Katharina Pawlowski

Katharina Pawlowski is a Professor at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences at Stockholm University. Her research group focuses on actinorhizal nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis, with particular emphasis on its evolutionary origins and ecological applications in soil restoration and coastal protection.

• Department: Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences
• Research themes: Symbiosis evolution, Frankia genomics, Casuarina stress tolerance

Research Interests

Current projects investigate: (1) ancestral Frankia clades as models for symbiosis evolution, (2) genomic divergence between cluster-2 and later Frankia clades, and (3) re-evaluation of Casuarina-Frankia microsymbiont diversity through direct nodule sequencing. The group employs advanced bioinformatics and molecular techniques to address these questions.

Publication Trends

Recent articles demonstrate expertise in plant-microbe co-evolution, symbiotic signaling mechanisms, and stress tolerance physiology. Key methodologies include comparative phylogenomics, proteomic/metabolomic profiling, and functional gene analysis in model species like Datisca glomerata and Casuarina glauca.

Academic Collaborations

• Agroscope, Switzerland
• Komarov Botanical Institute, Russia

The group actively recruits researchers through postdoctoral stipends sponsored by the Carl Trygger Foundation, maintaining an international research environment with multiple PhD students.