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Curriculum Vitae Prof. Dr. Detlef Weigel

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Curriculum Vitae Prof. Dr. Detlef Weigel Curriculum Vitae Prof. Dr. Detlef Weigel Name: Detlef Weigel Geboren: 15.12.1961 Forschungsschwerpunkte: Molekularbiologie, Mechanismen der pflanzlichen Entwicklung, Anpassung, Genetische Vielfalt, Hybride, Epigenetik Detlef Weigel ist Molekularbiologe, sein Schwerpunkt ist die genetische Variation bei Pflanzen. Er erforscht, wie Pflanzen sich kurz‐ und langfristig an eine sich ständig ändernde Umgebung anpassen. Seine früheren Arbeiten zur Regulation des Blühzeitpunktes und der Rolle von MicroRNAs bei der Entwicklung sowie seine gegenwärtigen Studien zur Anpassungsfähigkeit von Pflanzenarten sind sowohl für die Grundlagenforschung als auch für die Pflanzenzüchtung bedeutsam. Akademischer und beruflicher Werdegang seit 2004 Honorarprofessor, Eberhard‐Karls‐Universität Tübingen seit 2003 Honorarprofessor, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, USA seit 2002 Wissenschaftliches Mitglied und Direktor der Abteilung Molekularbiologie am Max‐Planck‐Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Tübingen 1993 ‐ 2002 Assistant und Associate Professor, Leiter einer Arbeitsgruppe, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, USA 1989 ‐ 1993 Postdoktorand, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA 1988 ‐ 1989 Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität München 1986 ‐ 1988 Promotion in Biologie am Max‐Planck‐Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Tübingen 1986 Diplom in Biologie, Universität zu Köln 1983 ‐ 1986 Studium der Biologie an der Universität zu Köln 1981 ‐ 1983 Studium der Biologie und Chemie an der Universität Bielefeld Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina www.leopoldina.org 1 Funktionen in wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaften und Gremien (Auswahl) 2013 ‐ 2015 Vorsitzender, Council, European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) seit 2011 stellvertretender Herausgeber, eLife seit 2010 Mitglied im wissenschaftlichen Beirat, Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, UK seit 2007 Mitglied im wissenschaftlichen Beirat, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Gent , Belgien 2007 ‐ 2012 Mitglied im wissenschaftlichen Beirat, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapur 2005 ‐ 2011 Mitglied im wissenschaftlichen Beirat, The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK 2001 ‐ 2008 Mitglied des Vorstands, International Society for Plant Molecular Biology Auszeichnungen und verliehene Mitgliedschaften (Auswahl) 2015 Mendel‐Medaille der Leopoldina 2013 European Research Council Advanced Grant 2011 Landesforschungspreis Baden‐Württemberg seit 2011 Fellow der American Association for the Advancement of Science seit 2010 Korrespondierendes Mitglied der Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften 2010 Otto‐Bayer‐Preis der Bayer‐Stiftung seit 2010 Auswärtiges Mitglied der Royal Society seit 2009 Mitglied der US‐amerikanischen Nationalen Akademie der Wissenschaften seit 2008 Mitglied der Nationalen Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina 2007 Gottfried‐Wilhelm‐Leibniz‐Preis der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) seit 2003 Mitglied der European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) 2001 Charles Albert Shull‐Preis der American Society of Plant Biologists 1994 Young Investigator Award der National Science Foundation, USA 1989 Dieter‐Rampacher‐Preis der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina www.leopoldina.org 2 Forschungsschwerpunkte Der Fokus von Detlef Weigels Forschung liegt auf der genetischen Vielfalt zwischen Individuen einer Art und dem Verhalten von Hybriden. So deckte er mit seinem Team den Mechanismus der unter Pflanzen weit verbreiteten Hybrid‐Nekrose auf. Hierbei sterben Nachkommen gesunder Elternpflanzen noch vor der Blüte ab. Bei der Züchtung neuer Sorten, etwa bei Getreide, kommt es dadurch immer wieder zu Fehlschlägen. Weigel fand heraus, dass einzelne Gene, die den Elternpflanzen Widerstandskraft gegen Schädlinge verleihen, in der Tochterpflanze wie ein Schädlingsbefall wirken und eine Autoimmunreaktion auslösen. In einer umfassenden Studie will er jetzt herausfinden, wie Pflanzen entscheiden, wann sie sich gegen Feinde verteidigen und wann sie lieber voll auf Wachstum schalten. Diese Arbeiten werden von Untersuchungen der genomischen Vielfalt flankiert. So war Weigel federführend bei der Erstellung der ersten vollständigen Gen‐Karte eines nicht‐menschlichen Organismus – einer Haplotyp‐Karte der Ackerschmalwand (Arabidopsis thaliana), der Modellpflanze der Pflanzenbiologen. Bereits zu Beginn seiner selbständigen Karriere gelangen ihm wichtige Entdeckungen zur Steuerung des Blühbeginns. Seine Arbeitsgruppe konnte das Blüten‐Identitätsgen LEAFY von der Ackerschmalwand auf Zitterpappeln übertragen. Bei den Pappeln verkürzte sich dadurch der Zeitraum bis zur Blüte von über zehn Jahren auf wenige Monate. Damit war bewiesen, dass Gene aus der Modellpflanze verwendet werden können, um das Verhalten anderer Arten zu verändern. Dies ist für Züchtungsprogramme von Bedeutung, da sich durch die Vorverlegung des Blühzeitpunkts ein erheblicher Zeitgewinn erzielen lässt. Zudem entdeckte Detlef Weigel das FT‐Gen, von dem heute bekannt ist, dass es für das mobile Blühsignal Florigen kodiert, sowie die ersten microRNA‐Mutante bei Pflanzen. Weigel hat darüber hinaus immer wieder Ressourcen für die Gemeinschaft der Pflanzenforscher entwickelt, wie die Entwicklung künstlicher microRNAs, mit deren Hilfe sich einzelne Gene oder auch Gruppen verwandter Gene ausschalten lassen. Weigel ist Auswärtiges Mitglied der Royal Society und als eingebürgerter US‐Bürger Mitglied der US‐ amerikanischen Nationalen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina www.leopoldina.org 3 .
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