Professor Dr. Wilhelm Barthlott

Informations

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Barthlott
Curriculum vitae
1946-1967 Born 22.06.1946 in Forst (Baden-Württemberg), Germany. Attended local primary school and Justus-Knecht-Gymnasium (secondary school: abitur 1966). Military service.
1968-1973 Read biology as main subject with chemistry, physics and geography as subsidiary subjects at the University of Heidelberg. Diploma (MSc) 1972. Dr. rer. nat. Heidelberg 1973 (Thesis on Systematics and Biogeography of Epiphytic Cacti).
1974-1981 Assistant Professor at the Institute of Systematic Botany and Plant Geography at the University of Heidelberg. Two research subjects: (1) Application of high resolution scanning electron microscopy in systematics, structure, and function of plant surfaces. (2) Biogeography and tropical ecology concentrating on Ecuador, Brazil, and Ivory Coast. Habilitation 1981.
1982-1985 Professor (C3) at the Institute of Systematic Botany and Plant Geography of the Freie Universität of Berlin.
1985-2002 Professor (C4) and head of the department at the Botanical Institute of the University of Bonn and director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Bonn. Establishment of a new chair with corresponding curriculum and research programmes concentrating on angiosperm systematics, biodiversity, and electron microscopy of plant boundary layers. Extension and modernisation of the Botanical Garden. Participated in the establishment of a new graduate programme "Ecology and environment". Chairman (dean) of the Biological Institutes of the university and several times managing director of the Botanical Institute. Participation in the re-structuring of the Institute and the fusion of the Botanical Garden with the Agricultural-Economic Garden into a new unit.
Since 2003 Head of the newly founded Nees-Institute for Biodiversity of Plants and Director of the Botanical Gardens of the University of Bonn.
Memberships, awards, etc.

Since 2002 member of the senate of the University of Bonn, member of the trustees of several institutions and board member of several national and international organizations. Founding member (1992) of the Verband Botanischer Gärten and the German office of (2003) Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGC Deutschland). 1997-1999 founding secretary of the German national committee DIVERSITAS.

Member of the Academy of Science and Literature in Mainz , Member of the Academy of Science of North Rhine-Westphalia, member of the German Academy of Science Leopoldina. Foreign member of the Linnean Society of London.

Awards: 1997 Beckurts-Preis , 1998 Nomination for the Zukunftspreis des Bundespräsidenten, 1999 Phillip-Morris-Award, 1999 Deutscher Umweltpreis(German Environmental Award), 1998 Order of Andrés Bello of the President of the republic of Venezuela, 2001 Treviranus-Medal of the 'Verband deutscher Biologen', 2002 GlobArt Award (Austria) and Cactus d'Or Monaco, 2004 Scientist in Residence of the University Duisburg-Essen, 2005 Innovationspreis des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung, 2006 Erster Preis des Hochschulwettbewerbes „Patente Erfinder“ des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen
Research
Biodiversity Research: Global mapping of biodiversity based an vascular plants: patterns, causes and consequences. Diversity of tropical Epiphytes and Inselberg Vegetation. Research projects mainly in AndeanSouth America, West Africa, and Madagascar. Biodiversity and conservation in Botanical Gardens and tropical environments.
Systematics and Ecology of flowering plants (e.g. cacti, orchids, carnivorous families and ancestral angiosperms); application of ultrastructural (SEM and AFM) and molecular methods.
Biological Boundary Layers: based on Scanning Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy structural analysis of mainly cuticular surfaces and epicuticular waxes. Functional aspects of micro- and nanostructured interfaces. Based on our discovery of the self-cleaning properties of certain biological surfaces (lotus effect) reasearch projects ond the structure and function of nanostructuered superhydrophobic and anti-adhesive biological boundary layers.
Biomimetic Surface Technologies and Lotus Effect: in close cooperation with industrial counterparts (see www. lotus-effect. com) development of biomimetic technical micro- and nanostructured superhydrophobic and self-cleaning surfaces.
Complete list of publications

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