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...
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...
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...
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...
Genetics of Photosynthesis
Chloroplast biogenesis and light acclimation
Prof. Dr. Michel Goldschmidt-Clermont, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Geneva, Department of Botany and Plant Biology
Chloroplasts are organelles of the plant cell that specialize in photosynthesis. In this process, light energy from the...
Acclimation to Changing Environmental Conditions
Chloroplast signaling
Prof. Dr. Jean-David Rochaix, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Geneva, Department of Botany and Plant Biology
Plants and algae are constantly subjected to changes in light quality and quantity and need to adapt rapidly to maintain...
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...
Developmental Cell Biology of Plants
Developmental cell biology of plants
Prof. Dr. Niko Geldner, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
One of our main topics of interest is the study of endodermis as an invariant feature of vascular plants. It fulfils a...
Chloroplasts and Photosynthesis
Discovering how chloroplasts are made
Prof. Dr. Felix Kessler, BeNeFri, University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology
The chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis in plants. Most of the chloroplast proteins must be imported from the...
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...
Cell Biology
Establishment of membrane fences and local cell wall modifications in plants
Dr. Daniele Roppolo, BeNeFri, University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences
<b>Biological context</b> ...
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...
Molecular Plant Physiology - Hormone Transport
Functional interactomics of auxin transport
PD Dr. Markus Geisler, BeNeFri, University of Fribourg, Dept. of Biology
Work in our group is concentrating on the individual roles of auxin catalysts – members of ABCB/PGP- and PIN families -...
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 Pathology
Induced resistance and priming against biotic and abiotic stress
Dr. Brigitte Mauch-Mani, BeNeFri, University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology
Plants have evolved inducible defence mechanisms to protect themselves against biotic and abiotic stresses. Upon...
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...
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-Pathogen Interactions
Molecular aspects of pathogenesis in plants
Prof. Dr. Jean-Pierre Métraux, BeNeFri, University of Fribourg, Dept. of Biology
<div>We are interested in the molecular determinants of fungal pathogenesis and their possible interactions with...
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...
Plant Developmental Genetics, Hormone Signaling
Molecular genetic control of seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana
Prof. Dr. Luis Lopez-Molina, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Geneva, Department of Botany and Plant Biology
Land plant’s success to colonize different continental environments lies in part in their ability to produce seeds:...
Plant Photoreceptor-Mediated Signal Transduction
Molecular mechanisms of light-regulated growth and development in plants
Prof. Dr. Christian Fankhauser, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Center for Integrative Genomics
Both genetic and environmental factors influence growth and development of any living organism. Plant development is...
Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Molecular plant-microbe interactions
Prof. Dr. Felix Mauch, BeNeFri, University of Fribourg, Dept. of Biology
Our research centers on molecular aspects of the interaction between plants and the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora....
Heat-Shock Biology and the Mechanisms of Chaperone Actions
Perception of stress and the mechanisms of molecular chaperones
Prof. Dr. Pierre Goloubinoff, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
Our research is focused on molecular chaperones, proteins that assist the (un)folding of other proteins in the cell....
Plant Cell and Molecular Biology
Plant Cell and Molecular Biology
Prof. Dr. Jean-Marc Neuhaus, BeNeFri, University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology
Molecular Studies of Plant-Insect Interactions
Plant defenses against insects
Dr. Philippe Reymond, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
Plants attacked by insects develop an array of inducible defenses aimed at slowing the growth or development of the...
Plant Developmental Biology
Plant developmental biology
Prof. Dr. Cris Kuhlemeier, BeNeFri, University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences
<b>Leaf development.</b> The vegetative shoot apical meristem consists of a small group of dividing cells, which give...
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 Molecular Biology-Metabolic Pathways
Plant metabolic pathways and phosphate homeostasis
Prof. Dr. Yves Poirier, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
There are presently three main axes of research within our laboratory. ...
Plant Molecular Biology
Plant molecular biology
Prof. Dr. Edward Farmer, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
We work on the jasmonate pathway which controls plant immunity to herbivores. Jasmonates are lipid-derived molecules...
Plant Physiology
Protein import in choloroplast
Dr. Charles Andrès, BeNeFri, University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology
The Chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis in plants. Most of the chloroplast proteins must be imported from the...
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...
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...
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...
Molecular Genetics & Natural Genetic Variation
The molecular basis of plant growth & development
Prof. Dr. Christian Hardtke, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
A central feature of plant development is the post-embryonic formation of the majority of plant organs in a reiterative...
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...
Molecular Plant Physiology
Transport of organic nitrogen in plants and parasitic protozoa
Prof. Dr. Doris Rentsch, BeNeFri, University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences
Nitrogen is one of the most limiting nutritional factors for plant growth and productivity. Therefore diverse and...
Plant Molecular Biology
UV-B perception and signalling in plants
Prof. Dr. Roman Ulm, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Geneva, Department of Botany and Plant Biology
Sunlight is of utmost importance to plants, not only as energy source but also as an environmental signal regulating...
Plant Biochemistry and Physiology
Vitamin metabolism and its relations to environmental stress
Prof. Dr. Teresa Fitzpatrick, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Geneva, Department of Botany and Plant Biology