I am a Professor in the Department of Genetics at the Technical University of Braunschweig (TUBS) and an Extraordinary Professor in FABI at the University of Pretoria. My main research interests are the cell biology and genetics of filamentous fungi, particularly regarding cell-cell communication, cell fusion, and plant pathology.

Colony establishment of many filamentous ascomycete fungi involves the communication and collaboration of germinating spores, which fuse into a supracellular unit and give rise to the mycelial colony. These fusing cells employ an unusual signaling mechanism, in which the two fusion partners coordinately take turns in signal sending and receiving, thereby establishing a kind of cellular dialog. Our recent research revealed that this mechanism is highly conserved in filamentous fungi and even mediates interspecies interactions. However, the significance of these interactions across species boundaries in natural settings remains unclear. Therefore, we will investigate fungal interactions within naturally occurring mycobiomes to better understand their roles and functions.

We recently started to apply our expertise in cell biology and genetics to the tree pathogen Diplodia sapinea, with the goal to develop it into a model system for fungal forest pathogens. This project has led to rapidly growing collaborations with researchers at FABI. The collaboration has already led to multiple staff and student exchanges between our institutions. The complementary approaches between my laboratory and researchers at FABI hold significant potential to advance the field of forest pathology in relation to pathogen genetics, fungal interactions, and pathobiome development.

Read more about Andre on his website at the Technical University of Braunschweig.