Kamil Witek

Kamil Witek is a Group Leader at The Sainsbury Laboratory, which is affiliated with the University of East Anglia. His research focuses on plant-pathogen interactions, particularly in potato disease resistance mechanisms, with significant contributions to understanding immune receptor biology in Solanum species.

His primary research interests include:

• Genetic basis of resistance to Phytophthora infestans (late blight)
• Mechanisms of resistance to potato cyst nematodes
• Plant-virus interactions, particularly with Potato virus Y
• Cloning and characterization of plant immune receptors
• Genome-assisted discovery of resistance genes

Dr. Witek's research has resulted in groundbreaking discoveries in plant immune systems, with publications in top-tier journals including Nature Genetics, Nature Plants, and Molecular Plant. His work demonstrates how plants recognize conserved features of pathogens across multiple pathogen species, enabling broad-spectrum resistance. Recent research has focused on Solanum americanum as a source of novel resistance genes against multiple potato pathogens.

Dr. Witek leads research projects funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and J. R. Simplot, including the current 'Potato PCN Resistance' project (2023-2026) focused on cloning effective resistances against potato cyst nematodes. His work bridges fundamental plant immunity research with practical applications for improving potato crop resilience and food security.