Detlef Weigel
Pathodopsis: Patho(gens on Arabi)dopsis
Plant disease is a major threat for agricultural crops, yet rarely observed on wild plants. Nevertheless, wild plants, just like crop plants, are host to a large number of microbes, including species and strains known as pathogens. To understand how Arabidopsis thaliana copes with microbial pressure, we collect wild plants from numerous habitats. We focus on two prominent pathogens of the species, the specialized oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (HpA), as well as bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas, and employ genome sequences to describe their diversity. Ultimate goal is to identify signatures of co-evolution within both host and microbial genomes.
Latest News
2018 sampling summary
June 12, 2018
18 trips; 132 days; 300 sites (123 with HpA) in 16 countries; almost 2,000 plants; more than 5,500 Pseudomonas strains; 35,000 kilometers of driving; - and countless memories.

Done - last samples arrived!
May 21, 2018
Let the counting and sequencing begin…

Pathodopsis.org is online!
Feb 15, 2018
Just in time with the start of our plant collection trips: welcome to pathodopsis.org!
Patho & Dopsis
We study A. thaliana together with two of its natural pathogens, the oomycete HpA, and Pseudomonas bacteria.
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Team
Pathodopsis is a team project building on the diverse expertise of many department members.
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