Geert De Jaeger

Geert De Jaeger is a VIB Group Leader and Full Professor at Ghent University, leading the Functional Interactomics Group within the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology. His research focuses on mapping system-wide molecular interactions using affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry (AP-MS), with a particular emphasis on nutrient signaling pathways involving SnRK1 and TOR kinases. These pathways regulate plant growth and yield by integrating carbon and nitrogen metabolism. The lab develops cutting-edge interactomics tools for plant research, targeting protein-protein interactions and interactions with nucleic acids. Key projects include studying the antagonistic roles of SnRK1 and TOR kinases in nutrient signaling, and elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying plant growth regulation.

Research Interests: Functional Interactomics, Plant Nutrient Signaling, Systems Biology, Protein-Protein Interactions, Arabidopsis and Maize Models, Cell Biology, and Metabolic Pathways.

Team: The lab includes PhD students (Laure-Ines Lebon, Rui Shen, Thomas Smorscek) and postdoctoral researchers (Nathalie Crepin, Wouter Smagghe), alongside technical and staff scientists. They collaborate on technology-driven projects to advance plant interactomics and metabolic signaling.

Labs/Teams: Functional Interactomics Group (VIB-UGent), focusing on technology development and application in plant systems biology.