Tasks

• Research on plant viruses, emerging diseases and virus–host interactions in tropical root and tuber crops, with cassava (Manihot esculenta) as the primary model
• Identification of resistance sources and elucidation of resistance mechanisms to support resistance breeding
• Development of molecular diagnostics and sustainable disease management strategies
• International cassava hub: exchange of knowledge, research materials, diagnostic expertise and resistance resources with partners in Africa, South America, Europe and Asia
   

Research areas:

• Emerging diseases and pathogen discovery (incl. cassava witches’ broom, frogskin disease, root rot)
• Virus–host interactions and pathogenesis (particularly cassava brown streak and cassava mosaic viruses)
• Discovery and screening of disease resistance (germplasm screening, molecular diagnostics, high-throughput phenotyping, international field evaluations)
• Molecular mechanisms of resistance (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, advanced imaging)
• Diagnostics and sustainable disease control (virus elimination, pathogen exclusion)
   

Projects:

• CassavaRISE – funded by the Gates Foundation (10/2026–05/2029)
• DFG project – funded by the German Research Foundation (01/2026–12/2028)
• AgroSERV – funded by the European Union (03/2026–12/2027)