Erik Andreasson
Professor of Plant Protection Biology
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
Biografi
Erik Andreasson is Professor of Plant Protection Biology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), where he leads the Resistance Biology Unit. His research focuses on how plants defend themselves against diseases and environmental stresses, with a special emphasis on potatoes threatened by late blight, one of the world’s most destructive plant diseases. After earning a PhD in molecular cell biology, he carried out postdoctoral work in Copenhagen and at the Sainsbury Laboratory before joining SLU in 2009. His team develops advanced molecular tools and genome-editing techniques, including CRISPR, to identify and modify plant genes that influence susceptibility to pathogens. A key breakthrough from his lab is the discovery of a thylakoid protein, whose removal boosts potato resilience to drought, salinity, and fungal infections. With more than a hundred peer-reviewed publications, Andreasson is at the forefront of efforts to create crops that are more sustainable.
