15.05.2023

Dr Andrey Yurkov has received the Johanna Westerdjik Award 2023

Prestigious award for DSMZ Leibniz Institute scientist

Dr Andrey Yurkov; Source: Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute

On 17 April 2023, DSMZ researcher Dr Andrey Yurkov received the Johanna Westerdijk Award. Since 2008, the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute in Utrecht (Netherlands) has awarded this prestigious prize annually to researchers who have made an outstanding contribution to the institute's culture collection and who have had an exceptional career in mycology. Nominees for the award are assessed on the basis of quality, quantity and originality of their scientific contributions to the fungal collection as well as on the basis of the associated research.

Dr Andrey Yurkov has been with the DSMZ since 2012
Dr Andrey Yurkov has been part of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ since 2012. He studied at Moscow's Lomonosov University where he completed his doctorate in 2006. At DSMZ his research focuses on health-related fungi. The 2023 Award was given to Dr Andrey Yurkov to recognise his great contribution to the collection of fungi and to research on yeasts from natural habitats. Together with his team he has been collecting new and rare yeasts over many years.

Dr. Andrey Yurkov is a renowned expert on fungi
Doctor Yurkov is a world-renowned expert in yeast systematics and taxonomy, as well as an active member of professional societies, organisations and commissions such as the WFCC (World Federation for Culture Collections), the IMA (International Mycological Association) and the ICTF (International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi). Samples taken by Dr Yurkov at the DFG Biodiversity Exploratories sites have led to the isolation of more than 100 fungal species. Follow-up studies further increased the known number of soil yeasts. Together with his team, the renowned fungal researcher has also studied yeasts associated with plants and insects. Most of the new fungal strains he discovered have been deposited in the CBS collection of the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.

 

Press contact:
PhDr. Sven-David Müller, Head of Public Relations, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Phone: ++49 (0)531/2616-300
Mail: press(at)dsmz.de

About the Leibniz Institute DSMZ
The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures is the world's most diverse collection of biological resources (bacteria, archaea, protists, yeasts, fungi, bacteriophages, plant viruses, genomic bacterial DNA as well as human and animal cell lines). Microorganisms and cell cultures are collected, investigated and archived at the DSMZ. As an institution of the Leibniz Association, the DSMZ with its extensive scientific services and biological resources has been a global partner for research, science and industry since 1969. The DSMZ was the first registered collection in Europe (Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014) and is certified according to the quality standard ISO 9001:2015. As a patent depository, it offers the only possibility in Germany to deposit biological material in accordance with the requirements of the Budapest Treaty. In addition to scientific services, research is the second pillar of the DSMZ. The institute, located on the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd, accommodates more than 83,000 cultures and biomaterials and has around 220 employees. www.dsmz.de

The Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association connects 97 independent research institutions that range in focus from the natural, engineering and environmental sciences via economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct knowledge-driven and applied basic research, maintain scientific infrastructure and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer to policy-makers, academia, business and the public. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of “Leibniz ScienceCampi” – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 20,500 people, including 11,500 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2 billion euros. www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de