Bentham Lab, Centre for Programmable Biological Matter, Durham University. Structural biology and de novo protein design applied to host-pathogen interactions, plant immunity, and neglected tropical d...

Abstract. Outbreak sequencing provides insight into the origin and evolutionary processes acting on emerging pathogens. Sequencing a historic multihost out

Author summary Blast, caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the world’s most devastating rice diseases. During infection, M. oryzae secretes a diverse set of molecules, known as ...

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

Background During host colonization, fungal plant pathogens secrete effector-like proteins that alter host cell physiology and target plant-associated microbes. However, rapid evolution and low sequen...

Complex media are routinely used to cultivate diverse bacteria. However, this complexity can obscure the factors that govern cell growth. While studying protein acetylation in buffered tryptone broth ...

Nature Plants - Col-0 genetic divergence

Soil bacteria colonize plants without causing visible disease, yet many suppress host growth. The prevalence and evolutionary reach of this cryptic inhibition are unknown, because phenotyping hundreds...

Towards a quantitative view of the NLR gene family evolution in the genome space - Volume 7

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 27 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41580-026-01009-4This Review discusses recent insights into the mechanisms of immune signalling in plants and their regulation to achieve effective defence against pathogens while preserving plant fitness. It also explores the interplay between the immune system and environmental stresses, and strategies for engineering optimal disease-resistant plants.

Microbial pathogens require nutrients and water to support their growth and proliferation. Pathogen-mediated resource acquisition is orchestrated by the secretion of virulence factors that have evolve...

RNA interference (RNAi) is a central antiviral defense mechanism in fungi, yet relatively few mycoviral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSRs) have been functionally characterized, particularly in phytop...

A perspective on plant immunity is proposed that differs from the prevalent view that centers on resistance based on receptors that recognize the pathogen. In this perspective, mechanisms of quantita....

Webseiten der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Geminiviruses employ multifunctional protein ammunition to evade robust plant defense pathways. Key viral proteins effectively manipulate host signaling mechanisms to create a permissive environment f...

The pangenome is the total genetic repertoire of a group of organisms. It is a property of populations, maintained by evolutionary processes.

Engineering the barley NLR RGH2 enhances recognition of blast pathogen effectors from rice and wheat, leading to improved disease resistance.

Transcription in chloroplasts depends on the Plastid-Encoded RNA polymerase (PEP), a bacterial-derived enzyme whose catalytic core remains encoded by the highly reduced genome inherited from the cyano...

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

The type II secretion (T2S) system is conserved across the Xanthomonas lineage, yet its contributions to pathogenicity and secreted protein repertoires are poorly defined. We demonstrate that T2S syst...

Herbivore insects are on an evolutionary tug-of-war with plants. An important part of the plant-herbivore insect interaction is the exchange of molecules, in particular proteins (in the form of effect...

Modern amphibians are characterized by an aquatic larval stage that ends abruptly with a period of widespread tissue remodeling (metamorphosis) upon transition to terrestrial adulthood. A transient la...

Grasses (Poaceae) dominate terrestrial ecosystems and sustain global food security, yet the genomic principles enabling their repeated adaptation to extreme environments remain unresolved. Combining d...

Highlighted Article: In Arabidopsis stomatal cells, SPEECHLESS persists into maturing guard cells where its balance with FAMA is essential for guard cell development. Transcriptomic and genetic analys...