Martin Parniske

Professor Martin Parniske is a faculty member at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), where he serves as the Head of the Institute of Genetics within the Faculty of Biology. He is also the Speaker of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre TRR356 PlantMicrobe, focusing on "Genetic Diversity Shaping Biotic Interactions of Plants" (2023–2026). Parniske teaches at the Bachelor, Master, and doctoral levels on topics including Genetics, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, and Sustainable Food Production.

• Alma mater: University of Konstanz and University of Marburg
• Postdoctoral work: Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Sainsbury Laboratory
• Faculty leadership: Dean of Faculty of Biology (2011–2013)

Research Interests

• Genetics of Plant Root Endosymbiosis: Elucidating shared genetic mechanisms for arbuscular mycorrhiza and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia symbioses, including identification of common symbiosis genes (e.g., receptor-like kinases, nucleoporins, potassium channels, CCaMK/CYCLOPS complex).
• Evolution of Plant Disease Resistance Genes: Demonstrating how recombination within and between resistance gene clusters enables plants to adapt to pathogen evolution, particularly in tomato Cf-4/9 locus.
• Chemical Communication Between Bacteria and Plant Roots: Discovering isoflavonoid-induced resistance in soybean rhizobia against phytoalexin glyceollin and defense responses in incompatible symbioses.

Scientific Contributions include:

• Defining calcium signaling as a central hub in symbiotic and pathogenic interactions
• Elucidating the role of CYCLOPS as a DNA-binding transcriptional activator in symbiosis
• Developing TRR356 to leverage natural genetic variation for improving plant biotic interactions

Grants & Awards:

• 2013 ERC Advanced Grant for symbiosis mechanism evolution
• 2014–2015 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (Animal/Plant Sciences)
• Postdoctoral fellowships: DFG, EMBO, European Union

Advising & Lab: Mentors doctoral candidates (Preeti Sahu, Maria Spezzati, Yifan Zhu) and postdocs (Chloé Cathebras). The lab at LMU's Biocenter studies symbiotic signal transduction, including CCaMK/CYCLOPS complex dynamics, using CRISPR/Cas, FRET-FLIM, and reverse genetics in Lotus japonicus.