Dr. Alexander Förderer
Receptor structures at the plant-microbe interface
Position
Group Leader “Receptor structures at the plant-microbe interface”
Independent Research Group
Dr. Alexander Förderer is a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPIMP) in Potsdam since 2024, where he heads the independent group “Receptor Structures at the Plant-Microbe Interface.” His research focuses on how plants perceive and respond to microbial signals, integrating protein biochemistry, structural biology (including cryo-EM), and plant genetics to explore receptor-mediated communication with both pathogens and symbionts.
Before joining MPIMP, Dr. Förderer worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Jijie Chai’s lab at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne, where he investigated plant immune receptor complexes. He completed his PhD in Dr. Franziska Turck’s group at MPIPZ, focusing on the role of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) in developmental gene regulation.
Dr Förderer trained in molecular and plant biology institutions across Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, including the University of Cologne, the University of Konstanz, the University of Amsterdam, and Cardiff University.
In 2024, he received a prestigious €2.85 million BMBF Junior Group Leader grant for his “DETECTOME” project, aiming to decode plant-microbe recognition systems to support sustainable agriculture.
Links
Group Leader “Receptor structures at the plant-microbe interface”
Independent Research Group
Dr. Alexander Förderer is a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPIMP) in Potsdam since 2024, where he heads the independent group “Receptor Structures at the Plant-Microbe Interface.” His research focuses on how plants perceive and respond to microbial signals, integrating protein biochemistry, structural biology (including cryo-EM), and plant genetics to explore receptor-mediated communication with both pathogens and symbionts.
Before joining MPIMP, Dr. Förderer worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Jijie Chai’s lab at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne, where he investigated plant immune receptor complexes. He completed his PhD in Dr. Franziska Turck’s group at MPIPZ, focusing on the role of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) in developmental gene regulation.
Dr Förderer trained in molecular and plant biology institutions across Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, including the University of Cologne, the University of Konstanz, the University of Amsterdam, and Cardiff University.
In 2024, he received a prestigious €2.85 million BMBF Junior Group Leader grant for his “DETECTOME” project, aiming to decode plant-microbe recognition systems to support sustainable agriculture.
Links
- ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5517-7370
- Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tt-ofsAAAAAJ&hl=de
- Linkedin linkedin.com/in/alexander-förderer-740b99294
- X @Alxndr_F https://x.com/Alxndr_F?t=5NygNcY928RSLxyrwOJDpg&s=08
- Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/alexanderforderer.bsky.social