Agricultural Scientist from Buenos Aires to Conduct Research in Freiburg

Jorge José Casal receives award from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Guest researcher at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Freiburg: The agricultural scientist Prof. Dr. Jorge José Casal from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been chosen to receive the Georg Forster Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award comes with a research stay at the University of Freiburg. Casal will conduct research together with Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber, holder of the Chair of Synthetic Biology and member of the Cluster of Excellence BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies.

Casal is known for his work on light-controlled plant growth. The findings of his research are important, explains his host Weber, for improving the productivity of agriculture in Argentina. The two scientists will unite their areas of specialization, plant photobiology and synthetic biology, in their joint project: Their goal is to develop plant photoreceptors to make mammalian cells sensitive to light. In this way, they hope to control and understand biological signaling processes in cells.

The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development is providing 60,000 euros in funding for the award, which is intended for researchers from newly industrialized and developing countries. The Humboldt Foundation invites the laureates to Germany to establish and strengthen research partnerships with colleagues.

Vita:

http://www.ifeva.edu.ar/es/miembros/casal.html

Press resease of the Alexander von Humboldt foundation:

http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/georg-forster-preis.html