29.02.2024

Margot Smit receives Emmy Noether funding

Dr. Margot Smit from the Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP) has been awarded an Emmy Noether funding by the German Research Foundation, enabling her to grow her own research group starting in February.

The Dutch scientist is researching how plants control their development over time: When do they accelerate, when do they slow down the progression of cells or stop it altogether? She is particularly interested in the so-called stomata cells. They sit in pairs on the surface of plants and regulate the entry and exit of water vapor, oxygen or carbon dioxide. The grant for Dr. Margot Smit extends over six years and up to 1.57 million euros.

Dr. Margot Smit studied biotechnology at Wageningen University, where she also obtained her doctorate. She then went to Stanford University in the USA as a postdoc. Since October, she has been a Junior Group Leader at the Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP) at the University of Tübingen.

The Emmy Noether Program gives outstandingly qualified young scientists the opportunity to qualify for a university professorship by independently leading a junior research group over a period of six years. Postdocs and temporary junior professors at an early stage of their academic career are eligible to apply.