Research

Research Priorities: Plant genetics, breeding of crop plants, development and utilisation of genetic diversity, structure and function of cereal genomes, gene bank for crop plants

Andreas Graner is a biochemist and plant geneticist. He researches the genome of crop plants, especially cereals. With his team he developed the first gene map of barley. He characterised their resistance genes and thus provided important basic information for breeding disease-resistant barley varieties.

Andreas Graner researches the genetic diversity of crop and wild plants. Crop plants provide renewable raw materials and form the basis of our human diet. Graner and his team investigate the development and resilience of crop plants. His research focuses on cereals. Using modern analysis methods, the researchers characterise plant genes and clarify the mechanisms that contribute to the plants’ variation.

The goal of the research is to breed cereal types that deliver more yields and are more resistant to climate change and pests. These cereal types would help to ensure the food supply for the world’s growing population. Andreas Graner also works on the origin of barley and wheat and researches the relationships between plant species.

As head of the ex-situ gene bank at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research in Gatersleben, Germany, he is responsible for the world’s largest gene bank for agricultural and horticultural crop plants. The gene bank provides collection samples for research and breeding. The maintenance, characterisation and documentation of plant genetic material plays a significant role in preventing crop plant extinction. Researchers can use search criteria to find genetic information about specific plants in the gene bank.

Career

• 2007-2023 Executive Director, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
• since 2000 Head, Department Genebank (IPK),Gatersleben, Germany
• since 2000 Professor of Plant Genetic Resources, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
• 1997-2000 Research Assistant, IPK, Gatersleben, Germany
• 1987-1997 Research Assistant, The Institute for Resistance Genetics, Grünbach, Germany
• 1997 Habilitation, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
• 1987 Doctorate, TUM, Munich, Germany
• 1980-1984 Degree, Campus Freising-Weihenstephan. TUM, Munich, Germany
• 1978-1980 Degree, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

Functions

• 2016-2020 President, Society for Plant Breeding (GPZ), Quedlinburg, Germany
• 2016-2020 Member, Board of Trustees, Gregor Mendel Foundation, Bonn, Germany
• since 2015 Member, Steering Committee, DivSeek International Network Inc., Canada
• 2013-2020 Member, Scientific Advisory Board on Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Germany
• since 2008 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), Quedlinburg, Germany
• 2008-2015 Member, Supervisory Board, CGIAR Generation Challenge Programme, c/o CIMMYT, USA
• since 2006 Member, Editorial Board Theoretical and Applied Genetics
• 2005-2016 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Otto Warburg Minerva Centre, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
• since 2004 Member, Editorial Board Molecular Breeding
• 2003-2011 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
• 2000-2007 Member, Supervisory Board, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ), Braunschweig, Germany
• 2000-2007 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Research Programme Genome Analysis of the Plant Biological System (GABI), Germany
• 2000-2004 Expert Reviewer, German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany
• 1993-2005 Member, Editorial Board Euphytica

Projects

• 2015-2021 Project “Evolution in a changing environment: the genetic architecture of adaptation outside centers of domestication of Phaseolus vulgaris and P. coccineus”, DFG, Germany
• 2007-2011 Project “Genomics-Assisted Analysis and Exploitation of Barley Diversity (ERA-PG 061)”, DFG, Germany
• 1998-2003 Subproject “Isolation of the Rph16 barley leaf rust resistant locus and creation of functional gene and signal chain mutations”, SPP 1005 “Genetic and molecular elucidation of processes of characteristic expression in crop plants”, DFG, Germany
• 1996-2003 Subproject “Molecular-genetic fine-mapping of multiple resistances of barley against the yellow mosaic virus complex (BaYMV/BaMMV)”, SPP 1005, DFG, Germany
• 1996-2011 Project “High definition fine-mapping and marker saturation in the area of the Rph13 resistance gene against barley leaf rust (Puccinia hordei Otth.)”, DFG, Germany

Honours and Memberships

• since 2020 Member, Indian Academy of Sciences, India
• since 2018 Member, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India
• 2015 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher
• 2006 Honorary Fellow, Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI), Invergowrie, UK
• 2004 Gregor Mendel Innovation Prize, Gregor Mendel Foundation, Bonn, Germany
• since 2001 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 1987 Kurt von Rümker Prize, Society for Plant Breeding (GPZ), Quedlinburg, Germany