Arne Weiberg

Arne Weiberg is a Principle Investigator and Research Group Leader at the Department for Genetics, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich (LMU), Germany. His work focuses on cross-kingdom RNA interference (RNAi) in plant-pathogen interactions, particularly small RNA effectors from the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea and oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis.

• Affiliation: LMU Munich, Germany
• Research Interests: Pathogen small RNAs, RNAi mechanisms, extracellular vesicles, plant immunity suppression

His research employs genomics, transcriptomics, bioinformatics, molecular genetics, and biochemical approaches to uncover the molecular basis of cross-kingdom RNAi, including the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in RNA transport and the molecular diversity of small RNA effectors. He investigates how pathogens like Botrytis cinerea (gray mold) and Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (downy mildew) exploit host pathways for virulence.

Recent work explores EV-mediated RNA delivery and comparative genomics of wild Botrytis isolates to identify selective pressures on small RNA sequences. His lab has established protocols to study EV RNA cargoes in plant-microbe interactions. Research is supported by grants including SFB924, RU5116, and the Cost Action CA20110 (exRNA-PATH).

Key publications include foundational studies on cross-kingdom RNAi (Science 2013), reviews on small RNA virulence strategies (Annual Review of Phytopathology 2014), and mechanistic analyses of pathogen EVs (Current Opinion in Plant Biology 2022). Collaborative projects with institutions like University of California, Riverside, and Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg highlight his interdisciplinary approach.