Johannes Krause Awarded 22nd Annual Thuringian Research Prize for Top Performance in Basic Research

April 25, 2017

On April 25, 2017, Prof. Dr. Johannes Krause from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena was awarded the Thuringian Research Prize for Top Performance in Basic Research by the Thuringian Ministry of Economy, Science and the Digital Society. Krause received the award for his research in the field of archaeogenetics on the genetic reconstruction of ancient pathogens. He and his team successfully reconstructed the genome of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis from the archeological remains of plague victims from the early to late medieval period. This research allows for a better understanding of the evolution of pathogens and their adaptation to the host, and paves the way for new approaches to the prevention, treatment and control of infectious diseases.

Since 1995, the Thuringian Research Prize has been awarded annually for outstanding achievement in basic or applied research to individuals or groups of researchers working at the universities and non-university research institutes in Thuringia. A selection committee composed of experienced scientists and representatives from the research community, from Thuringia and throughout Germany, appointed by the Ministry of Science, decides on the award winners. More than 220 researchers have been honored since 1995.

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