Ecology and Evolution Seminar Series "How to trick a plant pathogen"
| Dates: | 12 May 2023 |
|---|
| Times: | 14:00 - 15:00 |
|---|
| What is it: | Seminar |
|---|
| Organiser: | Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health |
|---|
| Who is it for: | University staff, External researchers, Adults, Current University students |
|---|
| Speaker: | Prof Sophien Kamoun |
|---|
|
We are delighted to welcome Prof Sophien Kamoun as in-person speaker at the Ecology and Evolution seminar series.
Sophien grew up in Tunisia where he developed a passion and curiosity about nature. He studied genetics in Paris and Davis, California, before working in Wageningen, Ohio and Norwich, where he is currently a Senior Scientist at The Sainsbury Laboratory and Professor of Biology at The University of East Anglia. He is known for his seminal contributions to our understanding of plant diseases and plant immunity having pioneered a number of concepts centered on coevolution of pathogens with plants. His inventive work in plant pathology has resulted in new approaches to mitigate some of the world’s most serious crop diseases. He is well-known as a champion of open science, including open data, transparent peer review, and preprints to promote rapid dissemination of science. He also frequently tweets and blogs about open science, science publishing and career advancement topics. Professor Kamoun has received many awards and recognitions, notably the Kuwait Prize and The Linnean Medal. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018.
"Plants can get sick too. In fact, they get infected by all types of microbes and little critters. But plants have evolved an effective immune system to fight off pathogen invasion. Amazingly, nearly every single plant cell is able to protect itself and its neighbours against infections. The plant immune system gets switched on when one of its many immune receptors matches a ligand in the pathogen. As a consequence of a long evolutionary history of fighting off pathogens, immune receptors are now encoded by hundreds of genes that populate the majority of plant genomes. Understanding how the plant immune system functions and how it has evolved can give invaluable insights that would benefit modern agriculture and help breeding disease resistant crops."
Join in person: Michael Smith Lecture Theatre
Or join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 960 8453 2768
NOTE: Sophien will be in Manchester and available to chat both before and after the seminar on Friday. If you would like to speak with Sophien or join us for drinks in the pub afterwards, please let Rok or Filipa know so we have an idea of numbers and can facilitate discussions.
Dr Filipa Cox | UKRI Future Leaders Fellow | Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences | Room A4028 | Michael Smith Building | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road | Manchester M13 9PT | United Kingdom
Dr Rok Krašovec | UKRI Future Leaders Fellow | Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences | MERMan - Microbial Evolution Research Manchester | Room B1084 | Michael Smith Building | The University of Manchester | Oxford Road | Manchester M13 9PT | United Kingdom
Speaker
Prof Sophien Kamoun
Role: Senior Scientist at The Sainsbury Laboratory Professor of Biology at The University of East Anglia
Organisation: The University of East Anglia
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
Professor Sophien Kamoun Lab
The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL)
Norwich Research Park
Norwich
