Research Area 4
Theoretical Plant Biology and Data Science
Research Area 4 complements RA1-3 by addressing common fundamental research questions with theoretical models. RA4 develops bioinformatics and mechanistic modeling approaches to theoretically describe and investigate intra- and intercellular processes, such as developmental transitions, resource allocation strategies, and plant-soil-microbe interactions. RA4 will advance scientific knowledge by providing alternative in silico workbenches in the form of theoretical models for the analyses of biological systems in RA1-3. The computational and mathematical frameworks will allow deeper interpretation and integration of experimental data generated within CEPLAS and beyond. Leveraging the power of coordinated experimental and theoretical plant research to derive quantitative and predictive mathematical models will provide novel insights into the emergence and evolution of complex traits and diverse interacting genetic and environmental factors and how they affect plant performance, thus enabling predictive trait manipulation. By generating new testable hypotheses, RA4 will drive the design of novel experiments to generate deeper understanding of the mechanisms interacting across different spatiotemporal scales.
Coordinators
Prof. Dr. Björn Usadel

Telephone+49 2461619503
Institute of Bio and Geosciences-2 (IBG-2)
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Prof. Dr. Nadine Töpfer

Telephone+49 221 470-89648
Institute for Plant Sciences
University of Cologne
Members
Prof. Dr. Ilka Axmann

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 3,4
Dr. Jan Piotr Buchmann

Prof. Dr. George Coupland

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,3,4
Dr. Craig Dent

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 3, 4
Prof. Dr. Oliver Ebenhöh

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4
Dr. Martina Feierabend

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 2,4
Dr. Pau Formosa-Jordan

Prof. Dr. Wolf B. Frommer

Dr. Rubén Garrido Oter

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,3,4
Dr. Mohsen Hajheidari

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 4
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Elena Hamann

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,2,4
Dr. Thomas Hartwig

Prof. Dr. Gunnar W. Klau

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,4
Prof. Dr. Stanislav Kopriva

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4
Prof. Dr. Maria von Korff Schmising

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,4
Prof. Dr. Martin Lercher

Tiago Moreira Machado

Doctoral Researcher, Research Area 4
Dr. Martin Mascher

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 4
Prof. Dr. Anna Matuszyńska

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 4
Prof. Dr. Juliette de Meaux

Principal Investigator, Research Area 4
Prof. Dr. Raphaël Mercier

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1, 4
Dr. Ellen Oldenburg

Postdoctoral Researcher, Research Area 2,4
Nathaniel Oragbon

Doctoral Researcher, Research Area 1,2,4
Prof. Dr. Markus Pauly

Prof. Dr. Laura Rose

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,4
Flora Schlüter

Doctoral Researcher, Research Area 2,4
Prof. Dr. Korbinian Schneeberger

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,4
Prof. Dr. Paul Schulze-Lefert

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,3,4
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schurr

Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Simon

Dr. Fatemeh Soltani

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 4
Prof. Dr. Markus Stetter

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,4
Dr. Jędrzej Jakub Szymański

Prof. Dr. Nadine Töpfer

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1, 4
Dr. Sebastian Triesch

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 3, 4
Prof. Dr. Miltos Tsiantis

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,3,4
Nicolas Ullrich

Doctoral Researcher, Research Area 3, 4
Dr. Uriel Urquiza

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 3, 4, 5
Prof. Dr. Björn Usadel

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,4
Prof. Dr. Andreas P.M. Weber

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,3,4
apl. Prof. Dr. Stefanie Weidtkamp-Peters

Contributing Investigator, Research Area 1,4
Dr. St. Elmo Wilken

Group leader, Research Area 2,4
Tom Winkler

Doctoral Researcher, Research Area 4
Prof. Dr. Alga Zuccaro

Principal Investigator, Research Area 2,3,4
Dr. Simon Maria Zumkeller

CEPLAS Researcher, Research Area 4
Prof. Dr. Matias Zurbriggen

Principal Investigator, Research Area 1,2,3,4