Messing Lecture
Photo: Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University
The Messing Lecture in Molecular Genetics is an annual endowed lecture held each Fall semester at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, honoring the life and scientific legacy of Dr. Joachim “Jo” Messing, longtime Director of the Waksman Institute and a pioneer of modern molecular genetics.
2026 Messing Lecture
Structure, Biogenesis, and Engineering of the Pyrenoid
Martin C. Jonikas
Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
Princeton University
Wednesday, December 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Waksman Institute Auditorium, Busch Campus
Reception to follow
Host: Mark Zander
About Joachim Messing
Joachim “Jo” Messing (1946–2019) was a pioneering molecular geneticist whose work provided scientists around the world with some of the foundational tools of modern molecular biology. He joined Rutgers University in 1985 and served as Director of the Waksman Institute of Microbiology from 1988 until his death in 2019.
Messing is best known for his contributions to shotgun DNA sequencing and the development of widely used molecular cloning and sequencing vectors. These technologies greatly simplified the cloning and sequencing of DNA and helped lay the groundwork for large-scale genome sequencing and modern biotechnology.
A defining feature of Messing’s scientific legacy was his commitment to making new technologies broadly available. Rather than restricting access to many of the molecular tools developed by his laboratory, he distributed them freely to researchers around the world, accelerating their adoption and scientific impact. His work ultimately contributed to advances ranging from the sequencing of human and plant genomes to the genetic improvement of agriculturally important crops.
At Rutgers, Messing also played a major role in building research programs in molecular genetics and genomics. His later research focused extensively on plant genomics, genome evolution, and the genetics of crops including maize, sorghum, and rice.
Messing was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2015 and received numerous other honors during his career, including the Wolf Prize in Agriculture in 2013.
The Messing Lecture in Molecular Genetics continues his commitment to ambitious scientific inquiry, the open exchange of ideas, and the advancement of molecular genetics.
Past Messing Lecturers
The Messing Lecture has welcomed distinguished scientists whose research reflects the breadth and impact of modern molecular genetics and the life sciences.
2025 — Bob Schmitz
Professor and UGA Foundation Professor in Plant Sciences, University of Georgia
2024 — Cori Bargmann
Torsten N. Wiesel Professor and Head of the Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University
2023 — Marja Timmermans
Professor of Developmental Genetics, University of Tübingen
Learn More About Joachim Messing
- Joachim Messing — National Academy of Sciences
- Biographical Memoir of Joachim Messing — National Academy of Sciences
- Joachim Messing, Renowned Rutgers Scientist, Dead at 73 — Rutgers University