About
Positions
Group leader Jan 2016 -
Umeå Plant Science Center, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
I am interested in the development of ectomycorrhizal symbioses. This type of symbiosis forms naturally between the majority of temperate and boreal forest trees and soil fungi. Ectomycorrhizal fungi exploit the soil very efficiently to absorb nutrients (N, P) through their extensive hyphal networks. A part of these nutrients is exchanged with the plant for photosynthetic sugars. The nutrient exchange benefits both the plant and the fungus and stimulates their respective growth. Despite the high economic and ecological value of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis, the molecular mechanisms that trigger its establishment remain largely unknown.