Biographies:

William MARTIN, University of Düsseldorf, Germany

William Martin is an American botanist and microbiologist, currently head of the Institut für Molekulare Evolution, Heinrich Heine Universität, Düsseldorf. Prof. Martin is a distinguished contributor to the field of molecular evolution and the origin of life. He is known particularly for his work on the evolution of the Calvin cycle and plastids including chloroplasts, and, more generally, for contributions to understanding the origin and evolution of eukaryotic cells. In 2006, he was elected as a fellow of the American Academy for Microbiology.