Josepha Grewer

Josepha Grewer is a Researcher at the Institute of Synthetic Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, actively contributing to cutting-edge plant biology research. She is a core member of an HFSP collaboration project with Prof. Dr. Teva Vernoux (ENS Lyon), Dr. Siobhan Brady (UC Davis), and Dr. Richard Smith (John Innes Centre), focusing on deciphering self-organised 4D patterning in plant phyllotaxis using Physcomitrium patens as a model system.

Her research integrates Plant Development, Synthetic Biology, and Data Science to pioneer optogenetic manipulation of phyllotactic patterning. By leveraging the single-cell apical meristem of Physcomitrium patens, she investigates fundamental mechanisms of self-organization in plant morphogenesis. This work intersects with the Institute's strategic research areas including Synthetic and Reconstruction Biology (RA 3) and Theoretical Plant Biology and Data Science (RA 4), emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to optimize plant performance through developmental-metabolic interfaces.

Funded by the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), her project exemplifies high-impact international collaboration addressing complex biological questions. The research utilizes institutional resources such as the Plant Metabolism and Metabolomics Facility and Imaging Platform, positioning her work at the forefront of synthetic plant biology with potential applications in edaphic adaptation and microbiota networks.