Abstract:
Plants, unlike animals, are immobile and lack a nervous system, making them particularly vulnerable to mechanical injuries caused by pathogens or environmental stresses. Despite these limitations, plants have developed highly sophisticated molecular mechanisms to detect and respond to threats. However, early stress responses, particularly at the tissue and cell level in roots, remain poorly understood. In this talk, I will highlight recent findings from my lab, shedding light on the rapid biochemical responses triggered by tissue damage, as well as on the processes involved in root regeneration. Additionally, I will discuss the mechanical cues emitted by roots that influence interactions with plant-parasitic nematodes.

Bio:
Dr. Peter Marhavý completed his Master of Science in Molecular Biology at Comenius University, Slovakia, graduating summa cum laude in 2008. He earned his PhD in Biochemistry and Biotechnology in 2012 at Ghent University, Belgium, under the supervision of Prof. Eva Benková and Prof. Jiří Friml. His doctoral research significantly contributed to the understanding of the developmental processes controlled by the antagonistic activities of the phytohormones auxin and cytokinin.
Following his PhD, Dr. Marhavý undertook postdoctoral training at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (2013 - 2014) and in the lab on Prof. Niko Geldner at the University of Lausanne (2015 - 2019), Switzerland, supported by the prestigious FEBS Fellowship. His work during this period focused on plant molecular biology and cell signaling.
Since 2020, Dr. Marhavý has been an Assistant Professor at the Umeå Plant Science Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. He has established an interdisciplinary research group that investigates plant responses to wounding at the single-cell level. He also work on plant-nematode interactions research. Dr. Marhavý’s reserch is supported with substantial grants, including funding from the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. In 2022 he has received an award: FEBS Anniversary Prize.