After studying Biology (Kaiserslautern), graduating in Genetics (Hohenheim) and doing postdoc research (Zurich), NilsStein joined the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, in 2001 to work on cereal genomics. Sincethen, his research focused on structural and comparative genome analysis of the small grain cereals barley, wheat and rye –with a leading role in genome sequencing of all three species. This work has recently been extended into pan-genome analysis of barley and wheat with the intention of unlocking the genomic diversity of the vast genetic resources available for the small grains hosted in ex situ gene banks. Nils Stein was awarded the Günter and Anna Wricke Award in Applied Genetics and Breeding Researchin 2010 for his achievements in Triticeae genome analysis and the IWGSC leadership award in 2017 for his leading role in finishing and publishing the wheat reference sequence. Since September 2018 Nils is professor of Plant Genetic Resources, Georg-August-University Göttingen, in a dual appointment with IPK Gatersleben. Between 2015 and 2019 he was adjunct professor at the School of Agriculture and Environment at UWA, Australia.