Melina Krautwurst successfully defended her PhD thesis

After four highly productive years at the Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics filled with many exciting experiments Melina passed her PhD defense with flying colors – congratulations Dr. Krautwurst!

Melina studied the genetic variation in corals in the Gulf of Thailand before leaving the sun, the beach and the palms behind to contribute to the rescue of Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior). Since about two decades, ash trees are increasingly threatened across Europe by an invasive fungus causing the ash dieback disease. Within the collaborative project “FraxForFuture” Melina performed different genomic analyses.

She identified and characterized several large full-sibling families, which are now growing on an experimental site in Brandenburg and will allow valuable insights into the genetics of tolerance and susceptibility of ash against ash dieback. Using genome-wide sequencing data Melina generated genetic maps and performed QTL analyses to identify genomic loci involved in trait variation. She further developed a protocol for high-molecular weight DNA extraction, which is essential for innovative sequencing methods. Melina successfully finalized her PhD thesis with two published articles.

Congratulations Melina and all the best for your future!