Jasim Basheer: Plant Physiology First Author

Jasim Basheer, co-first author of “Knockout of MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE 3 causes barley root resistance against Fusarium graminearu“

Current Position: Junior researcher at the Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic.

Education: Ph.D. (in Microbiology), M.Phil (in Biosciences) M.Sc and B.Sc (in Microbiology)

Non-scientific Interests: Photography, travelling (for photography and leisure), reading, music, and movies.

Brief bio: Microbial interactions with plants are always fascinating because of complex mechanisms controlling them. I did my Ph.D. thesis on the probiotic interaction and biosynthetic potential of plant-associated microbes as growth enhancing and biocontrol agents on crop plants. I have started my junior researcher position in the laboratory of Professor Šamaj, Department of Biotechnology in 2019. Our major aim is better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying MAPK signaling and associated resistance/susceptibility of crop plants interacting with beneficial and phyto-pathogenic microbes. Our recent study, based on detailed microscopic, proteomic and biochemistry-based approaches, revealed a new role of HvMPK3 in the regulation of defense related signaling and strengthening of cell wall during barley interaction with Fusarium. Now I am also studying the role of bacteria in the modulation of cytoskeleton and barley growth using advanced microscopy methods.