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Scientific Departments

Plant Developmental Biology

George Coupland

The primary scientific goal of the Department of Plant Developmental Biology is to study molecular mechanisms that regulate the responsiveness of plant development to environmental cues.

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Chromosome Biology

Raphael Mercier

The department of Chromosome Biology at MPIPZ uses cutting-edge technologies in microscopy, genetics and genomics to explore the mechanisms and consequences of meiosis from multiple perspectives.

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Plant-Microbe Interactions

Paul Schulze-Lefert

Research in the Department of Plant Microbe Interactions engages in fundamental molecular processes underlying interactions between plants and pathogenic or beneficial microorganisms.

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Comparative Development and Genetics

Miltos Tsiantis

The department Comparative Development and Genetics seeks to address two fundamental questions in biology: how do biological forms develop and what is the basis for their diversity?

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Press Releases

Of oil, wine and friends, the oldest is the best: root-associated bacteria preferentially colonize their native host-plant roots

July 26, 2021

An international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research and the University of Åarhus in Denmark have discovered that bacteria from the plant microbiota are adapted to their host species.

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Belowground microbial solutions to aboveground plant problems

July 05, 2021

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) have discovered that signalling occurring from the response of plant leaves to light, and plant roots to microbes, is integrated along a microbiota-root-shoot axis to boost plant growth when light conditions are suboptimal.

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Identity of an induced protein complex linking pathogen-activated immune receptors to rapid mobilization of immunity

June 07, 2021

Scientists from MPIPZ in collaboration with the Sainsbury Laboratory (UK) find a long sought after complex between two conserved plant-specific protein families that connect pathogen-activated immune complexes to defence outputs.

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Plant-microbe homeostasis: a delicate balancing act

May 24, 2021

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have shown that the presence of both immune-suppressive and non-suppressive bacteria in the plant root microbiota is crucial to strike a balance between plant growth and plant defence.

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News

Corona pandemic

Due to the rapid spread of coronavirus infections in many countries, including Germany, the management of MPIPZ has decided to implement emergency operations to limit the probability of infection and to protect its employees. The research activities and services will be maintained for the time being. Seminars are held online via video conferencing.

We will keep you informed about further developments.

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