Research Portfolios
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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