In Memoriam: Klaus Apel

Klaus Apel, a former faculty member at the Boyce Thompson Institute, passed away on June 30^th at the age of 74.

Apel was a Professor emeritus at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, and he joined BTI upon his retirement from ETH in 2008. Klaus made significant contributions in the fields of plant genetics, molecular biology, and stress response.

While at BTI, the Apel lab discovered the impacts of singlet oxygen in plant stress responses and its importance in signaling. Klaus’ dedication to scientific discovery inspired his former lab members to continue researching single oxygen at their respective institutes.

After 8 years at BTI, Apel felt he had brought his research to a fulfilling conclusion and retired from the Institute in 2016. In retirement, Klaus enjoyed spending quality time with his family in Germany.

His combination of expertise, inquisitiveness, and determination made him a valued member of the BTI community. He will be dearly missed by everyone at the Institute. “We are fortunate to have known Klaus at BTI, at his best, with his gentle heart and passion for science an example for us all,” according to BTI President David Stern.

Read more about Klaus’ life and passion for plant science here.