Science Award for microbiologist Jörg Overmann
This year‘s Science Award of the German Stifterverband ‚Research with Responsibility‘ goes to Jörg Overmann, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Professor at the Technical University Braunschweig and long-time coordinator of the pathogen bank at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).
The prize acknowledges the microbiologist’s work on the biodiversity of microorganisms as well as his dedication to create a fair benefit sharing during the scientific and economic utilization of biological diversity worldwide. Jörg Overmann will be presented with the award endowed with 50,000 Euros at the Annual Conference of the Leibniz Association on 23rd November 2022.
Jörg Overmann is one of Germany’s most renowned microbiologists. His work focuses on the biological diversity of microorganisms and ranges from deep sea bacteria and their role in the carbon cycle to the influence of bacterial communities in plant root systems. His findings have resulted in more than 300 publications in scientific journals. In addition, Jörg Overmann has repeatedly succeeded in growing previously unculturable bacteria in the laboratory, making them accessible to research and development for the first time. Thereby, he also contributes towards the mission of the institution he leads, the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures. Besides the research of microorganisms, the institute also has the tasks of collecting and cultivating these organisms, as well as making them accessible for academic research projects and economic development. To this end, the DSMZ has established the databank BacDive (https://bacdive.dsmz.de) which represents the only public resource worldwide offering standardised and quality-controlled phenotypical data for all known bacterial species.
“With Jörg Overmann, we are honouring an excellent scientist whose outstanding research contributions affect society as a whole, all the while accepting responsibility in a very special way”, declares Volker Meyer-Guckel, Secretary General of the Stifterverband. “His exceptional commitment to open up research data in the field of life sciences in particular is exemplary. Through his body of work, Jörg Overmann has established an open access databank that is unique in the world. With it, he has contributed an extraordinary amount to the global research of biodiversity.”
The laureate
Prof Dr Jörg Overmann studied biology at the Universities of Bochum and Freiburg and obtained his Ph.D. in microbiology in 1991 from the University of Konstanz. Subsequent stations of his scientific career include a postdoc at Vancouver University (Canada), a position as scientific assistant in Oldenburg where Jörg Overmann qualified as university lecturer, and an appointment as Professor of Microbiology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. In 2010, Jörg Overmann took over the position of Scientific Director at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures in Braunschweig, Germany, and of a full Professor of Microbiology at the Technical University Braunschweig. Overmann’s diverse commitments include Membership of the Permanent Senate Commission for Fundamental Issues of Biological Diversity of the German Research Association. He also functions as Representative for Ethics in Research of the Leibniz Association and is Vice-Speaker of the Leibniz Research Network Biodiversity as well as long-term coordinator of the DZIF Pathogen Repository.
The award
The Science Award of the Stifterverband ‚Research with Responsibility‘ is endowed with 50,000 Euros and awarded on the proposal of the Leibniz Association for the outstanding overall performance of scientists whose research has a particular relevance for society as well as being practical. The award aims to increase the visibility of these scientific achievements for the general public. The award is open to researchers whose findings form the basis of innovative application in economy, politics or society. The award is conferred every two years during the Annual Conference of the Leibniz Association.
The source
DSMZ Press Release