Katrin Philippar

Prof. Dr. Katrin Philippar is a full Professor of Molecular Plant Biology at Saarland University, where she holds the Chair for Plant Biology within the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Department of Biosciences. Her research group investigates membrane transport mechanisms in plant cells, with a focus on chloroplast envelope proteins involved in fatty acid export and iron homeostasis.

Her research interests include membrane transport proteins, chloroplast biology, fatty acid and lipid metabolism, iron homeostasis, and structure-function analysis of transporters. Using model systems such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, her work aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying intracellular transport in plants.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in plant membrane biology, particularly in fatty acid export (FAX proteins), iron transport, and chloroplast function. Key themes include protein degradation in stress responses, lipid metabolism in bioenergy contexts, and evolutionary aspects of transport systems. The research bridges molecular genetics, biochemistry, and physiology.

Scientific Awards:

• No explicit awards or fellowships mentioned in the provided text.

Advising and Grants:

• Has advised multiple doctoral students including Wassilina Bugaeva, Anne Könnel, Janick Peter, and currently Zahraa Ousseily.
• Currently leading a project funded by the DFG Schwerpunktprogramm 2337 "MAdLand: Molecular Adaptation to Land - plant evolution to change" (awarded October 2023).

Research Team and Lab:

• Leads the Plant Biology research group at Saarland University.
• Team includes academic staff (Dr. Jens Neunzig, Dr. Alexander Banguela-Castillo), doctoral researchers, laboratory technicians (Angelika Anna, Andrea Fritsch), a master gardener (Andrea Jungmann-George), and administrative support (Nathalie Sebening).
• Laboratory work involves molecular biology, plant physiology, and biochemical characterization of transport proteins.