University of Potsdam (UP), Potsdam, Germany
Potsdam University (UP) in Potsdam(P4) is the largest university in the federal state of Brandenburg today combining its own research capacities with a whole range of non-university research institutes in town or in the proximity. The University of Potsdam was designed as a classical university with five faculties: Philosophical Faculty, Humanities, Law, Economics and Social Sciences and Science Faculty. With the establishment of supra-faculty, interdisciplinary research areas, the University of Potsdam places special emphasis on areas beyond the teaching and research activities of the individual institutes. In January 2009, the University of Potsdam and 20 non-university research institutions created the “Potsdam Research Network - PEARLS”. The objective of these 21 “pearls of research” is to become even more successful in the national and global competition for research funds and excellent junior academics. PEARLS simplifies multilateral cooperation across the boundaries of institutions and specializations, particularly in the fields of geo and life sciences. This focus is the source of the acronym “pearls” - Potsdam earth and life sciences. Prof. Dr. Bernd Mueller-Roeber (PI of P4) and his team study the function of transcription factors and other nuclear proteins and their role in the control of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) in plants, using a wide spectrum of molecular-biological and genomics technologies, in combination with bioinformatics. Particular focus is given on regulatory networks that underlie leaf senescence, organ growth (leaves and recently tomato fruits), and abiotic stress tolerance with an emphasis on H2O2-/ROS-triggered processes. Model species are Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, tomato. In addition, part of his University department has initiated research in the field of synthetic biology (chromosome engineering, biofuel enzymes). Professor Mueller-Roeber is involved in many research consortia and programs in the plant genomics field. For the last 5 years he headed the 13 Mio. EUR systems biology program GoFORSYS, that included 17 research groups from the University of Potsdam, the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology and the MPI of Colloids and Interfaces , and a company from the metabolomics field as partners. As a result of this ministry-funded research initiative, systems biology became a central activity at the Science Campus Potsdam. In this vein, the University has established “Plant Genomics and Systems Biology” as one of its four Priority Research Centers, of which Prof. Mueller-Roeber is the head. He is also partner in a number of other national and international research consortia, including e.g. the Brandenburg-funded LIGNOS project to identify novel biomass conversion enzymes, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)-funded PopMass project to enhance biomass production in poplar through changing gene regulatory networks, a DFG-funded Cooperative Research Center on priming responses in plants in relation to abiotic and biotic stress, a DFG-funded national Research Unit on plant senescence and nitrogen use, and the EU-funded ALLBIO project (to extend bioinformatics facilities in plant and microbial sciences). Previously, Prof. Mueller-Roeber coordinated two EU Research Training Networks (VATEP and NICIP, in FP6 and FP7, respectively) and he has recently been invited for contract negotiation for a EU MSC European Industrial Doctorate (EID) training network. Prof. Mueller-Roeber is elected member of two German academies, i.e. the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW; since 2003) and the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech; since 2006). In acatech he is member of the steering committee of the biotechnology competence network, which he also headed for three years. In the BBAW he heads an Interdisciplinary Study Group on Gene Technology, which studies the medium- to long-term development of gene technology in Germany and formulates recommendations to the government for its further national implementation. Prof. Mueller-Roeber was also member of Germany´s Bio-Economy Council (2010-2012) that makes recommendations to the German government in the bioeconomy field; he also served as the Deputy Speaker of the council for three years. Since 2012 he is Vice President of Germany´s Life Sciences Association vbio (representing more than 30,000 biologists and biomedical researchers). Prof. Mueller-Roeber has a track record in plant research with an h-factor of 56 and more than 9700 citations. Priority Research Center “Plant Genomics and Systems Biology”: 17 professors of the University´s Faculty of Science are members of the Research Center. It is also part of a wider network that includes various non-university institutions such as the MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology, the MPI of Colloids and Interfaces, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research, the Leibniz Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops in Großbeeren and others. The Institute of Biochemistry and Biology (IBB), where Prof. Mueller-Roeber´s Department is located, is the largest institute within the Science Faculty. Currently, IBB includes 18 full professors, two professors having joint affiliations with institutions outside the University, and a series of young and emeritus groups. The directors of the neighbouring Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, including Prof. Dr. Mark Stitt, Prof. Dr. Lothar Willmitzer and Prof. Dr. Ralph Bock, are also IBB members. The University´s IBB and the MPI jointly run an International Max-Planck Research School on “Primary Metabolism and Plant Growth” (IMPRS-PMPG); speakers are Prof. Mark Stitt and Prof. Mueller-Roeber.
