From Bacteriophage to Plant Genetics

Abstract

When first asked to write a review of my life as a scientist, I doubted anyone would be interested in reading it. In addition, I did not really want to compose my own memorial. However, after discussing the idea with other scientists who have written autobiographies, I realized that it might be fun to dig into my past and to reflect on what has been important for me, my life, my family, my friends and colleagues, and my career. My life and research has taken me from bacteriophage to Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated DNA transfer to plants to the plant genome and its environmentally induced changes. I went from being a naïve, young student to a postdoc and married mother of two to the leader of an ever-changing group of fantastic coworkers-a journey made rich by many interesting scientific milestones, fascinating exploration of all corners of the world, and marvelous friendships.

Keywords: autobiography; bacteriophage lambda; environmental impact; homologous recombination; plant DNA stability; plant transformation.