Tasks

• Head of „Electron microscopy”
• Head of the team „Ornamental viruses”
• Analysis of the biology, distribution, epidemiology, and control of plant viruses infecting ornamentals. Focus on latent (asymptomatic) viruses in Petunia, Hoya, Hosta and Kalanchoe
• Electron microscopic studies on ultrastructure of infected plants to decipher disease etiology, pathogenesis and to develop strategies for disease control (Transmission-EM, Immuno-gold labeling)
• ultrastructural and molecular biological characterization of virus latency and its association with RNA interference pathways
• Electron microscopic studies on ultrastructure of pathogen-host interactions (Scanning-EM, high vacuum, ESEM)
• Investigation of the effect of endogenous pararetroviruses on plant adaptation (plasticity) and plant genome structure (topology)
• Impact of ornamentals and plant virology for „One Health “
• Radiation Safety Officer
• Obi von Knobi, 2024-04-01 bis 2029-03-31: New garlic accessions for organic farming in Germany, in cooperation with Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gaterseleben (coordinator). Funding: German Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH)