I graduated in 2024 with an Integrated Master’s degree in Biology from the University of York. During my undergraduate studies, I developed a strong interest in plant ecophysiology, specifically investigating how common wheat responds to heat stress and how bean plants alter their volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under drought conditions.

Research Interests

In January 2025, I joined the Schornack group as a postdoc and am investigating plant-microbe interactions using the non-vascular plant Marchantia polymorpha.

Microbial interactions have significantly influenced plant diversity, and both beneficial and detrimental interactions continue to be crucial in agriculture. The complexity of these interactions fascinates me, and I am excited about the impact of this research area.

Hi, I'm Isaac Coven. I graduated from the University of Bristol in 2023 with a BSc in Biological Science. Currently, I'm pursuing an MPhil at the University of Cambridge in the Biological Sciences (Crop Science) programme. As part of my course, I'll be working at the Sainsbury Laboratory for a term, as a part of the Shornack research group. My focus is on exploring the potential of SCAR gene knockout mutants for improved disease resistance in barley, concentrating on the effects on pathogenic and beneficial symbiotic interactions.

Research Interests

Research Interests

I am fascinated by cell biology. I am particularly interested in studying how different cellular organelles in plants form, function, communicate with each other and respond to external stress such as pathogen infection.

Research Interests

My research is centred on investigating the infectious strategies employed by symbiotic microorganisms during their beneficial interactions with plants. Specifically, I have a keen interest in exploring the molecular functions of proteins secreted by these microorganisms, known as "effectors," and their impact on plant immunity, physiology, and development.

I completed my undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences at the University of Münster (Germany) in 2016. During that time, I focused on protein biochemistry in the context of photosynthesis in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Bachelor thesis, supervised by Prof. Michael Hippler) and isoprenoid biosynthesis in Russian dandelion roots (Master thesis, supervised by Prof.