EMBO is an organization that unites leading researchers in the life sciences to promotes scientific excellence. Every year, new members are selected from among Europe’s top-scientists. EMBO membership is one of most highly prized recognitions of excellence in the life sciences for individual researchers. This year, Professor Alain Goossens joins the other VIB EMBO members, together with Professor Christophe Marine (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology) and Professor Jan Steyaert (VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology).
Alain Goossens and his group explore how plants steer the delicate balance between growth and defense, particularly the production of bioactive specialized metabolites. Their main focus is to unravel the action of one hormone in the regulation of plant metabolism, namely jasmonate. The influential discoveries made by his group enable better exploitation of the metabolic treasures of the plant world.
Alain shares his thoughts after hearing about his EMBO membership election: “It is an amazing feeling to be elected as an EMBO member. It is a fantastic recognition of the work of my team. I am looking forward to participate in this network of outstanding researchers and push the research of myself, and eventually others within the EMBO community, to a next level.”
Alain joins several VIB colleagues who have been elected previously as EMBO member: Wout Boerjan Jenny Russinova, Patrik Verstreken, Peter Carmeliet, Bart De Strooper, Dirk Inzé, Dietmar Schmucker, Pierre Vanderhaeghen, Cédric Blanpain and Shoshana Wodak. Former VIB group leaders Claudia Bagni, Carlos Dotti, Jiri Friml, Bassem Hassan, Salvador Moncada, Désiré Collen, Walter Fiers, Willy Min Jou, Joël Vandekerckhove and Marc Van Montagu have also been honored with EMBO membership.
As new EMBO members, Prof. Marine, Prof. Steyaert, and Prof. Goossens will serve on the EMBO Council, Committees and Editorial Boards and play an important part in evaluating applications for EMBO funding, but also in the mentorship of young scientists.
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