Nicolaus von Wirén

Since 2009 Prof. Dr. Nicolaus von Wirén is heading the Department “Physiology and Cell Biology” at the publicly funded Leibniz-Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research in Gatersleben, Germany.

After studying agro-biology at Hohenheim University, he was trained in molecular biological techniques at the Universities of Tokyo and Tübingen, Germany, and in biochemistry at the ENSAM-INRA in Montpellier and at King’s College London before he took over the chair for Plant Nutrition at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart in 2001. His Current research of his Molecular Plant Nutrition group is focused on acquisition and transport of mineral nutrients in roots, the impact of nutrients on phytohormone regulation as well as their role in physiological and morphological adaptations to stress or to agricultural production conditions. Research includes nutrient sensing mechanisms with special emphasis on root developmental processes either in response to local nutrient supplies or to systemic plant signals.