Prof. Atanas Atanasov is a leading researcher in the area of genetic biotechnologies and their applications for agronomy and plant genetics in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe. He is the founder and conceptualizer of the Joint Genomic Center – a model for public-private partnership in the areas of agriculture, forestry and environment by applying a complex genomic approach.
Prof. Atanasov has a number of degrees and specializations in France, Hungary, Canada, Belgium, the former USSR and other countries. Since 2003 he is a full member of the Bulgarian Academy of Science. His papers have been published in more than 170 Bulgarian and international scientific magazines.
The research of prof. Atanasov is mainly in the area of genetic biotechnologies, clonal reproduction of cultivated and wild plants and genomics. He is the author of the “invitro” method of cultivated embryos in maize, sunflower, cherry and other plants. He has created a number of varieties and selection lines. He also works on the development and application of legislation on safety and control over the application of genetically improved plants.
Prof. Atanasov has held various positions in his career including the role of directors at the Institute of Genetic Engineering (Kostinbrod, Bulgaria) and the Agro Bio Institute in Sofia.
