Klaus Winter

Biography

C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E
February 2024

Klaus Winter
Senior Scientist
Plant Physiology Laboratory
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
P.O. Box 0843-03092
Balboa, Ancon
Republic of Panama
Tel. +507 212 8131
Fax +507 212 8148
winterk@si.edu

Personal data:
Birth place: Groß-Umstadt, Germany
Citizenship: German

Research discipline:
Plant Physiology, Plant Ecophysiology

Research topics:
Functional plant diversity, photosynthetic pathway biodiversity.
Evolution and ecophysiology of CAM photosynthesis.
Plant stress physiology and metabolic plasticity.
Tropical plant responses to elevated [CO2] and elevated temperature.

Qualifications, awards, positions held:

(1967) Abitur, Max-Planck-Gymnasium, Groß-Umstadt, Germany.
(1972) Staatsexamen in Biology and Chemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.
(1972-75) Doctoral fellowship, Technical University of Darmstadt.
(1975) Dr. rer. nat., graded summa cum laude, Botany Institute, Technical University of Darmstadt; U. Lüttge's lab.
(1975-77) Research Scientist (Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [German Grant Committee]), Botany Institute, Technical University of Darmstadt.
(1978-79) Postdoctoral fellow with C.B. Osmond, Department of Environmental Biology, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
(1980) Postdoctoral research associate with G.E. Edwards, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
(1981-83) Habilitation Fellowship given by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Botany Institute, University of Würzburg, Germany.
(1981) Heinz-Maier-Leibnitz-Prize given by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Science for research in photosynthesis.
(1983) Dr. rer. nat. habil., Habilitation in Botany, Faculty of Biology, University of Würzburg.
(1983) Heisenberg Fellowship given by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Botany Institute, University of Würzburg.
(1985) Professor of Botany (C 3), Faculty of Biology, University of Würzburg.
(1989/90) Offered, but declined position of Full Professor (C 4) in Botany/Physiological Ecology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
(1991) Staff Scientist, Plant Physiology Program, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Republic of Panama.
(1998) Senior Staff Scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Republic of Panama.
(2002) Highly cited researcher in the category Plant & Animal Science according to ISIHighlycited.com.
(2023) Annals of Botany, Volume 142, Issue 4: a special issue to honour 50 years of CAM research by Klaus Winter

Mentors:
Ulrich Lüttge, Technical University Darmstadt.
Michael Evenari, Hebrew University and Avdat Desert Research Station (Negev).
Barry Osmond, RSBS, Australian National University, Canberra.
Gerald Edwards, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Field research:
Israel and Sinai Peninsula (Acre, Caesarea, Tel Aviv shore, Dead Sea, Avdat, Wadi
Paran, Nabek), Australia (Barrington Tops National Park, Atherton Tableland, Western
Australia), Madagascar (Fort-Dauphin), Venezuela (IVIC, Caracas; CIEZA, Coro),
Papua New Guinea (Mt. Wilhelm, Lae, Baiyer River), Portugal, Panama.

Organizer of International Symposia at STRI:
(1993) Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, March 21–26.
(2010) Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, March 21–24.
(2011) Responses of Tropical Vegetation to Elevated [CO2], March 31–April 1.
(2012) Tropical Vegetation and Rising Temperatures, May 31 –June 1.
(2019) Tropical Plant Ecophysiology, July 12.
(2023) Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, March 28-31.

Former students and postdocs include:
Gerhard Zotz, Professor, University of Oldenburg.
Catherine Lovelock, Professor, FAA, ARC Laureate, University of Queensland.
John Skillman, Professor, California State University, San Bernardino.
Simon Pierce, Associate Professor, University of Milan.
Darren Crayn, Professor, James Cook University.
Lucas Cernusak, Associate Professor, James Cook University.
Martijn Slot, Staff Scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

309 publications since 1972

Five recent publications:
Winter K, Holtum JAM (2024) Shifting photosynthesis between the fast and slow lane: facultative CAM and water-deficit stress. J. Plant Physiol., in press
Winter K (2023) Brief reflections on 50 years as a plant ecophysiologist. Ann. Bot. 132: 577-582
Winter K, Smith JAC (2022) CAM photosynthesis: the acid test. New Phytol. 233: 599-609
Winter K (2019) Ecophysiology of constitutive and facultative CAM photosynthesis. J. Exp. Bot. 70: 6495-6508.
Slot M, Winter K (2017) In situ temperature response of photosynthesis of 42 tree and liana species in the canopy of two Panamanian lowland tropical forests with contrasting rainfall regimes. New Phytol. 214: 1103-1117