Daniela Arenz
Technical Assistant
Daniela, from Germany, specializes in plant-fungi interactions with a focus on Lotus japonicus. She brings expertise in seed curation, genotyping, and advanced techniques for investigating protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470 90225 | E-mail
Prof. Dr. Marcel Bucher
Head of the Group
Marcel Bucher comes from Switzerland where he worked as a research group leader at ETH Zurich until he moved to University of Cologne in 2006. He is deeply interested in the molecular physiology and genetics of mutually beneficial plant-microbe interactions.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-2481 | E-mail | Orcid-ID | Twitter
Jan Gaertner
Postgraduate Researcher
Jan Gaertner from the Netherlands is studying the genetic interaction between Arabidopsis thaliana and its root endosymbiont Colletotrichum tofieldiae in order to deepen our understanding of the mutualistic root symbiosis and make the system more genetically accessible.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-8222 | E-mail | Orcid-ID
Elena Gallina
Postgraduate Researcher
Elena Gallina comes from Italy and is interested in the interactions between the plant-host genotype and microbial community dynamics in the maize mycorrhizosphere.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-8222 | E-mail | Orcid-ID
Ulrike Hebbeker
Technical Assistant
Ulrike Hebbeker is from Germany. She has profound expertise in the extraction of secondary metabolites and nucleic acids, DNA cloning, and plant production.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470 90224 | E-mail
Jorge Luis Hernández Ayala
Postgraduate Researcher
Jorge Hernández, from México, is investigating the inter-organism nutrient network between Arabidopsis thaliana and its root endosymbiont Colletotrichum tofieldiae, and the genetic basis by which this metabolic partnership contributes to edaphic adaptation.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-8222 | E-mail | Orcid-ID
Stefanie Junkermann
Technical Assistant
Stefanie Junkermann is from Germany and is working on aspects of plant-fungus interactions. She is a specialist in multi-elemental analytics performed with the ICP-MS that is located in the Biocenter Mass Spectrometry Platform.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-90196 | E-mail
Isabelle Metzen
Postdoctoral Researcher
Isabelle Metzen is from Germany and is interested in the nutritional and metabolic interactions between mycorrhizal roots, their microbiota, and their impact on soil quality. She is also the scientific coordinator of the "Plant-Ukraine" project founded by STiL.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-8223 | E-mail | Orcid-ID
Claudia Schwanitz
Head of administration
Claudia Schwanitz comes from Germany and takes the lead in working at the interface between the university administration and our research group for financial and personnel matters.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-5664 | E-mail
Elena Sturm
Postgraduate Researcher
Elena Sturm is from Germany and is interested in the plant kingdom's transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Her research focuses on the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of the phosphate starvation response and arbuscular mycorrhiza.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-8222 | E-mail | Orcid-ID
Dr. Mitzi Villajuana Bonequi
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Mitzi Villajuana Bonequi is from Mexico and coordinates the CEPLAS Research & Education project at the University of Cologne. Her scientific expertise is in molecular biology, genetics, developmental biology, and reproductive development.
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470-7326 | E-mail | Orcid-ID
