Speaker: Uta Paszkowski

Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge (UK)

Lead of the Cereal Symbiosis Group, Crop Science Centre

On Zoom

Theme

Symbiosis – hosted by Prof. Brande Wulff.

Abstract

Symbioses are fundamental to life on the Earth. The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is a fascinating beneficial interaction between roots of most land plants and soil fungi where mutualism is achieved through the exchange of soil minerals for organic carbon. The AM symbiosis is so widespread that it impacts on ecosystem functioning, and is considered of fundamental importance for crop productivity and sustainability. Our research investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying formation and functioning of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses in rice and maize, and has contributed important insights into plant-fungal communication strategies from recognition in the rhizosphere to intracellular colonisation.

About the speaker

Uta Paszkowski is Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics at the Department of Plant Sciences of the University of Cambridge (UK) and leads the Cereal Symbiosis Group at the Crop Science Centre. She did her undergraduate studies at the University Cologne (Germany) gaining a Master (Diplom) degree in Phytopathology at the Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding. Paszkowski received her PhD in Biotechnology at the ETH-Zurich (Switzerland) and conducted two postdocs on molecular genetics of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis at the University Basel (Switzerland) and the Torrey Mesa Research Institute in San Diego (USA). She started her own research group at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), followed by an Assistant Professorship position at the University Lausanne (Switzerland) before moving to Cambridge University in October 2012, where she now is a Full Professor.

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