Prof. Dr. Michael Krings elected corresponding member of the Göttingen Accademy of Sciences and Humanities

In July 2025, SNSB scientist Prof. Dr. Michael Krings was elected as a corresponding member of the Göttingen Accademy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony (Niedersächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen).

The Göttingen Accademy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower Saxony was founded in 1751 and currently has around 380 full and corresponding members from all scientific fields. Outstanding professors in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences are elected as members of the academy. The academy has a unique network of expertise not only in the region but worldwide.

Prof. Krings has been a research associate at the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology (BSPG) since 2003. He is also an adjunct professor at LMU Munich and an adjunct professor at the University of Kansas (USA). He is a paleobotanist and mycologist and works primarily on the interrelationships (symbioses) between plants and microorganisms in the geological past. His research focuses on Devonian and Carboniferous microorganisms (bacteria, cyanobacteria, fungi, algae) and fossil uncalcified macroalgae.

Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology

The Bavarian State Collection for Paleontology and Geology is a center for documenting and researching the evolutionary history and diversity of life on Earth, the interrelationships between organisms and with the Earth system (geobiology), and the geological foundations. In Bavaria, it is the state institution responsible for fossil finds and rocks. Since its inception, the State Collection has been closely linked to the respective chair at Ludwig Maximilian University in terms of location, function, and personnel (currently the Chair of Paleontology and Geobiology). The cooperation encompasses research, collection management, teaching, the library, and the workshops.

Paleontological research focuses on aspects of taxonomy, systematics, evolution, biodiversity, stratigraphy, and paleoecology of prehistoric flora and fauna. The State Collection’s tasks also include the acquisition and preservation of fossil and rock materials through its own collections and excavations, as well as the preparation, conservation, documentation, supplementation, and conservation care of the collection objects.