_edited.png)
Champions of Change: Empowering Bamboo for a better Future
Dedicated volunteers steer the World Bamboo Organization. The Ambassadors work independently but are connected as a team, and we collaborate to expand the potential of our actions and our mission.
Johan Gielis
Belgium
Biotechnology and applied science
Johan Gielis is a distinguished mathematician, biologist, and innovator with over 40 years of expertise in bamboo biotechnology, mathematics, and technology. In the field of bamboo, he pioneered, amongst other things, the use of molecular markers and the quantification of phytohormones to optimize micropropagation. The methods developed by him and his team have led to the production of at least 25 million tropical and temperate bamboos. Renowned for discovering the Superformula (Gielis Transformations) in 1997, he revolutionized geometric modeling with applications in biology, physics, and engineering.
He has published over 150 research papers and book chapters, and five books, including the Compendium on Bamboo Research 1970-2005. He also was co-organizer of the World Bamboo Congress 2012 in Antwerp, Belgium. Passionate about innovations and bridging science and technology to address global challenges, he is co-chair of WBO’s Scientific Committee