Symbioses of the plants

Prof. Dr. Marco Thines, thines@bio.uni-frankfurt.de, Tel +49 69 7542 1833

Dr. Sabine Telle, sabine.telle@senckenberg.de, Tel +49 69 7542 1834

Module information

It is estimated that there are significantly more plant pathogens than plants. The severity of the infestation can vary greatly and ranges from largely asymptomatic colonisation to the destruction of the host plant. However, all pathogens have in common that the organisms involved interact directly and influence each other in their evolution. Pathogens are thus among the most important drivers of evolution and are essential for the stability of ecosystems. Furthermore, host-pathogen interactions can limit the occurrence of hosts. In agriculture, pathogens cause considerable damage every year, especially because evolutionary mechanisms regulating natural systems do not take effect. In the module context, the various aspects of the evolution of pathogens are illuminated and deepened through project work. These projects are worked on in small groups on day excursions and later in a modern molecular biology laboratory.

The module participants gain insights into hypothesis development, problem-solving-oriented experimental design, and scientific work in the process. The research group of Prof. Dr. Thines, which is involved in implementing the module, is a young, international and professional team that researches various fundamental and applied aspects of host-pathogen coevolution, from ecological questions to genome evolution its molecular genetic mechanisms.

Time slot of module – First half of the summer semester.

Number of participants – 10.

Special features – The module can be carried out wholly or partly in English in consultation with the students. Experiments of genetic safety level S1 can be carried out if necessary.

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