Jurgen Wendland

GENERAL

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Hochschule Geisenheim University (HGU) is a public higher education establishment located in Hesse, Germany. The curriculum and research activities of HGU encompass the complete value chain of special crops reaching from landscape architecture and primary production in horticulture and viticulture to Beverage Technology and Enology, International Wine Business, food safety and fresh produce logistics. HGU currently employs a staff of about 500, including professors, lecturers, research and experimental scientists, technical and administrative personnel. Nine Bachelor and nine Masters Programs are offered covering the areas mentioned above, some in international collaborations and English language. Research as well as teaching cover a broad spectrum of applied and basic research. Scientists at HGU have a multitude of national and international collaborations and are involved in many collaborative grants.  Geisenheim University’s doctoral school currently hosts more than 50 Ph.D. students.

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The Institute of Microbiology and Biochemistry hosts research on beer and wine yeasts, non-conventional yeasts and biocontrol yeasts. We study the role of microbes during alcoholic fermentation and the aroma compounds and flavors they produce. With the Geisenheim Yeast Breeding Center we generate novel yeast strains with peculiar properties to be used in the fermentation industry. For this we use comparative yeast genomics and molecular yeast breeding to exploit the genetic basis of fermentation and flavor production. State-of-the-art chemical analyses tools are used to determine the broad spectrum of flavors and off-flavors generated by yeasts and other microbes. Particular issues, e.g. the impact of climate change on grape, must and wine quality are addressed in interdisciplinary and intersectorial research collaborations with national and international partners.