Photosynthetica 2024, 62(4):326-338 | DOI: 10.32615/ps.2024.017

Honoring Hartmut Karl Lichtenthaler, innovative pioneer of photosynthesis, on his 90th birthday

G. GOVINDJEE1, T.D. SHARKEY2, A. MELIS3
1 Department of Plant Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Center of Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, 61801 Illinois, USA
2 MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Plant Resilience Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824 Michigan, USA
3 Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, 94720 California, USA

We honor Professor Hartmut Karl Lichtenthaler, a versatile pioneer of photosynthesis research, plant physiology, isoprenoid biochemistry, and stress physiology of plants, for his groundbreaking and creative contributions to plant science. His innovative research on the chemical composition, ultrastructure, and function of chloroplasts and his detection of the major methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in plants is key to our current understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of photosynthesis systems. His ingenious use of the powerful laser-induced chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging has helped us better understand the stress response processes in plant leaves. In this tribute, we present a summary of Lichtenthalerꞌs career, significant scientific contributions, editorial engagement, promotion of international cooperation, many honors, and awards, as well as his devotion to hiking and mountaineering.

Additional key words: chlorophyll fluorescence; chloroplast ultrastructure; DOXP, MEP pathway; fluorescence imaging of photosynthetic function; isoprenoid biosynthesis; mode of action of herbicides; phylloquinone K1; plastoglobuli; sun, shade-type chloroplasts; the Berkeley Spirit.

Received: March 19, 2024; Accepted: March 28, 2024; Prepublished online: April 8, 2024; Published: December 19, 2024  Show citation

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GOVINDJEE, G., SHARKEY, T.D., & MELIS, A. (2024). Honoring Hartmut Karl Lichtenthaler, innovative pioneer of photosynthesis, on his 90th birthday. Photosynthetica, 62(4), 326-338. doi: 10.32615/ps.2024.017
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