Early Stage Researchers University of Stavanger

Delphine Crappe

The title of the project: Pathogen-inducible peroxisomal proteins mediating disease resistance

Delphine will identify and functionally characterize pathogen-inducible plant peroxisomal proteins by proteomics of peroxisomes isolated from A. thaliana plants treated with defense hormones and elicitors or infected with pathogens. Candidate proteins will be further analyzed for their role in peroxisome biology and pathogen defense. At the University of Exeter, Delphine will analyze putative human orthologs of novel plant and yeast peroxisomal proteins, which are predicted to play a role in stress adaptation, by extensive phenotyping of gene knock-down/overexpression in mammalian cells, including a.o. metabolome analysis (MDiscoveries; Potsdam).

Part of the research will be performed at the University of Exeter and MDiscoveries (Potsdam).

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sigrun Reumann (sigrun.reumann@uis.no)

Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Michael Schrader, University of Exeter

Piotr Lisik

he title of the project: The role of peroxisomes in plant adaptation to abiotic stress

Piotr’s study aims to reveal yet unknown mechanisms that allow plants to adapt to adverse environmental conditions. Candidate proteins will be identified by peroxisome proteomics of stressed A. thaliana plants and novel prediction tools of peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS). The function of promising candidate proteins will be studied by extensive phenotyping of constructed plant gain- and loss-of-function mutants, focusing on alterations in stress susceptibility and resistance, peroxisome proliferation and secondary metabolism (metabolomics in collaboration with MDiscoveries, Potsdam). Functional conservation of newly identified plant peroxisomal proteins in fungi will be studied, for instance by complementation analysis, during a secondment at the University of Groningen.

Part of the research will be performed at the University of Groningen and MDiscoveries (Potsdam).

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Sigrun Reumann (sigrun.reumann@uis.no)

Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ida J. van der Klei, University of Groningen