Plants fight off disease just like us
While plants cannot run away when attacked by a disease or predator, they have evolved efficient ways to react and survive. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen are studying how plants grow, protect themselves and interact with pathogens, both microscopic organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi and larger predators such as insects and worms.
Plants have protective barriers for their cells and can release substances that repel pathogens or attract protective agents. They also have evolved a complex immune system that isolates infected areas, eliminating affected cells and ensuring the plant's survival.
What is the research at Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen about?
The research explores how plants and both helpful and unhelpful microbes influence the growth and evolution of the plants and their enemies. The scientists are particularly interested in how:
How specific pathogens shape the diversity of a plant’s immune system in the wild.
How plants in turn influence the variety of microbes living around them.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen apply cutting-edge science to understand these biological processes. A long-term aim is to inspire the development of tools to protect crops, improve food production, and promote environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
The model plant: Arabidopsis thaliana
Arabidopsis, a member of the mustard family, serves as a valuable research model because it responds to stress and disease similarly to many crop plants. Its small genome simplifies genetic analysis. Insights gained from studying Arabidopsis’ defence mechanisms against pathogens can be easily applied to develop disease-resistant plants in other species.
What are the research methods?
Collecting samples from nature: Gathering plants and microbes from their natural environment.
DNA analysis: Sequencing the DNA of both plants and microbes.
Testing interactions: Investigating how different microbes interact with the plant's immune system.
Building a complex picture: Analysing data to uncover the intricate relationship between plants, pathogens, and other microbes.
Investigating the co-evolution of Arabidopsis and its pathogens: Studying how this specific plant and its harmful organisms (pathogens) have evolved over time.
Microbiome analyses in natural plant populations: Focusing on the entire community of microbes in wild plants.
Effects of microbiome composition on plant colonisation by pathogens: Exploring how the types of microbes around a plant can influence whether harmful microbes can take hold.
