Prof. Dr. Thomas Ott

Why not talking about symbiosis during SymBioSE2022 in Freiburg?

Symbioses are widespread on earth and they are by far too numerous to be covered in a single talk. But they have one aspect in common: They are intimate and both partners very much depend on each other.

I will introduce two of them. They are symbioses, which I think could revolutionize modern agriculture. Not only to just harvest more, but to be sustainable. One is the oldest one we know and it is as old as the colonization of land. It is the arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis between many plants and a fungus. But, a lot of plants evolved a second symbiosis with bacteria on top of that, the root nodule symbiosis. Both endosymbioses help the plants to get precious nutrients from the soil, especially, when they are sparse. But, as always in symbiosis, this is just about getting something, but the plant also has to give away. However, those modern land plants, which were able to maintain both mutualisms have an enormous capacity: they can grow happily in the absence of any fertilizer even on nutrient deprived soil.

My lab investigates the molecular basis of these symbioses and currently aims in frame of a large international consortium to engineer the first nitrogen fixing cereals. In my talk I will give some insights into how we approach this challenge and what we need to consider as biologists but also as a society.