Scientists revealed new insights on the Casparian strip, a specialised structure within the roots of plants, and its involvement in balancing nitrogen level in legumes and their nodules.

A study led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne has shown that the ability to suppress plant immune responses is shared among many of the bacteria that live on healthy plant roots. This trait stabilizes bacterial communities, known as the root microbiota, against perturbations through the plant immune system

Scientists have decoded the structure of a barley protein that provides resistance against a devastating fungal disease. Such structures could inform efforts to protect crops from plant pathogens.
 

In a new study published in Nature, researchers working in the groups of Jijie Chai (Westlake University in Hangzhou, China) and Jane Parker (MPIPZ in Cologne, Germany) describe how Arabidopsis plants exert fine-control of a major immune signalling machinery rapid but restricted host cell death after pathogen recognition.

Together with our University partners in Cologne and Düsseldorf we train about 90 mostly international doctoral students and are inviting talented young researchers to apply for individual open positions and to our structured IMPRS programme.

Since 2019, all MPIPZ postdocs take part of a Career Development Program. This program aims to support them success in their careers.