Dmitry Lapin

Dmitry Lapin is an Assistant Professor in the Translational Plant Biology group at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University. His research bridges molecular plant biology and crop improvement, with a strong emphasis on understanding the plant immune system and its interplay with growth and physiology.

His research interests include:

• Identification and characterization of immune receptors in lettuce that recognize Bremia lactucae (downy mildew)
• Transcriptional and growth responses to the defense hormone salicylic acid (SA)
• Discovery of factors regulating the trade-off between plant growth and defense
• Evolution and variation of immune system components such as the EDS1 family in lettuce
• Functional analysis of TIR domain-containing immune receptors, which are analogous to animal Toll-like receptors

Dmitry Lapin employs a multidisciplinary toolkit including CRISPR/Cas mutagenesis, RNAseq, proteomics, genome-wide association studies, and phylogenetic analyses. His work is embedded in collaborative frameworks such as the public-private consortium LettuceKnow and the Accelerated Crop Genetics seed project (funded by the Alliance EWUU, 2023), which involves Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University, Utrecht University, and UMC Utrecht.

He is actively involved in teaching, offering courses such as Advanced Biotechnology, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Omics for the Life Sciences, and supervising Thesis Projects at both the Biology program and University College Utrecht. He regularly organizes seminars like the Plant-Microbe Interactions Seminars and IEB Seminar, and has delivered numerous invited talks on plant immunity, including recent presentations on TIR domain receptors and mitigation of immunity costs in Arabidopsis.

Dmitry Lapin supports BSc and MSc research internships and assists students in applying for PhD and postdoctoral fellowships and grants, demonstrating a strong commitment to academic mentoring and training the next generation of plant scientists.