SLU news
Claudia Köhler elected member of EMBO
Published: 03 August 2017
The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) has elected the new members of the year. Claudia Köhler, professor at SLU's Department of Plant Biology in Uppsala, is one of the European researchers that are honoured in recognition of their research excellence.
Once a year, the EMBO Council elects new members among prominent researchers from Europe and associated countries. They are now part of a network that aims to promote excellence in the life sciences.
Claudia Köhler's research concern genetic and epigenetic mechanisms governing seed development and plant speciation. Her research group focuses on the endosperm, the tissue that supports embryo growth and is functionally analogous to the placenta in mammals. They decipher the role of the endosperm in controlling seed growth, regulating embryo development, as well as establishing barriers towards interspecies and interploidy hybridizations. Their main model is Arabidopsis thaliana, but they work as well on close relatives like Capsella, Arabidopsis lyrata, and Arabidopsis arenosa. While their main focus is on basic research questions, they also strive to translate their research into practical applications.
Claudia Köhler is a professor of molecular plant cell biology at Uppsala BioCenter at SLU since October 2010, and before that she worked in Zurich, Switzerland. This spring, Claudia Köhler was awarded the Göran Gustafsson Prize, one of the most sought after and prestigious scientific prizes among younger researchers in Sweden.
EMBO provides financial support for research projects and scholarships for young researchers and actively influences research policy. In addition, EMBO issues four scientific journals. The organization was founded in 1964 and currently has more than 1,700 prominent researchers as members.
The new members were announced in mid-June, but the formal welcome will take place at a member meeting in Heidelberg in October.