Group Leader

Cyril Zipfel

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Bio

My group studies the molecular basis of plant innate immunity. We aim at deciphering the signaling events linking perception of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) to the establishment of immunity. We use the leucine-rich repeats receptor kinases EFR and FLS2, which perceive bacterial EF-Tu and flagellin, respectively, as model pattern recognition receptors (PRRs).

Our work also aims at understanding how plant receptor kinases work at the molecular level and how signaling specificity is achieved between different receptor kinase-mediated signaling pathways involved in immunity and growth.

We are also exploring how outcomes of our research can be used to engineer sustainable broad-spectrum disease resistance in crops.

The group is based both at TSL and at the University of Zurich (Switzerland). In addition to our own research, we also collaborate with researchers across TSL and contribute to joint research programmes.

Job history

  • 2018 -

    Senior Group Leader (20% employment)

    The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
  • 2018 -

    Professor of Molecular & Cellular Plant Physiology

    University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2011 - 2018

    Senior Group Leader

    The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
  • 2014 - 2018

    Professor

    University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
  • 2014 - 2018

    Head of The Sainsbury Laboratory

    The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
  • 2007 - 2011

    Group Leader

    The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
  • 2005 - 2007

    EMBO long-term postdoctoral fellow

    Laboratory of Prof. Jonathan Jones, The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK
  • 2001 - 2005

    PhD research project

    Laboratory of Prof. Thomas Boller at the Friedrich-Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research and at the Botanical Institute, University of Basel, Switzerland