An evergreen mind and a heart for the colors of fall – Stefan Hörtensteiner
Prof. Stefan Hörtensteiner was a cherished member of the Swiss Plant Science Web, he passed away in December 2021
With the finest biochemical and molecular approaches, convincing explorative strategies, and long-term vision, Stefan Hörtensteiner succeeded in elucidating the biochemical pathway responsible for chlorophyll degradation. After having contributed to the identification of key chlorophyll degradation products in the course of the past 25 years, he gradually identified and characterized most of the crucial players in the PAO/phyllobilin degradation pathway of chlorophyll. He was one of the brightest plant biochemists of his generation, and his work opened doors to a better understanding of plant senescence, tetrapyrrole homeostasis, and their complex regulation. Sadly, Stefan passed away on December 5, 2020, at the age of 57.
In this publication colleagues of the late Stefan Hörtensteiner highlight his outstanding scientific achievements.
Reference publication
Sylvain Aubry, Bastien Christ, Bernhard Kräutler, Enrico Martinoia, Howard Thomas, Cyril Zipfel
An evergreen mind and a heart for the colors of fall
Journal of Experimental Botany, Volume 72, Issue 13, 22 June 2021, Pages 4625–4633,
https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erab162