dr. FA (Frans) Krens

I studied biology at the State University of Leiden and graduated in 1978. I did my PhD study in the group of professor dr. R.A. Schilperoort at the Institute of Molecular Plant Science, State University of Leiden and got my degree in May 1983. After a post-doc period in the same group I moved to Wageningen in 1986 and started as a senior scientist, head of the section Cell Biology at one of the predecessor institutes of what is now Wageningen Research. Today, I am head of the research group Ornamentals, Tissue Culture and Gene Technology of WUR Plant Breeding.

My expertise (from > 40 years) and interests are in:

Cell Biology

- Cell typing

- Protoplast culture

- (Asymmetric) somatic hybridization

- Regeneration/Somatic embryogenesis

- In vitro propagation/tissue cultur

Genetic modification

- Transformation of recalcitrant crops

- Factors involved in efficient and stable transfer, integration and expression of transgenes

- New procedures for gene transfer

- New techniques for controlled excision/removal of undesired foreign gene sequences/Marker-free systems

- Cisgenesis

- New Breeding Techniques

- Field trials with GM crops in the Netherlands

Genome plasticity

- Site-specific Nucleases

- Genome Editing

- Targeted insertion/targeted mutation

- Recombination

- Allele replacement

Over the years I initiated many projects and managed them, too. Most of these projects were a collaboration with the Dutch government and/or private, international breeding companies. The size of my group varied from 18 to 45, depending on the number of guests and students (bachelor, master and PhD). I have (co-)authored more than a hundred scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.