Markus Grebe

Markus Grebe serves as Professor and Head of the Department of Plant Physiology at the Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, where he leads a research group investigating fundamental mechanisms of plant cell polarity and development. His laboratory, located in building 20, room 0.08, focuses on molecular processes governing root morphogenesis and cellular organization in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Research priorities include:

• Establishment of planar and tissue polarity in root systems
• Auxin signaling networks and polarized transport mechanisms
• Lipid domain organization and membrane dynamics
• ROP GTPase-mediated cytoskeletal regulation
• Cell plate assembly during cytokinesis
• Protein trafficking in polarized growth contexts

Analysis of recent publications reveals consistent emphasis on integrating advanced imaging with genetic approaches to dissect how lipid microdomains, cytoskeletal elements, and signaling pathways coordinate to establish cellular asymmetry. The group has pioneered methodologies for visualizing membrane order and protein dynamics during root hair initiation and cell division.

Professor Grebe has mentored fifteen graduate students to completion, including nine PhD candidates and four Master's students, while currently supervising two doctoral researchers. His laboratory utilizes state-of-the-art infrastructure including LSM 880 Airyscan microscopy for high-resolution live imaging of developmental processes.