Isabel ML Saur

Dr. Isabel ML Saur is a research group leader at the Institute for Plant Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne. She leads the Saur Lab which focuses on plant-pathogen interactions, particularly the mechanisms employed by the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria hordei to colonize barley. Her research contributes significantly to understanding plant immunity and pathogen recognition mechanisms.

Dr. Saur was trained as a Laboratory Assistant in Stuttgart-Hohenheim and completed her undergraduate studies in Biotechnology at the Applied Science University Esslingen am Neckar. She developed her interest in plant sciences during placements at the Research School of Biology, The Australian National University (ANU), Canberra. She earned her PhD in plant immunity from ANU in 2015 and subsequently joined the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne. In 2020, she was granted a prestigious DFG Emmy Noether group leader position, establishing her independent research group.

Dr. Saur's research focuses on cellular recognition mechanisms in plant immunity, signal transduction pathways linking receptor-mediated recognition to host physiology, and pathogen strategies for immune evasion and effector-mediated immune suppression. Her lab uses the interaction between barley (Hordeum vulgare) and the barley powdery mildew fungus Blumeria hordei as a primary model system, complemented by studies in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana to explore both conserved and lineage-specific features of immunity in monocots and dicots.

Analysis of Dr. Saur's recent publications reveals a strong focus on plant-pathogen interactions, particularly the molecular mechanisms of effector proteins from powdery mildew fungi and their recognition by plant immune receptors. Her work spans multiple disciplines including plant pathology, molecular biology, structural biology, and plant immunology, with specific attention to NOD-like receptors, cell death mechanisms, and the evolution of resistance gene specificity.

Dr. Saur has received significant recognition for her research, most notably:

• DFG Emmy Noether group leader position (2020)

Dr. Saur currently mentors several students and researchers in her lab, including PhD students Merle Bilstein-Schloemer and Sophie Sent, and postdoctoral fellows Ishani Shankar Das and Wei Shi. Her research is supported by multiple projects including her Emmy Noether project on quantification of virulence function, CEPLAS & EN Project on identification of intrinsic functions of effectors, SFB1403 Project on host cell death pathways, and For5682 Project on powdery mildew adaptation to the leaf epidermal cell niche.

The Saur Lab maintains a dynamic research environment focused on understanding plant immunity through multiple ongoing projects. The lab actively participates in conferences and collaborations, contributing to the international plant-microbe interaction research community. Recent lab activities include participation in the 2025 IS-MPMI Congress in Cologne and preparation for the 17th International Cereal Rusts and Powdery Mildews Conference in Vancouver.