Professor Jörg-Helmut Fromm is Head of Department and Head of Research Unit for Wood Biology and Wood Protection at the University of Hamburg's Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Institute of Wood Sciences. He has held a W3 Professorship for General Wood Biology at the University of Hamburg since 2007, following a C3 Professorship for Applied Wood Biology at the Technical University of Munich from 1996-2007. His research focuses on plant nutrition, climate change effects on trees, stress physiology, non-wood forest products, and wood protection. Specific areas include nutrient impacts on tree growth and wood formation, elevated atmospheric CO 2 effects, wound reactions, photosynthesis changes under stress conditions, electrical signaling characteristics and functions, and the development and leaching behavior of wood protection agents. His work bridges fundamental plant physiology with practical applications in forestry and wood science. Analysis of Professor Fromm's recent publications reveals a strong focus on climate change impacts on plant systems, particularly examining how elevated CO 2 and drought affect plant physiology, wood structure, and ecosystem functioning. His research increasingly incorporates interdisciplinary approaches, notably through involvement in the Excellence Cluster 'Understanding Written Artefacts' where he applies wood science to historical manuscripts, and in the 'CLICCS' (Climate, Climatic Change, and Society) cluster where he investigates climate change impacts on biological systems. Professor Fromm actively contributes to multiple research clusters including the Excellence Cluster 'Understanding Written Artefacts' where he leads work on 'Palm-Leaf Manuscripts: Characteristics and Properties,' and the 'CLICCS' cluster where he participates in sub-area C2. His group maintains strong collaborations across disciplines, particularly with analytical chemists studying wood metabolomics and with codicologists examining historical manuscripts. The Wood Biology research group operates within the Institute of Wood Sciences at the University of Hamburg, with facilities for studying wood formation, plant physiology under stress conditions, and advanced wood analysis techniques including metabolomics approaches for wood authentication and geographical origin determination.






