Director

Detlef Weigel

Detlef Weigel

I started out as a developmental biologist, but over the past two decades years, my lab has come to focus more and more on questions of evolution. We investigate these both from a genomic perspective and starting from phenotypes, primarily, but not exclusively in Arabidopsis thaliana. The most recent addition is a strong investment in plant-microbe interactions, including natural microbiomes; see our Pathopdopsis project! I am an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society, the German National Academy of Sciences and EMBO. I have served or am serving on many advisory and editorial boards and have co-founded three biotech start-ups. Download a recent CV here.

Bio

- 2002 to present / Director / Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 1993 to 2002 / Assistant and Associate Professor / Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA
- 1989 to 1993 / Postdoc / California Institute of Technology, USA
- 1988 to 1989 / Research Associate / Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Germany
- 1986 to 1988 / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 1981 to 1986 / Diploma student / University of Cologne

Selected References

Arabidopsis thaliana and Pseudomonas Pathogens Exhibit Stable Associations over Evolutionary Timescales

Karasov, T. L., Almario, J., Friedemann, C., Ding, W., Giolai, M., Heavens, D., Kersten, S., Lundberg, D., Neumann, M., Regalado, J., Neher, R. A., Kemen, E., Weigel D.
Cell Host Microbe
(2018), 24(1) 168-179.

1,135 Genomes Reveal the Global Pattern of Polymorphism in Arabidopsis thaliana

1001 Genomes Consortium
Cell (2016), 166(2) 481-491.

Species-wide Genetic Incompatibility Analysis Identifies Immune Genes as Hot Spots of Deleterious Epistasis

Chae E., Bomblies K., Kim S. T., Karelina D., Zaidem M., Ossowski S., Martin-Pizarro C., Laitinen R. A., Rowan B. A., Tenenboim H., Lechner S., Demar M., Habring-Müller A., Lanz C., Rätsch G. and Weigel D.
Cell
(2014), 159(6) 1341-51.

Natural allelic variation underlying a major fitness trade-off in Arabidopsis thaliana

Todesco M., Balasubramanian S., Hu T. T., Traw M. B., Horton M., Epple P., Kuhns C., Sureshkumar S., Schwartz C., Lanz C., Laitinen R. A., Huang Y., Chory J., Lipka V., Borevitz J. O., Dangl J. L., Bergelson J., Nordborg M. and Weigel D.
Nature
(2010), 465(7298) 632-6.

Integration of spatial and temporal information during floral induction in Arabidopsis

Wigge P. A., Kim M. C., Jaeger K. E., Busch W., Schmid M., Lohmann J. U. and Weigel D.
Science
(2005), 309(5737) 1056-9.

Control of leaf morphogenesis by microRNAs

Palatnik J. F., Allen E., Wu X., Schommer C., Schwab R., Carrington J. C. and Weigel D.
Nature
(2003), 425(6955) 257-63.

A molecular link between stem cell regulation and floral patterning in Arabidopsis

Lohmann J. U., Hong R. L., Hobe M., Busch M. A., Parcy F., Simon R. and Weigel D.
Cell (2001), 105(6) 793-803.

A developmental switch sufficient for flower initiation in diverse plants

Weigel D. and Nilsson O.
Nature
(1995), 377(6549) 495-500.

The homeotic gene fork head encodes a nuclear protein and is expressed in the terminal regions of the Drosophila embryo

Weigel D., Jürgens G., Küttner F., Seifert E. and Jäckle H.
Cell (1989), 57(4) 645-58.

Contact

detlef.weigel@tuebingen.mpg.de

Evolution & Adaptation

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Patience Chatukuta
Plant protoplast transformation. Plant regeneration. Plant genome editing.

Patience Chatukuta

My work focuses on improving regenerability of important vegetatively-propagated subsistence crops of southern Africa. I explore the genetic basis for regenerability variance in different genotypes using a reverse genetics approach on targeted genes associated with de novo shoot regeneration. Using genome editing techniques, I evaluate the effect of targeted gene expression levels on the shoot formation capabilities of plant protoplasts. I also study the effect of media composition on regenerability. Preliminary work focuses on the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, and lessons from this are applied to cassava (Manihot esculenta), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus).

Research Topics

- Plant protoplast transformation
- Plant regeneration
- Plant genome editing

Bio

- 2022 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2017 to 2021 / Postdoc / Plant Biotechnology Lab / University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) South Africa
- 2016 / Senior Lecturer / Department of Biology / Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Zimbabwe
- 2013 to 2015 / PhD student / Plant Biotechnology Lab / North-West University (NWU), South Africa
- 2011 to 2012 / MSc student / Plant Biotechnology Lab / North-West University (NWU), South Africa
- 2010 to 2011 / Biotech communication intern / Africa Harvest Biotechnology Foundation International, South Africa
- 2004 to 2008 / BSc (Hons) student / Department of Applied Biology and Biochemistry / National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Zimbabwe

Selected References

A cassava protoplast system for screening genes associated with the response to South African cassava mosaic virus

Chatukuta, P., Rey, M.E.C.
Virol J.
(2020), 17(1) 184.

An Arabidopsis clathrin assembly protein with a predicted role in plant defense can function as an adenylate cyclase

Chatukuta, P, Dikobe, T.B., Kawadza, D.T., Sehlabane, K.S., Takundwa, M.M., Wong, A., Gehring, C., Ruzvidzo, O.
Biomolecules (2018), 8(2) 15.

Recombinant expression and functional testing of candidate adenylate cyclase domains

Ruzvidzo, O., Dikobe, B.T., Kawadza, D.T., Mabadahanye, G.H., Chatukuta, P., Kwezi, L.
Methods Mol Biol (2013), 1016: 13-25

Contact

patience.chatukuta@tuebingen.mpg.de

Adrian Contreras
epigenomics (sRNA/DNA methylation). Population genomics of transposable elements.

Adrian Contreras

I am interested in the repetitive fraction of plant genomes, mainly transposable elements, and their regulatory epigenetic mechanisms. These elements are drivers of genome size in eukaryotes, provide the building blocks of gene regulatory networks and are a source of mutations. My research focuses in the characterization of these elements in different populations of the non-model species Thlaspi arvense and their contribution to local adaptation and overall phenotypic variation.

Research Topics

- epigenomics (sRNA/DNA methylation)
- Population genomics of transposable elements

Bio

- 2018 to present / Doctoral researcher / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2015 to 2017 Master in Molecular and Cell Plant Biotechnology. Polytechnic U. of Valencia
- 2010 to 2015 Degree in Biological Sciences. University of Valencia.

Selected References

Contact

adrian.contreras@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Monika Demar

Monika Demar

I'm a research technician in the department. 

Contact

monika.demar@tuebingen.mpg.de

Katrin Fritschi
DNA sequencing and associated challenges.

Katrin Fritschi

My work focuses on challenges associated with Next Generation Sequencing. Apart from operating the instruments, I am involved in various research projects.

Research Topics

- DNA sequencing and associated challenges

Bio

- 2014 to present / Technical and Scientific Assistant / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2012 to 2014 / Technician / Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 2010 to 2012 / Research Technician / Philips
- 2010 / MSc in Biotechnology / RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Selected References

SPECT/CT imaging of temperature-sensitive liposomes for MR-image guided drug delivery with high intensity focused ultrasound.

de Smet, M., Langereis, S. van den Bosch, S., Bitter, K., Hijnen, N. M., Heijman, E., Grüll, H.
J Control Release (2013), 169(1-2): 82-90.

Treatment planning based on polypeptide radiotoxicity serum markers.

Bitter, K., Ribbing, C.
WIPO Patentscope (2013), WO2013001507

Clinical Decision Support (CDS) for Radiotherapy in prostate cancer.

Ribbing, C., Bitter, Katrin
WIPO Patentscope (2014), WO2014147509

Monitoring rapid evolution of plant populations at scale with Pool-Sequencing

Czech, L., Peng, Y.,. Spence, J.P., Lang, P.L.M., Bellagio, T., Hildebrandt, J., Fritschi, K, Schwab, R, Rowan, B.A., GrENE-net consortium, Weigel, D., Scheepens, J.F., Vasseur, F., Exposito-Alonso, M.
bioRxiv (2022), 477408

Pushing the limits of HiFi assamblies reveals centromere diversity between two Arabidopsis thaliana genomes

Rabanal, F.A., Gräff, M., Lanz, C., Fritschi, K., Llaca, V., Lang, M., Carbonell-Bejenaro, P., Henderson, I., Weigel, D.
bioRxiv (2022), 480579

Contact

katrin.fritschi@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Li He

Li He

Contact

li.he@tuebingen.mpg.de

Ulrich Lutz
GxG interactions. Flowering time variation. Herbicide resistance.

Ulrich Lutz

I am interested in deciphering the genetic basis of adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of flowering time of plants, especially in response to changing environmental conditions. I use natural variation as a resource of genetic diversity to identify new alleles of known genes to better understand gene function, regulation, and interaction. Employing CRISPR/Cas9 technology, I investigate GxG interaction by testing a deleterious genetic deletion in a large set of natural Arabidopsis genetic backgrounds. I also work on herbicide resistance of Alopecurus myosuroides (black-grass), a plant species classified as a weed. Several next generation sequencing technologies and methods are applied to study the dynamics of resistance dispersion and the population structure of local and nationwide samples.

Research Topics

- GxG interactions. Flowering time variation. Herbicide resistance

Bio

- 2017 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 2011 to 2016 / PhD student / Plant Systems Biology / Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany
- 2010 to 2011 / Diploma thesis / Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Germany
- 2005 to 2011 / Studies of Agricultural Biotechnology, University of Hohenheim, Germany

Selected References

Population structure and evolution of resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors Armaranthus tuberculatus in Italy.

Milani, A., Lutz, U., Galla, G., Scarabel, L., Weigel, D., and Sattin, M.
Pest Manag Sci (2021), published online 25 February 2021

Natural haplotypes of FLM non-coding sequences fine-tune flowering time in ambient spring temperatures in Arabidopsis.

Lutz, U., Nussbaumer, T., Spannagl, M., Dienter, J., Mayer, K. F., Schwechheimer C.
eLIFE (2017), e22114

Modulation of Ambient Temperature-Dependent Flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana by Natural Variation of FLOWERING LOCUS M.

Lutz, U., Posé, D., Pfeifer, M., Gundlach, H., Hagmann, J., Wang, C., Weigel, D., Mayer, K. F., Schmid, M., Schwechheimer C.
PLoS Genet. (2015), 11(10):e1005588

A set of Columbia-0-specific single nucleotide polymorphism markers for the genetic analysis of natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Lutz, U., Schwechheimer C.
bioRxiv preprint (2017), doi: 10.1101/153197

Contact

ulrich.lutz@tuebingen.mpg.de

Andrea Movilli
Epigenetics. Transposable Elements. Long-read sequencing.

Andrea Movilli

The plant epigenome is at the base of intraspecific variation and environmental adaptation. DNA methylation and histone modification patterns lead to chromatin alteration. These marks are involved in transposable element (TE) silencing. To assess TE insertion polymorphisms, I am using PacBio HiFi reads for generating chromosome-level genome assemblies of different Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. I will integrate these reference genomes with epigenetic variation data from wildtypes and mutants defective for epigenetic pathways. This intersection will shed light onto chromatin and TE dynamics.

Research Topics

- Epigenetics
- Transposable Elements
- Long-read sequencing

Bio

- 2021 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2019-2020 / Research assistant / University of Milan, Italy
- 2017-2019 / MSc degree in Molecular Biology / University of Milan, Italy
- 2014-2017 / BSc in Biology / University of Padova, Italy

Contact

andrea.movilli@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Kevin Murray
Landscape and Spatial Population Genomics. Plant-pathogen Interaction. Bioinformatics.

Kevin Murray

I research the genetic interaction of plants and their pathogens across the landscape. I have experience in genomics, bioinformatics, software engineering, and plant phenomics. I use these skills to build models that inform how genetic material has moved across the landscape historically, and how the coevolutionary balance between plants and their pathogens might change as our climate changes. In the past, I have researched the population and landscape genomics of various plants (Arabidopsis, Brachypodium, Eucalyptus, and others), and developed several novel computational methods to analyse population genomics data.

Research Topics

- Landscape and Spatial Population Genomics
- Plant-pathogen Interaction
- Bioinformatics

Bio

- 2020 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2019-2020 / Postdoc / Australian National University
- 2019 / PhD in Bioinformatics and Genomics / Australian National University
- 2013-2015 / Research Assistant / Australian Plant Phenomics Facility
- 2013 / Undergraduate degree / Australian National University

Contact

kevin.murray@tuebingen.mpg.de

Gautam Shirsekar
Co-evolution in natural A. thaliana – oomycete pathosystems.

Gautam Shirsekar

I am a plant pathologist interested in understanding co-evolutionary patterns in host-pathogen interactions. In the long-term I intend to apply the knowledge I acquire for development of durable and sustainable crop disease management strategies. In the Weigel lab, I am studying phenotypic and molecular evolution in North American A. thaliana and co-existing oomycete pathogens H. arabidopsidis (downy mildew) and A. candida (white rust) populations. Important questions are whether new pathogen recognition capabilities in the host more often evolve through mutation or introgression from divergent lineages, and whether virulence factors in the pathogens are co-evolving in response.

Research Topics

- Co-evolution in natural A. thaliana – oomycete pathosystems

Bio

- 2013 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2013 / PhD in Plant Pathology / The Ohio State University, USA
- 2002 to 2006 / Senior Research Fellow / Regional Station, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India
- 2002 / MSc in Plant Pathology / Konkan Agricultural University, India
- 2000 / BSc in Agriculture / Konkan Agricultural University, India

Selected References

Identification and characterization of suppressor mutants of spl11- mediated cell death in rice

Shirsekar G. S., Vega-Sanchez M. E., Bordeos A., Baraoidan M., Swisshelm A., Fan J., Park C. H., Leung H. and Wang G. L.
Mol Plant Microbe Interact
(2014), 27(6) 528-36.

The Magnaporthe oryzae effector AvrPiz-t targets the RING E3 ubiquitin ligase APIP6 to suppress pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity in rice

Park C. H*., Chen S*., Shirsekar G*., Zhou B*., Khang C. H., Songkumarn P., Afzal A. J., Ning Y., Wang R., Bellizzi M., Valent B. and Wang G. L.
Plant Cell
(2012), 24(11) 4748-62. (*equal contribution)

The U-Box E3 ligase SPL11/PUB13 is a convergence point of defense and flowering signaling in plants

Liu J., Li W., Ning Y., Shirsekar G., Cai Y., Wang X., Dai L., Wang Z., Liu W. and Wang G. L.
Plant Physiol
(2012), 160(1) 28-37.

Contact

gautam.shirsekar@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Shanshan Wang
Plant immunity. Single cell sequencing.

Shanshan Wang

Research Topics

- Plant immunity
- Single cell sequencing

Bio

- 2021 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2018 to 2021 Postdoc / The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
- 2017 to 2018 / Research Assistant/ Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- 2012 to 2017 / PhD student / Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- 2008 to 2012 / BSc / Huazhong Agricultural University

Selected References

Novel effector recognition capacity engineered into a paired NLR complex

Wang, S., Huang W., Duxbury Z., Hogenhout S.A., and Jones, J.D.G.
bioRxiv (2021), 459143.

Induced proximity of a TIR signaling domain on a plant-mammalian NLR chimera activates defense in plants

Duxbury, Z., Wang, S., MacKenzie, C.I., Tenthorey, J.L., Zhang, X., Huh, S.U., Hu, L., Hill, L., Ngou, P.M., Ding, P., et al.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2020), 117(31): 18832-18839.

Plant G proteins interact with endoplasmic reticulum luminal protein receptors to regulate endoplasmic reticulum retrieval

Wang, S., Xie, K., Xu, G., Zhou, H., Guo, Q., Wu, J., Liao, Z., Liu, N., Wang, Y., and Liu, Y.
J Integr Plant Biol, 2018, 60(7): 541-561.

Contact

shanshan.wang@tuebingen.mpg.de

Frank Weiss
Plant Breeding.

Frank Weiss

I am a trained gardener and help with plant care in various projects. Apart from the standard lab pet Arabidopsis thaliana, I am also in charge of other plant species that require more specialized growth conditions. 

Research Topics

- Plant Breeding

Bio

- 2013 to present / Gardener / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Contact

frank.weiss@tuebingen.mpg.de

Wei Yuan
RNA-seq. Ecological Genomics. Complex trait.

Wei Yuan

Hybrid vigor, a key example of system-level emergence, already intrigued Darwin. Whether it constitutes a single phenomenon or rather a collection of syndromes, and whether hybrids are equipped to bypass classical life-history trade-offs, remain unclear. Taking a systematic approach, I study the genetic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic covariance in a large number of Arabidopsis thaliana F1 hybrids, and strive to understand how genetic variants combine in the F1s, the mode of gene expression, the associated pathways, as well as the potential cost to the apparent growth vigor.

Research Topics

- RNA-seq
- Ecological Genomics
- Complex trait

Bio

- 2016 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2009-2016/ PhD, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, USA
- 2005-2009/ BSc in Biology, China Agricultural University

Selected References

Pervasive under-dominance in gene expression as unifying principle of biomass heterosis in Arabidopsis

Yuan, W., Beitel, F., Srikant, T., Bezrukov, I., Schäfer, S., Kraft, R., Weigel, D.
bioRxiv
(2022), 482808.

Rapid phenotypic differentiation and local adaptation in Japanese knotweed s.I. (Reynoutria japonica and R. x bohemica, Polygonaceae) invading novel habitas

Yuan, W., Pigliucci, M., Richards, C.L.
bioRxiv (2022), 483296.

Extreme QTL mapping of germination speeed in Arabidopsis thaliana

Yuan, W., Flowers, J.M., Sahraie, D.J., Ehrenreich, I.M., Purugganan, M.D.
Mol Ecol (2016), 25(17): 4177-4196

 

 

Contact

wei.yuan@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Genome Informatics

Haim Ashkenazy
Plant evolutionary genomics. Evolutionary dynamics of gene content in bacterial and plant genomes. Co-evolution of plant-microbe interactions; Comparative genomics and phylogenomics.

Haim Ashkenazy

Exposure to bacterial pathogens and symbionts plays a major role in shaping plant genomes through the course of evolution. My research focuses on identifying genomic signatures of plant-bacterial interactions in order to discover and understand plant adaptations to biotic stress. As a bioinformatician, I address these questions by developing computational methods, which take advantage of rich sequence data, such as population-level genomics. Specifically, I employ a comparative-genomics approach, which frames the analysis of sequence information in the context of the underlying evolutionary  process.   Homepage: http://haimashkenazy.wixsite.com/home        

Research Topics

- Plant evolutionary genomics
- Evolutionary dynamics of gene content in bacterial and plant genomes
- Co-evolution of plant-microbe interactions; Comparative genomics and phylogenomics

Bio

- 2018 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2016 to 2018 / Postdoc / Tel Aviv University, Israel
- 2010 to 2015 / PhD in Bioinformatics / Tel Aviv University, Israel
- 2006 to 2009 / M.Sc. in Computational Biology / Bar Ilan University, Israel
- 2003 to 2005 / B.Sc. in Computational Biology / Bar Ilan University, Israel

Selected References

Spatially resolved host-bacteria-fungi interactomes via spatial metatranscriptomics

Saarenpää, S., Shalev, O., Ashkenazy, H., de Oliveira-Carlos, V., Lundberg, D.S., Weigel, D., Giacomello, S.
bioRxiv (2022), 496977.

 

Multiple sequence alignment averaging improves phylogeny reconstruction 

Ashkenazy, H., Sela, I., Levy Karin, E., Landan, G., Pupko, T. Systematic Biology (2018).

ConSurf 2016: an improved methodology to estimate and visualize evolutionary conservation in macromolecules

Ashkenazy, H. Abadi, S., Martz, E., Chay, O., Mayrose, I., Pupko, T., Ben-Tal, N. Nucleic Acids Res (2016), 44: W344-350.

GUIDANCE2: accurate detection of unreliable alignment regions accounting for the uncertainty of multiple parameters

Sela, I.*, Ashkenazy, H.*, Katoh, K., Pupko, T. Nucleic Acids Res, (2015), 43: W7-14 (* Equal contribution).

Indel reliability in indel-based phlyogenetic inference

Ashkenazy, H., Cohen, O., Pupko, T., Huchon, D. Genome Biol Evol, (2014), 6(12): 3199-3209.

Contact

haim.ashkenazy@tuebingen.mpg.de

Zhigui Bao
Complex structural variants. Pangenome graphs.

Zhigui Bao

Mutations are raw materials for evolution. Detecting mutations precisely and comprehensively is a challenge due to the repeat nature of plant genomes. Haplotype-resolved T2T assembly is the perfect foundation for variant calling. I am working on variant calling with population-scale assemblies by pangenome graphs. Adaptive complex genome rearrangements cannot simply represent by pairwise comparisons within two individuals. How to accurately represent the multi-allele and complex nature of these variants remain an open problem. The consequence of complex rearrangements brings the birth and death of coding gene. Annotating gene with high accuracy and then combining it into the pangenome graph is the new challenge in the pangenome era.

Research Topics

- Complex structural variants
- Pangenome graphs

Bio

- 2022 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2020-2022 / Research assistant / Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences / China
- 2012-2016 / BSc in Life science (Botany) / Nanchang University, China

Selected References

Graph pangenome captures missing heritability and empowers tomato breeding

Zhou, Y.*, Zhang, Z.*, Bao, Z.*, Li, H., Lyu, Y., Zan, Y., ... & Huang, S. (* Equal contribution)
Nature, (2022), 1-8

Genome architecture and tetrasomic inheritance of autotetraploid potato

Bao, Z.*, Li, C.*, Li, G.*, Wang, P., Peng, Z., Cheng, L., ... & Zhou, Q. (* Equal contribution)
Molecular Plant (2022), 1211-1226

 

 

Contact

zhigui.bao@tuebingen.mpg.de

Ilja Bezrukov
Automated Phenotyping. Pipelines for processing of short and long read sequencing data.

Ilja Bezrukov

Research Topics

- Automated Phenotyping
- Pipelines for processing of short and long read sequencing data

Bio

- 2016 to present / Staff scientist / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2014 to 2015 / Researcher / Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Tübingen, Germany
- 2008 to 2014 / PhD student / Werner Siemens Imaging Center and Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Tübingen, Germany
- 2007 / Research assistant / Department of Medical Informatics, Aachen, Germany
- 2006 / Diploma in Computer Science / RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Selected References

Quantitative Evaluation of Segmentation- and Atlas-Based Attenuation Correction for PET/MR on Pediatric Patients

Bezrukov, I., Schmidt, H., Gatidis, S., Mantlik, F., Schafer, J. F., Schwenzer, N. and Pichler, B. J.
J Nucl Med (2015), 56(7):1067-74

MR-based attenuation correction methods for improved PET quantification in lesions within bone and susceptibility artifact regions

Bezrukov, I., Schmidt, H., Mantlik, F., Schwenzer, N., Brendle, C., Schölkopf, B. and Pichler, B.
J Nucl Med (2013), 54(10):1768-74

MRI-based attenuation correction for whole-body PET/MRI: quantitative evaluation of segmentation- and atlas-based methods

Hofmann, M., Bezrukov, I., Mantlik, F., Aschoff, P., Steinke, F., Beyer, T., Pichler, B. J. and Schölkopf, B.
J Nucl Med (2011), 52(9):1392-9 (*equal contribution)

 

 

Contact

ilja.bezrukov@tuebingen.mpg.de

Fernando Rabanal
Ribosome heterogeneity. Evolution of regulation of ribosomal RNA genes. Population genomics of herbicide resistance.

Fernando Rabanal

Ribosomes are responsible for protein synthesis and they are essential for cellular growth. Perhaps due to their essential role in the central dogma of molecular biology, ribosomes have generally been regarded as immutable homogeneous machines. Nevertheless, in eukaryotic genomes, multiple functional paralogous genes exist for each of the ~80 ribosomal proteins, indicating that diversification might be more widespread than thought. By analyzing long-read based A. thaliana genome assemblies, I investigate the extent of intraspecies ribosome heterogeneity and its functional implications.

Research Topics

- Ribosome heterogeneity
- Evolution of regulation of ribosomal RNA genes
- Population genomics of herbicide resistance

Bio

- 2017 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2010 to 2017 / PhD in Molecular Biology / Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austria
- 2005 to 2009 / BSc in Genomic Sciences / National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)

Selected References

Pushing the limits of HiFi assamblies reveals centromere Arabidopsis thaliana genomes.

Rabanal, F. A*., Gräff ,M.*, Lanz, C., Fritschi, K., Llaca, V., Lang, M., Carbonell-Bejerano,P., Henderson, I,. Weigel, D..
BioRxiv (2022), 480579.

 

Epistatic and allelic interactions control expression of ribosomal RNA gene clusters in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Rabanal, F. A., Mandáková, T., Soto-Jiménez, L. M., Greenhalgh, R., Parrott, D. L., Lutzmayer S., Steffen, J. G., Nizhynska, V., Mott, R., Lysak, M. A., Clark, R. M. and Nordborg, M.
Genome Biol. (2017), 18(1):75

Massive genomic variation and strong selection in Arabidopsis thaliana lines from Sweden.

Long, Q., Rabanal, F. A., Meng, D., Huber, C. D., Farlow, A., Platzer, A., Zhang, Q., Vilhjálmsson, B. J., Korte, A., Nizhynska, V., Vronin, V., Korte, P., Sedman, L., Mandáková, T., Lysak, M. A., Seren, Ü., Hellmann, I. and Nordborg, M.
Nat Genet (2013), 45(8): 884-90

Contact

fernando.rabanal@tuebingen.mpg.de

Yueqi Tao
Evolutionary genomics.

Yueqi Tao

With state-of-the-art sequencing resource, I'm interested in spontaneous mutation and sequence variant in A. thaliana.

Research Topics

- Evolutionary genomics

Bio

- 2021 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2018-2021 / MSc in Botany / South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 2014-2018 / BSc in Forestry / South China Agricultural University

Contact

yueqi.tao@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Luisa Teasdale

Luisa Teasdale

Bio

- 2020 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Contact

luisa.teasdale@tuebingen.mpg.de

Sebastian Vorbrugg
Application of genome graphs.

Sebastian Vorbrugg

Due to local adaptation and population structure, genomes of different individuals can vary to a great extent. To represent this variation, we utilize the concept of variation graphs, which provide a powerful toolkit. I am working to combine these genome graphs with genome-wide-association (GWA) approaches to connect complex genomic variation with organism traits. Beginning with multiple whole-genome assemblies, I will first tackle the problem of graph construction, providing an accurate representation of genomic variation and the basis of the analysis.

Research Topics

- Application of genome graphs

Bio

- 2019 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2015 to 2019 / MSc in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics / University of Tübingen
- 2012 to 2015 / BSc Biochemistry / University of Ulm

Contact

sebastian.vorbrugg@tuebingen.mpg.de

Wenfei Xian
Population genomics.

Wenfei Xian

Single reference genome can't represent all information within a species. With the decline in sequencing prices and the development of long-read sequencing technologies, we can assemble more genomes within a species to construct pan genomes. Relative to the linear reference genome, genome graph is another more efficient way to storage the information. Except for the short variants (SPN/Indel), long variants (SV) also play an important role in  biological process. Using long reads, SV can be  accurately detected.

Research Topics

- Population genomics

Bio

- 2021 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2018 to 2021 / Research assistant / Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences / China
- 2014 to 2018 / BSc in Bioinformatic / Hunan Agricultural University, China

Selected References

Genomes of Subaerial Zygnematophyceae Providelnsights into Land Plant Evolution

Shifeng, C., Wenfei, X., Yuan, F., et al
Cell, (2019), 179(5) 1057-1067

Contact

wenfei.xian@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Microbes & Immunity

Alejandra Duque
Plant - microbe interactions. Genetic determinats of pathogenicity. Infection genetics.

Alejandra Duque

Pseudomonas is one of the most common plant pathogens, and can infect a wide range of species. However, infection potential varies greatly between individual Pseudomonas isolates, in part due to their specific repertoire of effectors. I am interested in how genetic variation of both host and pathogen impacts the outcome of infection. To address this question, I use a natural ArabidopsisPseudomonas pathosystem, as Arabidopsis thaliana is a host to different strains of Pseudomonas species in the wild.

Research Topics

- Plant - microbe interactions
- Genetic determinats of pathogenicity
- Infection genetics

Bio

- 2022 to present / Postdoc / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2018-2022 / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2016-2018 / International Master in Innovative Medicine / University of Groningen, The Netherlands and Uppsala University, Sweden
- 2015-2016 / Young Researcher / Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia
- 2010-2014 / Bachelor degree in Biology / Universidad CES, Colombia

Selected References

The relationship between microbial population size and disease in the Arabidopsis thaliana phyllosphere

Karasov, T.L., Neumann, M., Duque-Jaramillo, A., Kersten, S., Bezrukov, I., Schröppel, B., et al.
bioRxivhttps://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/828814v2 (2020), 828814

Contact

alejandra.duque@tuebingen.mpg.de

Anette Habring
Plant immunity.

Anette Habring

My work as a technician in the group focuses on molecular and plant projects aimed at identifying hybrid incompatibilities and characterizing the underlying causal genes.Starting mid of 2021, I am also involved in a PacBio sequencing project. Aside from research, I am lab safety person and have several organizational tasks that help the department run smoothly. 

Research Topics

- Plant immunity

Bio

- 2002 to present / Technician / Dept. of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2001 to 2002 / Technichan / Dept. of Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 1991 to 2001 / Technichan / Dept. of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 1986 to 1991 / Technician / Friedrich Miescher Laboratory, Tübingen, Germamy

Selected References

Atypical Resistance Protein RPW8/HR Oligomerization of the NLR Immune Receptor RPP7 and Autoimmunity

Li, L., Habring-Muller A., Wang, K., Weigel D. 
Cell Host Microbe (2020), 27(3):405-417

RPW8/HR repeats control NLR activation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Barragan, C.A., Wu, R., Kim S.T., Xi, W., Habring, A., Hagmann, J., Van de Weyer, A.L., Zaidem, M., Ho, W.W.H., Wang, G. Bezrukov, I., Weigel, D., Chae, E.
PLoS Genet (2019), 15(7):e1008313.

 

Species-wide Genetic Incompatibility Analysis Identifies Immune Genes as Hot Spots of Deleterious Epistasis

Chae E., Bomblies K., Kim S. T., Karelina D., Zaidem M., Ossowski S., Martin-Pizarro C., Laitinen R. A., Rowan B. A., Tenenboim H., Lechner S.,Demar M., Habring-Muller A., Lanz C., Ratsch G. and Weigel D. 
Cell
 (2014), 159(6) 1341-51.

Contact

anette.habring@tuebingen.mpg.de

Martina Kolb
Plant-pathogen-microbiome. Lab management.

Martina Kolb

My primary goal is to make sure the lab is running smoothly. Additionally, I am part of the PATHOCOM project team. PATHOCOM seeks to understand how microbial communities develop and how microbe-host and microbe-microbe interactions shape 
community composition and structure. Specifically, we examine the community relationships within Arabidopsis thaliana and its major bacterial leaf microbes, using a variety of field, molecular, and experimental techniques.

Research Topics

- Plant-pathogen-microbiome
- Lab management

Bio

- 2020 to present / Lab manager / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2009-2021 / Technician / Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 2007-2009 / Technician / University of Tübingen, Germany

Selected References

A biosensor for the direct visualization of auxin

Herud-Sikimic, O., Stiel, A.C., Kolb, M., Shanmugaratnam, S. Berendzen, K.W., Feldhaus, C., Höcker, B., Jürgens, G.
Nature (2021), 592(7856): 768-772.

The integral spliceosomal component CWC15 is required for development in Arabidopsis

Slane, D., Lee, C.H., Kolb, M., Dent, C., Miao, Y., Franz-Wachtel, M., Lau, S., Macek, B., Balasubramanyan, S., Bayer, M., Jürgens, G.
Sci Rep (2020), 10(1): 13336.

Constitutive signaling activity of a receptor-associated protein links fertilization with embryonic patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana

Neu, A., Eilbert, E., Asseck, L.Y., Slane, D., Henschen, A., Wang, K., Bürgel, P., Hildebrandt, M., Musielak, T.J., Kolb, M., Lukowitz, W., Grefen, C., Bayer, M.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2019, 116(12): 5795-5804.


Contact

martina.kolb@tuebingen.mpg.de

Miriam Lucke
Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis effectors. Plant immunity.

Miriam Lucke

After the sampling action of Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis in the wild as part of the project Pathodopsis, this oomycete caught my interest not only as a chance to do field work also on the molecular level. I am highly interested in the coevolutionary pattern between the obligate biotroph and its host. One signature of tracking this process is to concentrate on virulence factors. I am focusing on the role of pathogenic effector variants on a European-wide scale.

Research Topics

- Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis effectors
- Plant immunity

Bio

- 2020 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2019-2020 / Exchange student / The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
- 2018-2020 / Master in Crop Science / University of Hohenheim, Germany
- 2014-2018 / Bachelor in Biology / Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen, Germany

Selected References

Deeplasmid: deep learning accurately separates plasmids from bacterial chromosomes

Andreopoulos, W.B., Geller, A.M.* , Lucke, M., Balewski, J., Clum, A., Ivanova, N.N., Levy, A.
Nucleid acids research (2022), 50(3: e17-e17.

The role of secretion systems, effectors, and secondary metabolites of beneficial rhizobacteria in interactions with plants and microbes

Lucke, M., Correa, M.G., Levy, A. 
Front Plant Sci. (2020), 11:589416

An efficient CRISPR vector toolbox for engineering large deletions in Arabidopsis thaliana

Rui W., Lucke M., Jang YT., Zhu W., Symeonidi E., Wang C., Fitz J., Xi W., Schwab R., Weigel D.
Plant Methods (2018), 14:65.

 

 

Contact

miriam.lucke@tuebingen.mpg.de

Ana Montalvao
Plant health. Plant and microbe genetics. Microbial ecology.

Ana Montalvao

I am interested in various fundamental and applied aspects of plant health. Therefore, I joined the PATHOCOM Project to investigate both in the field and laboratory pathogenic (bacterial) communities and their patterns of development and interactions at the ecological and genetic levels. In this project we aim to understand how microbial communities evolve and how interactions (e.g., competition, mutualism) shape their composition and structure. This will be addressed using Arabidopsis thaliana and its main bacterial leaf microbes.

Research Topics

- Plant health
- Plant and microbe genetics
- Microbial ecology

Bio

- 2022 to present / Postdoc, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2018 to 2022 / PhD, Genome Research Group, Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics, Hamburg, Germany
- 2016 to 2018 / M.Sc, EMJMD in Plant Health and Sustainable Cropping Systems at Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain & Crop Protection at University of Göttingen, Germany
- 2011 to 2016 / B.Sc, Agricultural engineering, University of Brasilia, Brazil

Selected References

ARR17 controls dioecy in Populus by repressing B-class MADS-box gene expression.

Leite Montalvao, A. P., Kersten, B., Kim, G., Fladung, M. and Müller, N.A.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. (2022), 9(377): 1850.

The Diversity and Dynamics of Sex Determination in Dioecious Plants.

Leite Montalvao, A. P., Kersten, B., Kim, G., Fladung, M. and Müller, N.A.
Front Plant Sci. (2021), doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.580488.

A single gene underlies the dynamic evolution of poplar sex determination.

Müller, N. A., Kersten, B., Leite Montalvao, A. P. et al.
Nature Plants. (2020), 6, 630-637.

Contact

ana.montalvao@tuebingen.mpg.de

Gal Ofir
Plant immunity. Comparative immunology. Genomics.

Gal Ofir

All living organisms need to defend themselves against parasites and pathogens. The rapid and ancient arms race between hosts and pathogens leads to amazing innovation of immune systems. My work is aimed to discover new immune mechanisms in plant genomes. To do so, I combine my expertise in the ancient antiviral immune systems of bacteria with the genomic resources of Weigelworld to ask how we can find new immunity in plants. I like to mix stuff and cross fields - prokaryotes and eukaryotes, wet and dry work, evolutionary conservation and evolutionary innovation.

Research Topics

- Plant immunity
- Comparative immunology
- Genomics

Bio

- 2022 to present / EMBO Postdoctoral fellow, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2015-2021 / PhD, Sorek lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
- 2013-2015 / M.Sc, Sorek lab, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
- 2010-2013 / B.Sc, Tel Aviv University, Israel

Selected References

Antiviral activity of bacterial TIR domains via immune signalling molecules.

Ofir, G., Herbst, E., Baroz, Cohen D., Millman, A., Doron, S., Tal, N., Malheiro, D. B. A., Malitsky, S., Amitai, G., Sorek, R.
Nature (2021), 600, 116-120.

DISARM is a widespread bacterial defence system with broad anti phage activities.

Ofir, G., Melamed, S., Sberro H., Mukamel Z., Silverman, S., Yaakov, G., Doron, S., Sorek, R.
Nat Microbiol. (2018), 3(1):90-98.

Systematic discovery of antiphage defense systems in the microbial pangenome.

Doron, S., Melamed, S., Ofir, G., Leavitt A., Lopatina, A., Keren, M., Amitai, G., Sorek, R.
Science (2018), 359 (6379): eaar4120.

Contact

gal.ofir@tuebingen.mpg.de

Sheila Roitman

Sheila Roitman

Contact

sheila.roitman@tuebingen.mpg.de

There isn't any image available.
Katerina Romanova
Plant-pathogen interactions. Pseudomonas syringae effectors.

Katerina Romanova

My work is focused on the effector repertoire in the Pseudomonas syringae species complex, a major plant pathogen infecting a wide range of plant species, including those of high agricultural relevance. Type III Secretion System effectors (T3SEs) are injected into plant cells by the bacteria in order to manipulate host immunity and metabolism to the pathogen's benefit. The precise repertoire ofT3SEs varies dramatically across the species complex and has a complicated relationship with pathogenicity. Using in silico tools, I investigate the distribution, phylogeny and protein structure of T3SEs identified in our Tübingen isolate collection of 1524 genomes.

Research Topics

- Plant-pathogen interactions
- Pseudomonas syringae effectors

Bio

- 2020 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2016 -2019 / MSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology of Plants / University of Tübingen, Germany
- 2013-2016 / BSc in Biology / University of Tübingen, Germany

Contact

katerina.romanova@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Computational Biology

There isn't any image available.
Benjamin Buchfink
Sequence alignment.

Benjamin Buchfink

My research is focused on protein sequence alignment. Sequence searches in protein space allow to elucidate distant evolutionary relationships and present a challenging computational problem. While traditional search methods like BLAST are increasingly overburdened by the exponential growth of genomic data, I work on novel algorithms and highly optimized C++ implementations to solve this fundamental problem more efficiently. I am known as the author of the widely used DIAMOND alignment tool.

Research Topics

- Sequence alignment

Bio

- 2019 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Selected References

Sensitive protein alignments at tree-of-life scale using DIAMOND

Buchfink, B, Reuter, K., Drost, H.-G.
Nat Methods (2021), 18(4), 366-368

Fast and sensitive protein alignment using DIAMOND

Buchfink, B, Xie, C., Huson, D.H.
Nat Methods (2015), 12, 59-60

Contact

benjamin.buchfink@tuebingen.mpg.de

Hajk-Georg Drost
Comparative and Functional Genomics. Natural Variation. Evolution of Gene Regulation, Evolutionary Transcriptomics.

Hajk-Georg Drost

The main ambition of our computational biology lab is to predict the regulatory evolution of gene expression and its causal association with trait evolvability. Linking genotype and phenotype to make predictive claims about trait evolvability and speciation has always been a grand aim of genetics, molecular biology and interfacing disciplines. While in the past much has been learned about individual molecular examples able to induce phenotypic or morphological change, a system-scale understanding of causal genotype-phenotype associations remains an open challenge. Recent advancements in computer science (HPC/cloud-computing, advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence), high-throughput sequencing technologies (massive genome sequencing and assembly efforts, massive sequencing read archives), and new methodologies in scientific software development (software containers, workflow/pipeline architectures) can now be combined to address this classic genotype-phenotype problem using data-driven methodologies at an unprecedented scale. We approach this challenge by developing ultra-fast and sensitive DNA and protein aligners to leverage the comparative genomics method for functional genotype-phenotype association inference tasks. For example, we maintain and extend the protein aligner DIAMOND(https://github.com/bbuchfink/diamond), the genome-wide dNdS inference software OrthologR(https://github.com/drostlab/orthologr), and the evolutionary transcriptomics software myTAI(https://github.com/drostlab/myTAI). In addition, we collaborate with Susana Coelho's EvoDevo department to establish sensitive gene age estimation implemented in the software GenEra(https://github.com/josuebarrera/GenEra). On the causal genotype-phenotype side of our research line, we establish new machine learning methodologies and experimental designs to capture causal links between genes during development.  Our homepage: www.drostlab.com  Our software: https://drostlab.com/software/ and https://github.com/drostlab

Research Topics

- Comparative and Functional Genomics
- Natural Variation
- Evolution of Gene Regulation, Evolutionary Transcriptomics

Bio

- 2019 to present / Computational Biology Group Leader / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2018-2019 / Senior Postdoc / University of Cambridge, UK, with Elliot Meyerowitz
- 2015-2018 / Postdoc / University of Cambridge with Jerzy Paszkowski
- 2013-2015 / PhD Student / Martin-Luther University Halle (Computer Science Department) with Ivo Grosse and Marcel Quint
- 2008-2013 / BSc and MSc in Bioinformatics / Martin-Luther University Halle, Germany (Computer Science Department)

Selected References

A transcriptomic hourglass in plant embryogenesis

Quint, M., Drost, H.-G., Gabel, A., Ullrich, K.K., Boenn, M., Grosse, I.
Nature (2012), 490(7418) 89-101.

Evidence for Active Maintenance of Phylotranscriptomatic Hourglass Patterns in Animal and Plant Embryogenesis

Drost, H.-G., Gabel, A., Grosse, I., Quint, M.
Molecular Biology and Evolution (2015), 32(5) 1221-1231

High-frequency recombination between members of an LTR retrotransposan family during transposition bursts

Sanchez, D. H., Gaubert, H., Drost, H.-G., Zabet, N. R., Paszkowski, J.
Nat Commun, 2017, 8(1), 1283.

Sensitive detection of pre-integration intermediates of LTR retrotransposons in crop plants

Cho, J., Benoit, M., Catoni, M., Drost, H.-G., Brestovitsky, A., Oosterbeek, M., and Paszkowski, J.
Nat Plants
(2019), 5(1), 26-33.

Sensitive protein alignments at tree-of-life scale using DIAMOND

Buchfink, B, Reuter, K., Drost, H.-G.
Nature Methods (2021), 18(4), 366-368

Contact

hajk-georg.drost@tuebingen.mpg.de

There isn't any image available.
Lukas Maischak
Causal Inference of Gene Regulatory Networks from transcriptomic data.

Lukas Maischak

Research Topics

- Causal Inference of Gene Regulatory Networks from transcriptomic data

Bio

- 2020 to present / PhD student / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Contact

lukas.maischak@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Ecological Genetics

Rebecca Schwab
Spatial genetics. Molecular evolution of disease resistance genes. Oomycete biology.

Rebecca Schwab

Trained as a molecular geneticist, I have always been curious about molecular mechanisms, and spent many years investigating small RNAs and their impact on Arabidopsis development. A game-changer was our Pathodopsis adventure, where the bind-blowing experience of finding and studying plants ‘in the wild’ taught me that molecular biology is often like watching an elephant in a zoo – a small part of reality. Extending the ‘safari’ feeling, I am now combining ecology and genetics. Drawing from the naturally occurring variation in Arabidopsis populations, we study disease resistance to a wide-spread oomycete pathogen. Our goal is to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of resistance and virulence, as well as the molecular (and functional) evolution of resistance loci at various spatial scales. 

Research Topics

- Spatial genetics
- Molecular evolution of disease resistance genes
- Oomycete biology

Bio

- 2020 to present / Project leader / Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- 2012-2019 / Research coordinator / Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 2009-2012 / Postdoc / IMBP, Strasbourg, France; ETH Zürich, Switzerland
- 2006-2008 / Postdoc / Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA
- 2006 / PhD in Biology / Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
- 2002 / Diploma in Biology / University of Tübingen, Germany, and Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA

Selected References

Enhanced microRNA accumulation through stemloop-adjacent introns

Schwab R., Speth C., Laubinger S. and Voinnet O.
EMBO Rep
(2013), 14(7) 615-21.

Endogenous TasiRNAs mediate non-cell autonomous effects on gene regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Schwab R., Maizel A., Ruiz-Ferrer V., Garcia D., Bayer M., Crespi M., Voinnet O. and Martienssen R. A.
PLoS One
(2009), 4(6) e5980.

Highly specific gene silencing by artificial microRNAs in Arabidopsis

Schwab R., Ossowski S., Riester M., Warthmann N. and Weigel D.
Plant Cell
(2006), 18(5) 1121-33.

Contact

rebecca.schwab@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Alumni

Filippo Abbondanza (former Intern, 2016)
MSc student, 

University of Edinburgh, UK

Ji Hoon Ahn (former Postdoc, 1998-2001)
Professor, 

There isn't any image available.
Florian Aldehoff (former MS student, 2006-2007)
Bioinformatics Staff Scientist, 

CeGAT, Tübingen, Germany

Stig Andersen (former Postdoc, 2006-2007)
Associate Professor, 

There isn't any image available.
Chloé-Agathe Azencott (former Postdoc, 2011-2013)
Researcher, 

CBIO, Fontainbleau, France

Sureshkumar Balasubramanian (former Postdoc, 2002-2007)
Professor, 

Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Ana-Cristina Barragan Lopez
Postdoc, 

Claude Becker (former Postdoc, 2010 to 2016)
Professor, 

LMU, Munich

Felix Bemm
Staff Scientist, 

KWS Saat SE, Einbeck, Germany

Daniela Bezdan (former PhD student, 2005-2009)
CSO, 

There isn't any image available.
Anita Bianchi

Paul Bilinski (former Postdoc, 2016-2017)
Associate professor, 

Miguel Blázquez (former Postdoc, 1996-2000)
Professor, 

IBMCP, Valencia, Spain

Helena Boldt (former MS student, 2008-2009)
Research Assistant, 

Childrens Hospital Boston

Kirsten Bomblies (former Postdoc, 2004-2009)
Professor, 

ETH Zürich Switzerland

Karsten Borgwardt (former Group Leader)
Professor, 

ETH Zürich, Switzerland

There isn't any image available.
Marie Bouteillé (visiting PhD student, 2009-2010)
Postdoc, 

INRA, Montpellier, France

Felix Breden (Sabbatical visitor, 2003)
Professor, 

Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

Hernán Burbano (former Postdoc, 2012-2014)
Associate Professor, 

UCL, London, UK

Maximilian A. Busch (former Postdoc, 1996-2000)
Sales Representative, 

Tecniplast, Germany

Wolfgang Busch (former PhD student, 2004-2008)
Professor, 

Salk Institute, La Jolla, USA

Jun Cao (former Postdoc, 2007-2012)
Staff Scientist, 

Dow Agrosciences, Indianapolis, IN, USA

Giovanna Capovilla (former PhD student, 2013-2017)
Postdoc, 

Pablo Carbonell (Former Postdoc, 2018-2022)
Senior Scientist, 

CSIC, Grape and Wine Research Institute (ICVV), Logroño, Spain

There isn't any image available.
Jim Carrington (Sabbatical visitor, 2008)
President, 

Eunyoung Chae (former Postdoc, 2007-2017)
Assistant Professor, 

There isn't any image available.
Susan K. Christensen (former Postdoc, 1996-2000)

Michael Christie (former Postdoc, 2012-2014)
Patent Attorney, 

Sydney, Australia

Richard Clark (former Postdoc, 2004-2008)
Professor, 

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Silvio Collani (former Postdoc, 2012-2015)
Postdoc, 

Max Collenberg (former PhD Student, 2016-2022)
GMP Expert, 

Catalent, Schorndorf

Vinicius Costa Galvão (former PhD student, 2008-2013)
Postdoc, 

Bayer CropScience, Frankfurt

Sandip Das (former Postdoc, 2002-2004)
Associate Professor, 

University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

There isn't any image available.
Timothy Davison (former Postdoc, 2004-2005)
Vice President, 

Almac Diagnostics, Craigavon, UK

Oliver Deusch (former Postdoc, 2018-2022)
Scientific Product Manager, 

Computomics, Tübingen

Jane Devos (former PhD student, 2013-2016)
Staff scientist, 

Symrise, Madagascar

José Dinenny (former PhD student, 2001-2005)
Professor, 

Carnegie Institution, Stanford, USA

Wei Ding (former MS student)

Ezgi Dogan (former MS student, 2015-2016)
PhD student, 

Center for Plant Molecular Biology, Tübingen, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Christian Dreischer (former MS student, 2011-2012)

Scientific Analyst, Computomics GmbH, Tübingen, Germany

Christine Dreyer (former Group leader, 2003-2013)

retired

There isn't any image available.
Marion Dubarry (former MS Student, 2015)
Bioinformatics Engineer, 

Genoscope, Evry, France

Moisés Expósito Alonso (former PhD student, 2014-2018)
Staff Associate and Assistant Professor by courtesy, 

Nasim Farahani (former Intern, 2017)
PhD student, 

University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Sarah Fehr (former MS student, 2006-2007)
Staff Scientist, 

CeGaT, Tübingen, Germany

Felipe Fenselau de Felipes (former PhD student, 2005-2010)
Senior Research Associate, 

QUT, Brisbane, Australia

There isn't any image available.
Tatiana Feuerborn (former Intern, 2015)
PhD student, 

Center for Geogenetics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Joffrey Fitz (former Software Developer, 2008-2013)

Consultant, Praia, Cabo Verde

Bonnie Fraser (former Postdoc, 2011-2016)
Senior Lecturer, 

There isn't any image available.
Gregory F. Gocal (former Postdoc, 1997-2000)
Sr. Vice President, 

Cibus Genetics, San Diego, CA, USA

François Godard (former Postdoc, 2001-2002)

deceased

Alba Gonzalez
Project Manager, 

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

There isn't any image available.
Vojislava Grbic (Sabbatical visitor, 2004-2008)
Associate Professor, 

Western University, Ontario, Canada

Dominik Grimm (former PhD student, 2010-2015)
Professor, 

Ya-Long Guo (former Postdoc, 2005-2011)
Professor, 

Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Rafal Gutaker (former Postdoc, 2014-2017)
Research Leader, 

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK

Jörg Hagmann (former PhD student, 2009-2015)
Analyst, 

Computomics, Tübingen, Germany

Stefan Henz (former Staff Scientist, 2003-2015)
Senior Bioinformatician, 

PreOmics GmbH, Martinsried, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Ken Heyndrickx (visiting PhD student, 2014)

Staff Scientist, Bayer Cropscience, Ghent Belgium

Julia Hildebrandt (Technician)
Staff Scientist, 

CeGaT, Tübingen

William Ho (former PhD student, 2008-2012)
Postdoc, 

MIG, The University of Melbourne, Australia

Margarete Hoffmann (former Staff scientist, 2003-2014)

retired

Ray Hong (former PhD student, 1998-2002)
Professor, 

There isn't any image available.
Daniel Horrer (fomer MS student, 2011-2012)
IT consultant, 

PTA, Munich, Germany

Tina Hu (visiting PhD student)
Director of Bioinformatics, 

Stefanie Hueber (former PhD student, 2004-2007)
Project Leader, 

Patrick Huether (former Diploma student, 2016)
PhD student, 

Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna, Austria

Noemie Jelly (visiting PhD student, 2008)
Research Engineer, 

IBMC, Strasbourg, France

Dino Jolic (former PhD student, 2011-2018)

Talia Karasov
Assistant Professor, 

School of Biologica Sciences, University of Utah

There isn't any image available.
Igor V. Kardailsky (former Postdoc, 1995-1997)
Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, 

Qiagen, Aarhus, Denmark

There isn't any image available.
Darya Karelina (former PhD student, 2010-2015)

There isn't any image available.
Matthias Karnahl (former MS student, 2010)

Johannes Kaut (former MS/PhD student, 2010-2012)
Junior Manager Communications, 

Convensis Group, Stuttgart, Germany

Sonja Kersten
Bioinformatic analyst, 

Computomics, Tübingen, Germany

Min Chul Kim (former Postdoc, 2002-2005)
Associate Professor, 

Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea

Sang-Tae Kim (former Postdoc, 2007-2014)
Assistant Professor, 

There isn't any image available.
Yasushi Kobayashi (former Postdoc, 2003-2010)

Verena Kottler (former PhD student, 2009-2015)
Postdoc, 

University of Würzburg, Germany

Christian Kubica (former PhD student 2016-2022)
Bioinformatics Scientist, 

Computomics, Tübingen

Franceli Kulcheski (visiting PhD student, 2011-2012)
Postdoc, 

UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Axel Künstner (former Postdoc, 2012-2014)
Postdoc, 

LIED, University of Lübeck, Germany

Frank Küttner (former Technician, 2002-2014)

retired

Daniel König (former Postdoc, 2010-2015)
Assistant Professor, 

UC Riverside, CA, USA

Roosa Laitinen (former Postdoc, 2007-2011)
Associate Professor, 

Tobias Langenecker (former PhD student, 2010-2015)

Christa Lanz (former Technical Staff scientist/ Genome Center, 2000-2022)

retired

Sergio Latorre
Postdoc, 

Sascha Laubinger (former Postdoc, 2006-2009)
Professor, 

Sarah Lechner (former MS student, 2006-2007)
Staff Scientist, 

CeGaT, Tübingen, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Ilha Lee (former Postdoc, 1995-1998)
Professor, 

Andrea Leibfried (former MS student, 2004-2005)
Editor, 

Janne Lempe (former PhD student, 2002-2006)
Research Assistant, 

Julius-Kühn-Institut, Dresden-Pillnitz, Germany

Lei Li (former Postdoc 2016-2021)
Principal Investigator, 

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), IGDB, Beijing, China

EunCheon Lim (former PhD student, 2012-2016)
Research Professor, 

Cohort Research Center, Chosun University, South Korea

Christoph Lippert (former PhD student, 2008-2012)
Professor, 

Hasso Plattner Institute, University Potsdam

Chang Liu (former Postdoc, 2012-2015)
Jun. Professor, 

Ingrid Lohmann (former Group leader, 2002-2008)
Professor, 

COS, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Jan Lohmann (former Postdoc and Group leader, 1999-2008)
Professor, 

COS, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Derek Lundberg (former Postdoc 2014-2022)
Associate Senior Lecturer, 

Alexis Maizel (former Postdoc, 2002-2005)
Professor, 

COS, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Julin N. Maloof (former Postdoc, 1998-2001)
Professor, 

UC Davis, CA, USA

Pablo Manavella (former Postdoc, 2008-2013)
Group Leader, 

CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina

There isn't any image available.
Jian-Feng Mao (former Postdoc, 2010-2012)
Associate Professor, 

Beijing Forestry University, China

Carmen Martín Pizarro (former Staff scientist, 2010-2013)
Postdoc, 

CSIC, Spain

There isn't any image available.
Ulrike Martyn (former Postdoc, 2003-2004)

deceased

Johannes Mathieu (former PhD student, 2004-2009)
Product Development Manager, 

Agri-Neo, Toronto, Canada

There isn't any image available.
Erica Mica (visiting PhD student, 2006)
Research Coordinator, 

Genomics Research Center, Fiorenzuola d'Arda PC, Italy

Grey Monroe
Assistant Professor, 

UC Davis, Davis, CA

Subhashini Muralidharan (former PhD student, 2010-2015)
Scientific Writer, 

Jonas Müller (former PhD student, 2010 to 2017)
Bioinformatician, 

Manuela Neumann
Research Technician, 

Robert-Bosch GmbH, Life Science

There isn't any image available.
Jasmine T. Nguyen (former MS student, 1998-1999)
Staff Scientist, 

Takeda California, San Diego, CA, USA

Ove Nilsson (former Postdoc, 1995-1997)
Professor & Director, 

Stephan Ossowski (former PhD student, 2005-2010)
Professor, 

There isn't any image available.
Felix Ott (former PhD student, 2008-2013)
Staff Scientist, 

CeGaT, Tübingen, Germany

Javier Palatnik (former Postdoc, 2001-2005)
Head of Laboratory, 

IBR (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina

François Parcy (former Postdoc, 1996-1998)
Directeur de Récherche, 

CNRS, Grenoble, France

Fiona Paul

Josip Perkovic

retired

Sebastian Petersen (former MSc student, 2015-2016)
PhD student, 

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Jathish Ponnu (former PhD student, 2008-2014)
Postdoc, 

David Posé Padilla (former Postdoc, 2009-2013)
Group Leader, 

CSIC, University of Malaga, Spain

Jorge Quintana (former PhD student, 2012-2016)
Scientific Manager, 

Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany

Leily Rabbani
Bioinformatician, 

There isn't any image available.
Barbara Rakitsch (former PhD student, 2011-2014)
Postdoc, 

Julian Regalado
Postdoc, 

The Globe Insitute, Anders Johannes Hansen Group, Faculty Health, University of Copenhagen

Jens Riexinger (former Technician, 2010-2012)
Technician, 

ALTATEC GmbH, Tübingen, Germany

Andres Romanowski (former visiting Postdoc, 2015)
Postdoc, 

Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Beth Rowan (former Postdoc, 2009-2016)
Project Scientist, 

UC Davis, CA, USA

Ignacio Rubio (former Postdoc, 2006-2015)
Associate Professor, 

There isn't any image available.
Stephen Russell (former Postdoc, 2005-2006)

Patrice Salomé (former Postdoc, 2006-2013)
Science Editor, 

There isn't any image available.
Juan Diego Santillana Ortiz (former PhD student, 2010-2011)
PhD student, 

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

Emanuele Scacchi (former Postdoc, 2012-2017)
Postdoc, 

ZMBP, University of Tübingen, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Katrin Schaak (former MS student, 2003-2004)
Postdoc, 

There isn't any image available.
Anna-Lena Schinke (former PhD student, 2009-2012)
unknown, 

Markus Schmid (former Postdoc and Project Leader, 2000-2015)
Professor, 

Korbinian Schneeberger (former MS/PhD student, 2006-2010)
Professor, 

LMU, Munich, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Marius Schneider

Carla Schommer (former Postdoc, 2002-2006)
Researcher, 

CONICET, Rosario, Argentina

Rebecca Schwab (former PhD student, 2002-2006)
Group Leader, 

MPI for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Gabriele Schweikert (former PhD student, 2005-2009)
Principal Investigator, 

University of Dundee, UK and Cyber Valley, Tübingen.

Sabine Schäfer

There isn't any image available.
R. Allen Sessions (former Postdoc, 1997-2000)
Team Leader, 

Bayer CopScience, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

Danelle Seymour (former PhD student, 2011-2015)
Assistant Professor, 

UC Riverside, CA, USA

Or Shalev (former PhD student, 2016-2021)
Postdoc, 

Eshita Sharma (former PhD student, 2009-2013)
Research Associate, 

There isn't any image available.
Vipula Shukla (former Postdoc, 1997-1999)
Sr. Program Officer, 

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA

Anandita Singh (former Postdoc, 2002-2004)
Associate Professor & Head of Department, 

TERI University, New Delhi, India

Noemi Skorzinski (former PhD student, 2014-2015)
PhD student, 

Umeå Plant Science Centre, Sweden

Lisa Smith (former Postdoc, 2007-2013)
Lecturer, 

There isn't any image available.
Lara N. Soowal (former PhD student, 1993-1998)
Lecturer, 

UC San Diego, CA, USA

There isn't any image available.
Andrea Sprecher (former MS student, 2010-2011)
Bioinformatics Staff, 

CeGAT, Tübingen, Germany

Thanvi Srikant (former Phd student, 2017-2021)
Postdoc, 

Anusha Srikant (former PhD student, 2006-2011)

Oliver Stegle (former Postdoc, 2009-2012)
Professor, 

DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany

 

 

Sandra Stehling (former PhD student, 2001-2005)
Postdoc, 

University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Matthias Stein (former MS student, 2006-2007)
Research Group Leader, 

Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich

 

 

Petra Stöbe (former PhD student, 2003-2009)
Scientific Staff, 

CeGAT, Tübingen, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Patric Sulz (former MS student, 2010-2011)

There isn't any image available.
Yuhua Sun (former Postdoc, 2007-2008)
Postdoc, 

Sridevi Sureshkumar (former PhD student, 2006-2007)
Group Leader, 

Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

There isn't any image available.
Takuya Suzaki (former Postdoc, 2008)
Assistant Professor, 

Kelly Swarts (former Postdoc, 2016-2018)
Group Leader, 

Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna, Austria

Efthymia Symeonidi (former PhD student, 2014-2018)
Postdoc, 

Karasov Lab, University of Utah

There isn't any image available.
Hezi Tenenboim (former MS student, 2007-2008)
Academic writer and editor, 

 Textarkana, Berlin, Germany

Michael Thelen (former MS/PhD student, 2017-2018)
PhD student, 

University of Tübingen, Germany

Marco Todesco (former PhD student and Postdoc, 2005-2012)
Postdoc, 

Diep Tran (former PhD student, 2011-2016)
Staff Scientist, 

Namita Tripathi (former PhD student, 2004-2009)
Postdoc, 

University of Alberta, Canada

N. Henriette Uhlenhaut (former MS student, 2001-2002)
Group Leader, 

Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany

Anand Upadhyaya (former Intern, 2014-2015)
Medical Student, 

There isn't any image available.
Yonca Ural (former MS student, 2013)
Postdoc, 

MPI of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main

Anna-Lena Van de Weyer (former PhD student, 2014-2018)
Bioinformatician, 

François Vasseur (former Postdoc, 2012-2016)
Researcher, 

Paula Vilchez (former plant manager, 2013-2015)

There isn't any image available.
Janina Vogt (former Technician, 2007-2010)

Yoav Voichek
Postdoc, 

GMI, Vienna, Austria

There isn't any image available.
Takuji Wada (former Postdoc, 1998-2001)
Staff Scientist, 

Hiroshima University, Japan

There isn't any image available.
Vanessa Wahl (former PhD student, 2003-2007)
Group Leader, 

Bridgit Waithaka

Xi Wang (former Postdoc, 2011-2014)
Senior Staff Scientist, 

Bayer Cropscience, Ghent, Belgium

Hua Wang (former Postdoc, 2019-2021)
Associate Professor, 

George Wang (former Postdoc, 2010-2016)
Self-employed, 

Davis, CA, USA

Congmao Wang (former Postdoc, 2012-2015)
Group Leader, 

ZheJiang Academy of Agricultural Science, China

Jia-Wei Wang (former Postoc, 2005-2011)
Professor, 

SIPPE, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China

Norman Warthmann (former MS/PhD student, 2001-2012)

There isn't any image available.
Tanja Weinand (former MS student, 2004-2005)
R&D, 

Gerbion GmbH, Kornwestheim, Germany

Clemens Weiss (Phd student)
Postdoc, 

There isn't any image available.
Jonathan D. Werner (former PhD student, 1999-2004)
Principal Lab Systems Engineer, 

Symantec, Mountain View, CA, USA

Schallum Werner (former PhD student, 2006-2010)
Executive Director, 

Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, Heidelberg, Germany

Anjar Wibowo
Assistant Professor, 

Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia

Philip A. Wigge (former Postdoc and Group leader, 2000-2005)
Director, 

Eva-Maria Willing (former PhD student, 2007-2011)
Bioinformatician, 

There isn't any image available.
Rod Wing (Sabbatical visitor, 2009-2010)
Professor, 

Heike Wollmann (former MS/PhD student, 2004-2009)
Special Consultant, 

There isn't any image available.
Liang Wu (former Postdoc, 2010-2011)
Associate Professor, 

College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, China

Xuelin Wu (former Postdoc, 2000-2007)
Visiting Assistant Professor, 

Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA, USA

Rui Wu (former Postdoc, 2015-2018)

There isn't any image available.
Haijia Wu (former MS student, 2008)

Wanyan Xi (former Postdoc, 2013-2016)

Levi Yant (former PhD Student, 2006-2009)
Associate Professor, 

Yuan You (former Postdoc, 2011-2016)
Independent Scientist, 

ZMBP, University of Tübingen, Germany

Maricris Zaidem (former PhD student, 2010-2016)
Postdoc, 

Oxford University, Oxford, UK

Georg Zeller (former MS/PhD student, 2005-2009)
Team Leader, 

EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany

There isn't any image available.
Panpan Zhang

There isn't any image available.
Zhong Zhao (former Postdoc, 2006-2008)
Professor, 

Wangsheng Zhu
Associate Professor, 

Chinese Agricultural University, Beijing, China

There isn't any image available.
Gideon Zipprich (former MS student, 2010-2012)
Bioinformatician, 

DKFZ Heidelberg, Germany