Danish professor elected Foreign Member of The Royal Society

Professor Tom Fenchel from the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, has been elected Foreign Member of The Royal Society.

The Royal Society is the oldest scientific society in the world. A Royal Society Fellowship or a Foreign Membership of the Royal Society are among the finest accolades a scientist can receive.

According to The Royal Society, candidates must have made "a substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science". This rare honour has only been conferred on 20 Danish Scientists since 1660.

Professor Fenchel was nominated and elected "for his contributions to the understanding of the functional roles of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms in aquatic  environments. He elucidated the role of bacteria and protists in determining the fluxes of matter and energy in sediments, and described the spatial structure of microbial and other biotic communities." (From The Royal Society's website) 

Posted on 2 July 2007