Mutez Ahmed
Prof. Dr.
I received my B.Sc. (Agricultural Engineering, Hons, Class one) and M.Sc. (Agricultural Engineering, Distinction) from Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Khartoum and PhD (summa cum laude) from University of Göttingen, Germany. I was an Assistant Professor of Soil-Plant Interaction at the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis from 2021-2023. As of 02/2023, I'm a Professor of Root-Soil Interaction at the School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich and a research associate at the Chair of Soil Physics, University of Bayreuth.
The primary objective of my research is to understand the basis of crop adaptation to water-limited environment. I am particularly interested in identifying roots and rhizosphere traits that improve the acquisition of resources from soil.
Mohanned Abdalla
Dr.
My name is Mohanned Abdalla. I received my Ph.D. degree at the Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Germany. Before that, I studied agriculture and obtained B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in agricultural sciences from the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan. After my Ph.D. I had a post-doctorate position at the lab of Soil-Plant Interactions, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis. Now I have a research associate position at the Chair of Root-Soil Interaction, Department of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich.
My research interests focus on plant-soil water relations, especially water use regulations under water scarcity. I aim, through my research, to provided new fundamental knowledge concerning the links between below-ground hydraulics and stomatal regulation under drought. Understanding the effects of stress on the dynamics of plant eco-physiological processes is crucial for predicting plant performance in shifting agroecological zones in the future. I am eager to expand my knowledge on plant eco-physiological processes by using interdisciplinary approaches to identifying key traits that make it possible to improve sustainable crop production systems, especially under depleted resources.
Tina Köhler
Dr.
The primary objective of my research is to gain a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the impact of atmospheric and edaphic drought on eco-physiological processes in crops, mainly maize and wheat. In this context, I especially aim at understanding the functionality of soil and plant hydraulic traits for improved water use under drought in various agro-ecological environments. Relevant traits include aboveground (e.g., plant canopy architecture, stomatal morphological properties) as well as belowground (e.g., root architecture and anatomy, root hairs and exudation, mycorrhization, soil hydraulic properties) properties and processes.
I received my Ph.D. degree from the ETH Zurich in the group of Physics of Soils and Terrestrial Ecosystems (title of thesis: Soil and plant properties controlling water use of crops during soil and atmospheric drying). Before that, I obtained my M.Sc. in Global Change Ecology at the University of Bayreuth/ Germany and my B.Sc. in Geography at the Freie Universität Berlin. Currently, I am a Post-Doctoral researcher in the group of Root-Soil Interaction at TU Munich.
Anna Sauer
M. Sc.
Plants are my passion in- and outside of work and especially I am fascinated by their adaption mechanisms to extreme conditions. In my PhD, I am focusing on how sorghum plants adapt to drought conditions and how water flow and growth can be sustained. I am funded by the DBU (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt/ German Fund for the Environment). Before, I completed my master's degree in Geoecology at the University of Bayreuth.
Henri Braunmiller
M.Sc.
I studied "Geoecology and Environmental Sciences" in Bayreuth and specialised in biogeochemical and physical transport processes with a focus on soil and rhizosphere. During my studies I worked for the chairs of Soil Physics on the topic of root mucilage and in the Soil Ecology on carbon storage in microaggregates. I also studied abroad at the University of Bologna in Italy in the programme "Global Change Ecology and Sustainable Development Goals". As I am very interested in rhizosphere processes, I started my PhD on how AM mycorrhiza can help plants withstand drought.
Asegidew Zebene
M.Sc.
I completed my master's degree in Global Change Ecology at the University of Bayreuth, with a specific focus on soil and agroecosystems. Throughout my studies, I had the opportunity to work at the chair of soil physics, where I conducted research on the physical properties of root mucilage in maize genotypes from various climatic regions. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD at the chair of root-soil interactions, Technical university of Munich. In my doctoral research, I am examining plant-soil water relations, placing particular emphasis on the role of root exudates in enhancing root water uptake during soil drying and promoting plant growth in the context of ongoing climate change.
Michael Schmidt
Agricultural Technician
As Agricultural Technician and Gardener I support the experiments of the master's-theses and doctoral-theses in practical terms, especially in the experimental areas, namely field, climate-chamber or glass-house studies, with my professional expertise from training and experiences in agriculture or horticulture. It is my concern and interest to make new exciting discoveries, to contribute creatively in a variety of ways and knowledge from scientific experiments as well as to work together with individual scientists to develop results for the chair.
Toseghemwen Omoigui
B.Sc.
I am currently enrolled in the Horticultural Science master's program of the Technical University of Munich, where I am focusing on gaining more insights into how different soil textures affect the transpiration rate sensitivity to increasing evaporative demand of Sorghum.
Andrew Pallete
B.Sc.
I received my Bachelor's of Science in Plant Biology from the University of California Riverside, with a concentration in Plant Cell, Molecular and Development Biology. During my bachelors I interned at the Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit of the United States Department of Agriculture- Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), where I contributed to publications investigating the mechanisms of salt tolerance in maize and guar. Currently I am investigating how modifying ABA catabolism in maize can create more water efficient plants.
Hamza Javaid
B. Sc., Master in Horticultural Science
I hold a B.Sc. in Agriculture with a major in Horticulture from the College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha. During my undergraduate studies, I actively contributed to field trials focused on vegetable grafting and completed an internship with the Park and Horticulture Authority in Gujranwala. Currently, as a Master's student at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), I am researching and phenotyping root mucilage production and its properties in maize.