Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has now been awarded funding under the prestigious Reinhart Koselleck programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG) for the first time. Funding totalling €1.25 million over five years will support a new project headed by Professor Wolf B. Frommer at the Institute for Molecular Physiology. The objective is to examine the mechanisms pathogenic bacteria use to enter and colonise the xylem of rice.
Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo ) bacteria cause the disease known as bacterial blight (BB), one of the most common diseases affecting rice. It causes substantial yield losses worldwide and represents a serious threat to rice farmers.
Although the plant protects itself by means of various defences, Xoo utilises specific strategies to enter the water transporting xylem, move against the water flow and obtain nutrients from the plant. Currently, little is known about the exact infection steps; in particular at cellular level and in real time, very few empirical observations exist.
The new project aims to close this gap. Using state-of-the-art imaging techniques, single-cell analyses and genome editing (CRISPR-Cas), the Düsseldorf-based researchers plan to conduct a systematic examination of the various phases of infection – from initial contact and entry via natural openings in the leaf surface, and systemic spread in the xylem, through to the colonisation of adjacent tissue discovered by Professor Wolf B. Frommer and his team. The primary focus lies on gaining a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of infection. On the basis of this, it may then be possible to develop resistant rice varieties in a next step.
The Koselleck funding enables high-risk, yet exceptionally innovative approaches to be pursued, which cannot be funded in other programmes. “We will be examining processes, which take place deep within the plant tissue – where bacteria battle against the water flow, anchor themselves, communicate with each other and enter living cells,” says Professor Frommer. “These processes overlap so intricately in terms of space and time that it is not yet clear whether it is even possible to resolve the individual steps of the infection mechanisms separately and there is a risk that this will not be successful. However, if we are successful, this will open up the opportunity to understand xylem pathogen infection on a completely new level for the first time.”
HHU President Professor Dr Anja Steinbeck: “I would like to congratulate Professor Wolf B. Frommer on this great honour: The Koselleck funding is one of the most prestigious research funding programmes in Germany and, at the same time, represents a major success for Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. It recognises the scientific excellence of Professor Frommer and underlines the importance of our plant biology for key global challenges such as food security and sustainable agriculture.”
Positive results may prove significant not only in combating BB, but also for understanding infections caused by other xylem pathogens such as Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris , Xylella fastidiosa or Ralstonia solanacearum , and possibly even for human pathogens. Findings about how bacteria communicate with each other and enter cells can also provide important clues about fundamental infection processes – also in animals and human beings.
The five-year project term begins in March 2026.
Professor Dr Wolf B. Frommer is Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Molecular Physiology at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. His Institute is anchored in the Biology department at HHU and part of the CEPLAS Cluster of Excellence. He is one of the world’s leading scientists in plant physiology and genetics.
His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms, which plants use to transport and regulate nutrients such as sugar. Plant pathogens utilise these processes and understanding these mechanisms may enable us to develop resistant crop plants. The Koselleck funding will drive the first ever project in Germany aimed at decoding the complex infection strategies of pathogenic bacteria in the xylem of rice at cellular level.
Reinhart Koselleck funding is one of the most prestigious honours the German Research Foundation can bestow on individuals in the field of science in Germany. It supports exceptionally innovative, high-risk projects addressing fundamental issues, which go beyond the scope of conventional funding programmes. The funding enables researchers to pursue ground-breaking questions on an intensive and independent basis over a period of five years – often in fields, which have seen little research to date. The German Research Foundation awards the funding exclusively to individuals who have a proven track record and an outstanding scientific profile. Named after the renowned German historian Reinhart Koselleck, the funding stands for pioneering scientific spirit and long-term independence.
More information: German Research Foundation website