Zoom imageAttending the award ceremony were Bayer CEO W. Wenning, Professor D. Weigel, Management Board member Prof. Dr. W. Plischke and Board of Trustees Chairman Professor E.L. Winnacker (from right).
Professor Detlef Weigel of the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen has won the 2010 Otto Bayer Award. The Bayer Science and Education Foundation awarded the coveted science prize to the 48-year-old researcher for his outstanding work in advancing the understanding of the molecular-biological principles governing the variability of plants. The practical objective of Weigel’s research is to be able to predict how wild and crop plants will react to the current rapid environmental changes.
Werner Wenning, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG, and Management Board member Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Plischke presented the award, worth €75,000, at a ceremony in Berlin. Wenning said Professor Weigel’s work is impressive evidence of the high standard of scientific research in Germany. His findings are of great significance, particularly for fundamental research in the important field of biotechnology: “We need to exploit the entire spectrum of options if we are to protect crops from diseases, pests, weeds and environmental factors, increase yields and improve plant traits,” said Wenning.
At the ceremony, Plischke – the Bayer Management Board member responsible for research – commented on the decision by the Board of Trustees: “Professor Weigel is an outstanding developmental biologist who repeatedly delves into new fields of research and sets new scientific standards.”