Host recognition and immune evasion of plant pathogens.
My research focuses on deciphering plant immunity triggered by the recognition of microbial molecules.
These immunogenic molecules are buried in the microbe structure and their recognition require hydrolytic release. However, pathogens use many strategies to evade recognition.
This exciting research field requires interdisciplinary approaches including molecular and cellular biology, proteomics, microbiology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. Understanding plant immunity and microbial pathogenicity is essential to improve plant biotechnologies and to prevent infectious diseases.
Besides my research activities, I give tutorials on the molecular mechanisms of plant immunity for the second-year students in biology.
I also co-supervise undergraduate, MSc and PhD students with Prof. Renier A.L. van der Hoorn.
