Exploring and exploiting plant defence
My research group studies how plants adapt to environmental stresses, particularly to herbivory. We combine high-throughput sequencing approaches with experimental evolution, metabolic profiling and genetic manipulation to elucidate the genetic, epigenetic and physiological bases of plant adaptation using duckweed as a model system. Furthermore, we use the acquired methods to transform duckweeds into green biofactories to produce high-value metabolites in plants. Through these studies, we will improve our conceptual understanding of plant defence and explore potential industrial applications.
Positions held
- Since 2023: Associate Professor, University of Mainz
- 2023: Assistant Professor, University of Mainz
- 2022 – 2023: Interim Professor, University of Mainz
- 2018 – 2022: Junior Research Group Leader, University of Münster
- 2016 – 2016: Postdoctoral Researcher, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena
Education
- 2015: PhD, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- 2011: Master in Biology, University of Zürich, Switzerland
- 2009: Bachelor in Biology, University of Zürich, Switzerland
Selected Publications by Meret Huber
Böttner L, Malacrinò A, Schulze Gronover C, van Deenen N, Müller B, Xu S, Gershenzon J, Prüfer D, Huber M* (2023) Natural rubber reduces herbivory and alters the microbiome below ground. New Phytologist, 239: 1475-1489. Link
Huber M*, Roder T, Gablenz S, Irmisch S, Riedel A, Fricke J, Rahfeld P, Reichelt M, Paetz C, Liechti N, Hu L, Bont Z, Meng Y, Huang W, Robert CAM, Gershenzon J, Erb M* (2021). A beta-glucosidase of an insect herbivore determines both toxicity and deterrence of a dandelion defense metabolite. eLife, 10:e68642. Link
Huber M*, Gablenz S, Höfer M (2021) Transgenerational non-genetic inheritance has fitness costs and benefits under recurring stress in the clonal duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences. 288: 20211269. Link
Xu S*, Stapley J, Gablenz S, Boyer J, Appenroth KJ, SK Sree, Gershenzon J, Widmer A, Huber M* (2019) Low genetic variation is associated with low mutation rate in the giant duckweed. Nature Communications. 10. Link
Huber M, Epping J, Schulze Gronover C, Fricke J, Aziz Z, Brillatz T, Swyers M, Köllner TG, Vogel H, Hammerbacher A, Triebwasser-Freese D, Robert CAM, Verhoeven K, Preite V, Gershenzon J, Erb M* (2016) A latex metabolite benefits plant fitness under root herbivore attack. PLoS Biology. 14(1): e1002332. Link