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The German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG) awards four early career scientists for their excellent research: Dr Michelle Rönspies reduced the number of chromosomes in plants for the first time. What plants were already capable of millions of years ago, has been shown by Dr Jaccoline Zegers. How climate change menaces arctic kelp forests was revealed by Dr Sarina Niedzwiedz. And Dr Paul Grünhofer has challenged long-standing assumptions about poplars’ protecting surfaces. They will receive the awards honouring their scientific findings on 9^th September 2026, during the International Conference of the DBG at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. Three of the awardees will present their research results in a plenary lecture at DBG’s international conference, the Botanik-Tagung, where almost 500 plant scientists are expected to participate. But what exactly is the scientific excellence of the award-winning papers and theses? 

The German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG) awards Dr Eliza Loo (Düsseldorf), Dr Henryk Straube (Hannover/Copenhagen) and Dr Martin Lewinski (Bielefeld) for their excellent research. According to Loo’s research, colonization of root microbes can be separated into different parts along the root, which resembles the human gut. Tiny amounts of rare nucleotides can now be measured thanks to Straube’s research, with which he also discovered a nucleotide-degrading enzyme. Lewinski established a lab protocol to analyse RNA-binding proteins in living plants, which now allows the study of their regulation network. The three scientists will present their results at the Botanik-Tagung, International Conference of the German Society for Plant Sciences, in Halle (Saale) in September, where more than 600 plant scientists are expected to participate.

How climate change influences growing seasons length in woody plants and survival of flowers, the substances that influence shape changes of plastids, and the proteins that spur phloem differentiation are in the research focus of the four plant scientists who will receive the science prices of the German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG) this year. Dr. Constantin Mario Zohner, Dr. Jessica Lee Erickson, Dr. Moisés Expósito Alonso and Dr. Eva-Sophie Wallner will get their awards during the Botanikertagung, the International Plant Science Conference in Rostock, Germany. From 16^th to 18^th September, the four will present their research results to the more than 420 conference participants.

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