Lena Mueller

Lena Maria Mueller is an Assistant Professor in the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying plant control of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, particularly how plants regulate fungal colonization to balance nutrient uptake and carbon costs. Mueller’s work integrates genetics, genomics, and cell biology to elucidate signaling pathways in symbiotic interactions.

Education:

• BSc/MSc in Biology, University of Tübingen, Germany
• PhD in Plant Biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Boyce Thompson Institute/Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Research Interests: Mueller studies symbiotic interactions between plants and AM fungi, focusing on CLE peptide signaling, autoregulation of mycorrhizal symbiosis (AOM), and how plants adapt symbiotic relationships in changing environments. Her lab explores mechanisms controlling fungal colonization quality/quantity, symbiosis with plant development, and carbon/nutrient exchange dynamics.

Article Trends: Recent publications highlight discoveries in CLE peptide roles, fungal mimicry effects, and regulatory modules like CLE-SUNN. Work spans symbiotic signaling pathways, transcriptional networks, and engineering crops for enhanced symbiosis. Key topics include ROS suppression mechanisms, strigolactone regulation, and arbuscule density optimization.

Awards:

• Sharon Grey Women’s Young Investigator Award (2020)
• Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowships (2015-2017)
• Best Oral Presentation (2014)

Advising & Labs: Supervises PhD students like Sagar Bashyal and manages an international team. Lab members explore symbiosis mechanisms, peptide signaling, and symbiont preference. Current projects aim to engineer crops with optimal AM symbiosis for sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration. No open positions listed currently.

Lab Focus: Mueller Lab investigates molecular basis of plant control over AM symbiosis, including autoregulation pathways, nutrient signaling, and symbiotic benefits in crop plants. Research bridges fundamental biology with agricultural applications to enhance sustainable farming practices.