Prof. Dr. Gunther Döhlemann serves as a Professor and Principal Investigator at the Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, where he leads a research group dedicated to molecular plant-microbe interactions. Since joining CEPLAS (Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences) in 2014, his work has centered on elucidating communication mechanisms between plants and pathogens, with significant contributions to understanding effector biology and plant immunity. His research program investigates how biotrophic microbial effectors manipulate host immunity and metabolism, particularly focusing on Ustilago maydis effectors in maize systems. Complementary studies explore protease-mediated plant immune signaling and the role of peptide signals in regulated cell death. Current work within CEPLAS examines how plant proteases and microbial protease inhibitors modulate root-microbiome assembly, integrating approaches from synthetic biology and data science to optimize plant performance. Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent focus on maize-smut pathosystems, with recent work expanding into phyllosphere microbiome dynamics and theoretical plant biology. His research demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary integration, combining molecular genetics, metabolomics, and computational approaches to address fundamental questions in plant-pathogen coevolution. Prof. Döhlemann actively mentors early-career researchers, emphasizing curiosity, collaboration, and resilience in scientific inquiry. His laboratory leverages University of Cologne infrastructure including the Plant Metabolism and Metabolomics Facility and Imaging Platform, supporting collaborative projects aimed at translating molecular insights into crop improvement strategies. He identifies developing disease-resistant crops through mechanistic understanding of plant-pathogen interactions as a primary career motivation.
