Farid El Kasmi

Dr. Farid El Kasmi is a Junior Research Group Leader at the Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tübingen, focusing on plant immunity and NLR proteins. He leads a team studying membrane-localized immune receptors, helper NLR functions, and membrane trafficking in plant defense mechanisms.

Education and Career: PhD (2011) under Prof. Gerd Jürgens at ZMBP, University of Tübingen. Postdoctoral training (2011–2017) with Prof. Jeff Dangl at UNC Chapel Hill. Became independent group leader at ZMBP in 2017.

Research Interests: Elucidating how membrane-localized NLR proteins signal immunity without nuclear translocation, functional roles of helper NLRs, and the interplay between membrane trafficking and immune responses. Key areas include:

• Regulation and signaling of membrane-localized NLR proteins
• Helper NLRs in immunity and autoimmunity
• Effector targeting of trafficking pathways
• SNARE complexes in plant immunity

Key Contributions: Organized the 2023 International Helper-and Paired NLR Mini-Symposium, supported by Reinhard Frank Foundation and 2Blades. Published extensively in Science, EMBO Reports, and New Phytologist, focusing on NLR biology and plant-microbe interactions.

Labs/Teams: Active lab with PhD/MSc students and technicians. Collaborates with labs at UNC Chapel Hill, ZMBP, and international institutions. Lab members include Sruthi Sunil, Xander Zuijdgeest, and Simon Beeh.