Press release, 18 March 2010  

With his thesis entitled “Regulation of auxin homeostasis by strigolactones in Arabidopsis” Arjan van Zeijl has been declared the winner of the Rijk Zwaan Plant Sciences Award. 

An independent jury assessed the submitted theses on their originality, scientific quality, presentation of the report and significance for the professional practice of plant breeding and seed quality. Arjan van Zeijl's thesis was judged to be the best. Van Zeijl carried out his research last year at Wageningen University and is currently working there on his second Masters research. Besides the Award itself the winner receives a cheque in the amount of € 1,500 and a working visit to a subsidiary of seed breeding company Rijk Zwaan. Van Zeijl chose the Rijk Zwaan company in Tanzania.

Branching of plants

Van Zeijl did his research on a recently discovered class of plant hormones: strigolactones. As these hormones influence the branching of roots and stems, it is obvious that in the plant an interaction with the activity of another plant hormone, auxin, can be expected. The study shows that the interaction between auxin and strigolactones can determine the architecture of plants.

Arjan van Zeijl received the Plant Sciences Award from the chairman of the jury, Prof. Dr. J.C.M. Smeekens, Professor in molecular plant physiology at the Department Biology at the University of Utrecht. The jury said to be impressed with the high quality of all nominated theses. They were written well and showed the experimental skills of the three nominees.