PhD Student

The plant apoplast represents one of the first interaction sites between plants and endophytic microbes. During microbial colonisation, plant hydrolases modulate these interactions through the processing of microbial patterns, resulting in the activation of immune responses. As a countermeasure, beneficial and pathogenic microbes also release hydrolases or specific inhibitors into the apoplast to evade or suppress the plant immune responses. 

However, the knowledge about plant and microbial hydrolases involved in interaction within the root apoplast is very limited. Therefore, my project aims to identify hydrolases in barley roots and investigate their roles in plant immunity and resistance. Second, I will study the modulation of hydrolase activity during plant-microbe interactions with the aim to identify their bacterial inhibitors. Finally, also secreted bacterial hydrolases will be identified and tested for substrate interactions to uncover commensal mechanisms that might prevent activation of plant immunity.

University of Cologne

CEPLAS / Institiute for Plant Sciences
Chair of Terrestrial Microbiology
Zülpicher Straße 47a
D-50674 Cologne
Tel:  +49 221-470-5882
Fax: +49 221-470-7406
Mail: z.zick@uni-koeln.de