CV Joëlle Schläpfer

Research interests
I am interested in how plants shape their interactions with organisms in the environment. Plants are sessile organisms, which means that they have to adapt their metabolism to defend themselves against pathogenic organisms, and to boost interactions with beneficial organisms. Transport proteins play a crucial role in these interactions, as they often modulate the amounts of compounds present at the site of plant-microbe interactions.
Belowground, roots produce and export a wide variety of compounds that are metabolized by beneficial and pathogenic microbes present in the soil. I am interested to investigate the diversity of metabolites produced by different plant species and the ability of plants to modulate the amounts of metabolites exported in response to the presence of different microbes. An increased understanding of plant-microbe interactions will allow in a next step to engineer specific interactions, increasing crop yield in agricultural settings.

Keywords
Rhizosphere, Exudation, Metabolite transport, Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon

Education
2010-2014
Graduate studies in Plant Biology
University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology, Switzerland
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Enrico Martinoia:
“Two Petunia hybrida ABCG Type Transporters”

2008-2010
Undergraduate studies in Plant Biology
ETH of Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Switzerland
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Samuel C. Zeeman
“The Role of Phosphoglucan Phospatase SEX4 in Arabidopsis Transitory Starch Breakdown and its Industrial Application in Cassava Roots”

Previous positions and research experience
2020-pres
PRIMA fellow

2019-2020
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Zurich, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Switzerland
Mentor: Prof. Dr. Cyril Zipfel

2016-2019
Postdoctoral Researcher
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
Mentor: Dr. Trent R. Northen

2014-2016
Postdoctoral Researcher
Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Plant Biology, CA, USA
Mentor: Prof. Dr. Wolf B. Frommer

2010
Scientific Research Associate
ETH of Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Switzerland
Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Samuel C. Zeeman

2007-2008
Scientific Research Associate / Vice laboratory manager
ETH of Zurich, Institute of Biochemistry, Switzerland
Laboratory of Prof. Dr. Yves Barral

Fellowships and awards
2020 - pres
PRIMA Fellowship, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

2015-2016
Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)