Thünen: Matthias Fladung retires

Institute of

FG Forest Genetics

On May 24, 2024, the staff of the Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics bid farewell to the deputy director and group leader, Dr. Matthias Fladung, as he retired.

"Dear colleagues and friends," began Matthias Fladung in his brief speech, during which his longstanding close connection to forest genetic and biotechnological research, as well as to the institute and its staff, was evident. He emphasized how much the teamwork meant to him. He recalled shared successes and numerous milestones he had achieved together with his colleagues.

At the Institute for Forest Genetics since 1993

Since completing his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Matthias Fladung dedicated himself to plant biotechnology. Since 1993, he has been employed as a scientist at the Institute for Forest Genetics. One of his first tasks was the setup of the genetic engineering laboratory in Großhansdorf. A defining period was the field trial with genetically modified poplars starting in 1996. In 1999, Matthias Fladung completed his habilitation and since then has been regularly involved in teaching at the University of Hamburg, as well as serving as a reviewer and supervisor for doctoral theses. Another scientific milestone for Matthias Fladung was his involvement in the first CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing of poplars in Germany in 2016.

According to the Thünen database, which has been maintained since the 2010s, Matthias Fladung was involved in an impressive number of 146 publications in peer-reviewed journals and 170 in non-peer-reviewed journals.