idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
With the Emmy Noether Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG) outstanding young scientists can qualify for a university professorship within six years. As part of this program, developmental biologist and plant geneticist Dr. Amal J. Johnston, moved from Heidelberg University to Jacobs University with his research group. "With its diversity of staff and students, Jacobs University provides an optimal environment to further our international research portfolio," says Johnston.
Dr. Johnston has worked in leading research institutions in Asia, Australia and Europe, including the University of Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics & Crop Plant Research (IPK). In recognition of his contributions to biotechnology, he was awarded Alumnus of the Year in 2013 by the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Short-term research stays gave him the opportunity to work abroad as a Humboldt fellow at the National Institute for Basic Biology in Japan and the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
His current team, which has moved along with Dr. Johnston from Heidelberg to Bremen-North, consists of a research associate and two PhD students. The researchers are focusing on genetics and development of the germline, i.e. the transition of somatic or vegetative cells towards reproductive determination. The germline produces female and male reproductive cells (gametes) that form a zygote (and then an embryo) upon fertilization. In plants, the embryos are contained within the seed, one of the major sources of human nutrition. One area of their research is the study of parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction that yields clonal seeds.
A new shift in his research focus, dissecting the evolutionary basis of germline development, has brought Dr. Johnston to Jacobs University. Analyzing molecular mechanisms behind the sexual and asexual developmental processes is a central goal of his laboratory. His research also plays a major role in understanding molecular mechanisms underlying cellular fate, cancer as well as in agricultural applications. The scientists are also involved in teaching. "We are looking forward to teach and train students from diverse nations around the world," emphasizes Johnston.
About Jacobs University Bremen:
Studying in an international community. Obtaining a qualification to work on responsible tasks in a digitized and globalized society. Learning, researching and teaching across academic disciplines and countries. Strengthening people and markets with innovative solutions and advanced training programs. This is what Jacobs University Bremen stands for. Established as a private, English-medium campus university in Germany in 2001, it is continuously achieving top results in national and international university rankings. Its almost 1,400 students come from more than 100 countries with around 80% having relocated to Germany for their studies. Jacobs University’s research projects are funded by the German Research Foundation or the EU Research and Innovation program as well as by globally leading companies.
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Thomas Joppig | Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH
Corporate Communications & Public Relations
t.joppig@jacobs-university.de | Tel.: +49 421 200-4504
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President / Chairman of the Executive Board (Vorsitzender der Geschäftsführung): Prof. Dr. Michael Hülsmann
Managing Director (Geschäftsführer): Dr. Michael Dubbert
Chairman of the Board of Governors (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender): Prof. Dr. Antonio Loprieno
Dr. Amal J. Johnston
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Dr. Amal J. Johnston
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