Research Portfolios
Comparative Evolutionary Biology and Systematics
Adaptation and diversification of succulent plants
PD Dr. Reto Nyffeler, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
The succulent life form is a tried and true strategy for flowering plants to thrive in arid environments. The adaptation...
Plant Evolution and Systematics
An integrative phylogenetic approach to elucidate the evolution of plant diversity
Prof. Dr. Elena Conti, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
The fundamental goal of my research is to understand the evolution of plant diversity. To achieve this goal, I integrate...
Plant Community Ecology
Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
Prof. Dr. Andy Hector, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
The research interests of Andy Hector’s group focus on how biodiversity is maintained, how it is lost, and the...
Ecosystem Functioning and Global Change
Biogeochemistry and biodiversity of agro- and forest ecosystems
Prof. Dr. Nina Buchmann, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Biological activity and role of syrbactins in host-microbe interactions
Prof. Dr. Robert Dudler, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
aaSyringolin, a representative of syrbactins, constitutes a novel class of proteasome inhibitors secreted by a group of...
Crop Improvement
Cassava biotechnology research
Dr. Hervé Vanderschuren, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Cassava (<i>Manihot esculenta</i> Crantz) is an important starchy food crop in the tropics and subtropics. Our cassava...
Plant Biotechnology
Cereal biotechnology research for crop improvement
Dr. Navreet K. Bhullar, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Cereals, such as rice and wheat, are important source of food worldwide but they contain very low levels of bioavailable...
Systematic Botany
Chemical and evolutionary ecology of plant - insect interactions
Prof. Dr. Florian P. Schiestl, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Plants interact with a vast array of insects in antagonistic and mutualistic associations. Among the various channels...
Chloroplast Metabolism
Chlorophyll breakdown
Prof. Dr. Stefan Hörtensteiner, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
Chlorophyll breakdown is the most obvious sign of leaf senescence, but occurs also during fruit ripening and as response...
Molecular Genetics of Plant Development
Chromatin and transcriptome dynamics during sexual plant reproduction
Dr. Célia Baroux, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
Sexual reproduction in flowering plants involves several cell fate transitions: (i) vegetative-to-reproductive...
Global Change and Soil Ecology
Consequences of environmental change on plant communities and plant-soil interactions
PD Dr. Pascal Niklaus, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
The research conducted in my group focuses on the consequences of environmental change for plant communities and the...
Plant Developmental Genetics
Cytokinin's role in embryonic root stem-cell formation
Dr. Bruno Müller, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
Despite the essential role of plants to support animal life on earth, our understanding of plant developmental processes...
Plant Systematics and Evolution
Dynamics of neotropical plant diversification
Dr. Colin Hughes, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Geotemporal patterns of plant species diversification and the causes of differences in species richness among clades and...
Plant Ecology
Ecosystem function and biodiversity under global change
Prof. Dr. Christian Körner, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
Plant ecology studies the interaction between plants and their environment. Ecosystem science considers life processes...
Reconciliation of Conservation and Development
Environmental science and policy
Prof. Dr. Lian Pin Koh, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems
Global human population will continue to grow over the next four decades. The ensuing demands for water, food and energy...
Epigenetics
Epigenetic control of gene expression
Dr. Etienne Bucher, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
Epigenetics encompasses a variety of highly conserved molecular mechanisms that provide an additional layer of...
Ethnobotany
Ethnobotany
Dr. Caroline Weckerle, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Ethnobotanical studies involve the investigation of biocultural diversity and thus the interactions between plants and...
Plant Pathology
Evolutionary biology of plant pathogens
Dr. Patrick Brunner, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Research in the Plant Pathology group centers around population genetics and phylogeography of the fungal pathogens...
Molecular Ecology of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
Experimental fungal community assembly
Dr. Hannes A. Gamper, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
We aim at understanding the ecological and evolutionary determinants of biodiversity in natural arbuscular mycorrhizal...
Forage Crop Genetics
Forage Crop Genetics
Prof. Dr. Bruno Studer, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
The implemented Forage Crop Genetics group mainly aims at developing genetic and genomic tools that can assist plant...
Plant Developmental Genetics
Genetic and epigenetic control of plant reproduction
Prof. Dr. Ueli Grossniklaus, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
Our research centers on the genetic and epigenetic control of plant reproduction. We are interested in both sexual...
Plant Evolutionary Genetics
Genome-wide patterns of nucleotide diversity and divergence in wild tomatoes (Solanum section Lycopersicon)
Dr. Thomas Städler, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Under a genealogical (coalescent) perspective, DNA sequence data obtained from many unlinked genes contain footprints of...
Global Change Ecology
Global change ecology
Dr. Christoph Küffer, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
With global change (e.g. climate change, land use changes) plant communities and ecosystems may dramatically change in...
Plant Ecological Genetics
Grass endophytes
Prof. Dr. Adrian Leuchtmann, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Symbiotic associations between organisms are common in ecosystems, but mutual benefits may be conditional depending on...
Biosphere–Atmosphere Exchange Processes
Greenhouse gas fluxes in forests and agroecosystems
PD Dr. Werner Eugster, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
My main interest is the quantification of greenhouse gas fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O and the surface energy fluxes of...
Evolutionary Functional Genomics / Systems Biology
How genomic changes promote adaptation and speciation in Arabidopsis relatives and in tropical trees
Prof. Dr. Kentaro Shimizu, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Darwin proposed the first conclusive theory to explain biodiversity with two principles: adaptation by natural...
Plant Ecology and Evolution
How species cope with environmental change
Dr. Regula Billeter, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Plant Nutrition
Improve nutrient-use efficiency in agro-ecosystems
Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Frossard, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
...
Microbiology
Interactions of bacteria with plants
Prof. Dr. Leo Eberl, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
Many bacteria produce small diffusible signal molecules to co-ordinate expression of particular phenotypic traits, a...
Molecular and Cellular Plant-Virus Interactions
Macromolecular trafficking and intercellular communication in plants
Dr. Manfred Heinlein, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
Intercellular communication in plants plays pivotal roles in the orchestration of development and defence responses and...
Plant Nutrition
Microbial functions in soil nutrient dynamics
Dr. Else Bünemann-König, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
A good understanding of biological cycling of P in terrestrial ecosystems is important in view of both decreasing...
Plant Biotechnology
Model organism proteomics and protein regulation
Dr. Katja Bärenfaller, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Protein level and protein activity are not solely determined by their respective mRNA levels, but regulation occurs also...
Plant Ecology and Evolution
Modern approaches to important environmental problems
Prof. Dr. Peter J. Edwards, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
The study of plant evolution is not only fascinating scientifically but is also of great environmental importance. Human...
MicroRNAs and siRNAs in Plant Development
Molecular analysis of plant small RNAs regulations
Dr. Franck Vazquez, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
RNA silencing processes are recently discovered RNA dependent processes involved in controlling the expression and...
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Molecular aspects of symbiosis and pathogenesis in plants
Prof. Dr. Thomas Boller, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
Plants interact with microbes (bacteria and fungi), in both friendly and hostile ways – this is the essence of plant...
Experimental Plant Ecology
Organization of plant populations and communities
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schmid, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Biodiversity – the variety of individuals, populations, species, and ecosystems and the natural processes occurring in...
Plant Nutrition
Oxygen isotope in phosphate, a new approach to study the soil/plant system
Dr. Federica Tamburini, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Phosphorus (P) is a major nutrient and an important constituent in cell membranes, DNA and RNA, and energy transporters....
Plant Nutrition
Phosphorus and nitrogen (re-)cycling in agro-ecosystems
Dr. Astrid Oberson, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Globally food demand is increasing while natural resources are shrinking. Human alterations of nutrient cycles are a...
Plant Population Biology
Plant adaptation and genetic connectivity in the face of climate change
Dr. Andrea R. Pluess, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems
Plants are expected to react to climate change with adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, migration or extinction. Given...
Plant Community Ecology
Plant community ecology
Dr. Lindsay A. Turnbull, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
My research is mainly focused on plant coexistence mechanisms. I am interested in the relative merits of neutral and...
Functional Genomics
Plant genetic networks – from databases to computational modeling
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Gruissem, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Using a systems biology approach, we are modeling biochemical pathways and regulatory processes that affect plant...
Crop Science
Plant growth and phenotyping
Prof. Dr. Achim Walter, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
More versatile and efficient crop production systems require an in-depth understanding of dynamic plant growth...
Plant Population and Evolutionary Biology
Plant life in alpine habitats
Prof. Dr. Jürg Stöcklin, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
Adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are both crucial for the long-term survival of plants in changing world. Our actual...
Plant Pathology
Plant pathology
Prof. Dr. Cesare Gessler, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Cesare Gessler has been active in plant pathology at ETH for 35 years. During 2003-2008 he also led a research centre in...
Plant Pathology
Plant pathology
Dr. Monika Maurhofer Bringolf, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Monika Maurhofer is the leader of a research group with interest in elucidating the multitrophic interactions going on...
Plant Ecology
Plant population dynamics
PD Dr. Peter Stoll, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Section of Conservation Biology
Understanding plant population dynamics is important in ecology and conservation biology including basic (coexistence...
Plant Biochemistry
Plant primary metabolism - From basic research to crop productivity
Prof. Dr. Samuel Zeeman, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
The domestication of crops was a landmark in the development of human civilisation. Today, most of our food and many of...
Ecology of Plant Reproduction
Plant-animal interactions and ecosystem function
Prof. Dr. Jaboury Ghazoul, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems
The ecology of plant reproductive processes underlies the composition and dynamics of ecosystems and is essential for...
Plant reproductive Biology
Plant-insect interactions: pollination and reproductive biology
Prof. Dr. Andreas Erhardt, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Section of Conservation Biology
Applied Entomolgy
Plant-insect relationships from the ecosystem to the molecular level
Prof. Dr. Silvia Dorn, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Plants in the field are surrounded by myriads of insects. These insects use their flight capacity in search of food,...
Conservation Biology
Plants and animals in a rapidly changing environment
Prof. Dr. Bruno Baur, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Section of Conservation Biology
Quantifying and conserving biodiversity is now recognized as more important than ever. We are investigating origins of...
Environmental History
Plants and society
PD Dr. Marcus Hall, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
My research centers on the history of how humans perceive, alter or manage the natural world, and how the natural world...
Evolutionary Genomics
Polyploidization and stress response in plants
Dr. Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Polyploidization is a frequently observed phenomenon in plant species. It has played an important role as a driving...
Plant Pathology
Population genetics and evolutionary biology of plant pathogenic fungi
Prof. Dr. Bruce McDonald, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Plant pathogens evolve rapidly to overcome the disease control strategies that are deployed against them. Resistance...
Systematic Botany
Radiation of the Cape flora
Prof. Dr. Peter Linder, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
The species diversity in Angiosperms is not evenly distributed around the globe, nor among different phylogenetic...
Plant Immunity
Regulation of plant receptor kinases in pattern triggered immunity
Dr. Delphine Chinchilla, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
Plant immunity relies on the recognition of surrounding microbes and the induction of robust defense responses to...
Molecular Genetics of Plant Development
Regulatory factors controlling cell wall formation
PD Dr. Christoph Ringli, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
The shape of plant cells and ultimately the entire plant is defined by the cell wall surrounding each cell. Cell walls...
Physiological Plant Ecology
Responses of Plants and Ecosystems to Global Environmental Change
Prof. Dr. Ansgar Kahmen, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Plants are fundamental components of the earth system. Their ability to assimilate atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> and to...
RNA Biology
RNA Biology
Prof. Dr. Olivier Voinnet, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Molecular Plant Virology
Silencing and innate immunity in plant defense against viruses
PD Dr. Mikhail M. Pooggin, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
The frontline of plant defense against non-viral pathogens such as bacteria, fungi and oomycetes is provided by...
Spatial Ecology and Remote Sensing
Spatial ecology and remote sensing
Dr. Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Solar radiation and its partitioning in vegetation canopies is an important factor influencing ecosystem processes such...
Plant and Ecosystems Ecology
Species coexistence and ecosystem functioning in relation to C:N:P stoichiometry
Dr. Harry Olde Venterink, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
In several postdoc and PhD projects we are studying interactions between nutrient cycling, plant growth and the species...
Systematic Mycology
Systematic mycology
PD Dr. Reinhard Berndt, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Plant Molecular Biology
The cereal genomes: hidden treasures for evolutionary genomics and agronomy
Prof. Dr. Beat Keller, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
We are studying the genomes of the grass species wheat, barley and rice to analyze genome evolution in cereals. Plant...
Evolutionary Biology
The molecular basis of pollinator-mediated reproductive isolation and speciation
Dr. Philipp M. Schlüter, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Divergent selection by the environment can result in the establishment of reproductive isolation and, thereafter, the...
Molecular Physiology
The role of ABC and vacuole transporters in plants
Prof. Dr. Enrico Martinoia, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
Using modern molecular, biochemical and electrophysiological approaches as well as classical physiology our laboratory...
Plant Molecular Physiology and Biochemistry
The role of carbon metabolism in drought stress tolerance
Dr. Diana Santelia, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
Our lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of carbon partitioning (between starch and sugars) at...
Tropical Pant Biodiversity and Biogeography
Tropical plant biodiversity and biogeography
Dr. Michael Kessler, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Plant species and assemblages show distinct geographical distribution patterns. In my research I attempt to discern the...
Population and Community Ecology
Understanding plant population, community, and invasion dynamics
Prof. Dr. Jonathan Levine, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Research in my group examines leading questions at the interface of plant population and community ecology. Though I am...
Plant Ecological Genetics
Understanding the genetic basis of ecological and evolutionary processes
Prof. Dr. Alex Widmer, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Our work aims at understanding the genetic basis of ecological and evolutionary processes. To achieve this goal, we...
Plant-microbe Interactions, Microbiology
Volatile-mediated impact of bacteria on plants
Dr. Laure Weisskopf, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology