Lyudmilla Borisjuk, studied microbiology and biochemistry at the T. Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kiev, Ukraine), received her PhD in mycology and her qualification as a professor (“habilitation”) in plant physiology at the Leibniz-University Hannover. Her interest in plant biotechnology (Biotech Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA) then led her into seed science (IPK Gatersleben, Germany). Since 2016 she has headed the RG Assimilate Allocation and NMR (AAN) at Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK).

Leitmotif

“An observation holds truth, regardless of whether one can explain it or not.”

Activities

Among her achievements is the imaging of metabolic gradients, the discovery of lipid topology in living seeds and the monitoring of an awakening of life by seed germination. A few years ago, Dr. L. Borisjuk established the MRI laboratory at IPK and a newly formed multidisciplinary research team, with a goal to generate an “inside out” view on complex biological processes in seeds, also including seed growth as well as metabolite delivery and storage.

Focus

While her main scientific focus lies in functional-structural relations during seed growth, an essential part of her research is functional imaging and in vivo analytics. Her professional experience focuses particularly on the development and application of new visualization and analytics technologies, allowing the imaging of plant tissues and living plant seeds.