Group - Sebastian Schornack

I completed my undergraduate degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology (with Plant Science) at the University of Glasgow in 2017. During that time, I worked as a summer student in the laboratory of Prof. George Coupland in the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne. In Cologne, I worked on a project concerning the transcriptional control of flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana. In my final year at Glasgow, I also completed an undergraduate project with Prof.

Research Interests

My research revolves around microbe-induced host cell reprogramming by effector proteins that are shuttled into plant cells. Effectors are a hallmark for animal and plant pathogens’ success in conquering the host. Plant populations frequently maintain counter-defensive disease resistance proteins (R proteins) for intracellular recognition of effectors. Studying R protein mechanisms thus reveals plant strategies in coping with constant pathogen challenge.