Dr. Tonni Grube Andersen

Profile

Academic positionLecturer, Assistant Professor, Researcher
Research fieldsPlant and Cell Developmental Biology,Plant Physiology
KeywordsPlant Development, Molecular Biology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Plant Physiology
Honours and awards

2019: Max Planck Society Group Leader award

2019: Sofja Kovalevskaja Award Winner

2014: Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (FP7)

2013: University of Copenhagen Innovation Price

2010: Novo Nordisk Symposium award

2009: University of Copenhagen PhD scholarship award

2008: Novo Nordisk Elite M.Sc. Student Scholarship award

Current contact address

CountryGermany
CityKöln
InstitutionMax-Planck-Institut für Pflanzenzüchtungsforschung
InstituteAbteilung Pflanze-Mikroben Interaktionen

Host during sponsorship

Prof. Dr. Paul Schulze-LefertAbteilung Pflanze-Mikroben Interaktionen, Max-Planck-Institut für Pflanzenzüchtungsforschung, Köln
Start of initial sponsorship01/12/2019

Programme(s)

2019Sofja Kovalevskaja Award Programme

Nominator's project description

Plant nutrient uptake through roots relies on a network of transport tissues encased within a protective barrier called the endodermis. The roots of flowering plants have long been known to also harbor openings in this barrier, so called “passage cells”, but they remained poorly characterized. During his postdoctoral research, Dr. Andersen discovered how passage cells arise during development and found that they respond to nutrient status by increasing transport capacity. Dr. Andersen now aims to identify cell-specific genetic factors that define the endodermis and regulate passage cell formation and to define the links between plant transport processes and nutrient status. He also aims to test the hypothesis that passage cells are involved in communication with surrounding microbes and to extrapolate this knowledge to model plants that engage in interactions with symbiotic bacteria. His work will provide important new insights into how plants incorporate physical and biological cues into root development.