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Andrea Carminati, who studied physics in Milan, was introduced to Soil Physics at the ETH Zürich, where he did his PhD studies under the supervision of Prof. Hannes Flühler – who since then has been a constant source of motivation and inspiration. During his PhD Prof. Carminati used imaging methods, such as neutron radiography and X-ray CT, to visualize water dynamics in soils. One of the first things Prof. Carminati learned during his PhD is that soils are complex. As Leonardo da Vinci stated: “We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.".

Prof. Carminati continued his career as a Post-Doc at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research – UFZ in Leipzig/Halle. Key points were the development of methods to image water flow in soil and plants and research on the role of mucilage secreted by roots in conferring drought tolerance to plants.

Key scientists who motivated Prof. Carminati to study plant roots were Ernst Steudle, a former professor at the University of Bayreuth, and John Passioura, visiting researcher in Bayreuth. These were the first contact of Prof. Carminati with Bayreuth.  In 2011 Prof. Carminati moved to the University of Göttingen as Junior-Professor in Soil Hydrology. In Göttingen Prof. Carminati and his team deepened their research on root-soil interactions and drought tolerance. Prof. Carminati’s team is looking for mechanisms that facilitate the uptake of water from drying soils and that attenuate abiotic stresses, particularly when the transpiration demand is high (i.e. hot and dry days). 

Prof. Carminati’s decision to move to Bayreuth was motivated by the quality, commitment and curiosity of the students, the excellent tradition in Geoecology and the high profiles of many researchers and professors. This is definitely an excellent place to learn new things and make important steps together with the new colleagues and students.

Antrittsvorlesung:
The Roots of Drought Tolerance
Mittwoch, 22. November 2017, 18 Uhr c.t., H8 (GEO)