Eva Stöger

Eva Stöger is a Professor at the Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology within the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). She holds leadership roles including Head of the Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology (2022–present) and Head of the Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology (2020–present). Her research focuses on plant biotechnology, molecular farming, and recombinant protein production in plants, particularly using cereal seeds and Nicotiana benthamiana.

• Education: PhD in Biology (University of Vienna, 1994), MSc in Biology (University of Salzburg, 1989).

Research Interests: Dr. Stöger specializes in engineering plants to produce recombinant proteins (e.g., vaccines, antibodies) and studying protein storage organelles in seeds. Her work emphasizes optimizing glycosylation pathways, improving protein stability, and enhancing production efficiency through genome editing (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9). She also investigates plant endomembrane systems and their role in biopharmaceutical production.

Publications & Projects: Over 135 peer-reviewed articles and 11 ongoing/closed projects, including EU-funded initiatives on plant-made vaccines and biomanufacturing. Key projects involve developing industrial-scale systems for glycoprotein production and studying Fusarium resistance in wheat.

• Awards: Sofia-Kovalevskaja Prize (2002), BBSRC Exceptional Performance Award (2000), Golden Grain Award (1999).

Advising & Grants: Supervised 40+ theses, including doctoral and master’s students. Active in grant acquisition, with funding from FWF, FFG, and the European Commission.

Labs & Teams: Leads research teams at BOKU, collaborating with institutions globally on topics like plant-based vaccine production and sustainable agriculture.