisory Board Otto Warburg Centre, Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel
2016-2020 President, German Society for Plant Breeding (GPZ); Germany
2016-2020 Board of Trustees, Gregor Mendel Foundation, Bonn
2015- 2021 Board of Directors, DivSeek International, Canada
2013- Scientific Advisory Board for Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL); Germany
2008- Scientific Advisory Board Julius Kuehn Institute (JKI), Quedlinburg, Germany
Editorial Boards
1993-2006 Euphytica, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands (editorial board)
2004- Molecular Breeding, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands (editorial board)
2006- Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg, Germany (editorial board)