Scents with a signalling effect: tree roots as a habitat
Lecture in the TIETZ event hall, 17 April, 6.30 pm
On Wednesday 17 April at 6.30 pm, Prof. Dr Erika Kothe will talk about the previously underestimated contribution that microorganisms make to communication between trees. The lecture will take place in the TIETZ event hall. Admission is free.
The forest ecosystem is of outstanding importance for all living creatures on earth. Microorganisms, which are almost invisible to humans, play a special role in the growth and prosperity of a forest. A widely ramified network of fungi (known as mycorrhiza) stabilises the habitat. These symbiotic fungi form a dense organic network with the trees for mutual benefit. This ensures the exchange of various nutrients between the trees. Other microorganisms are involved in the uptake of nutrients by the roots. In her lecture, the speaker will explain the surprising role played by odours in this chain of communication.
A new project at the Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz, funded by the German Research Foundation, is currently investigating how the interaction between tree ferns and fungi was already established almost 300 million years ago. The scientists at the museum are therefore hoping that the lecture will provide valuable ideas for their work.
Prof Dr Erika Kothe has held the Chair of Microbial Communication at Friedrich Schiller University Jena since 1997. She was also Vice-Rector for Young Scientists and Gender Equality at the University of Jena from 2011 to 2014. One of her main areas of research is the study of symbiotic fungi that are located in the root bark of trees. She and her team are investigating their natural diversity, their relationships with the environment and microbiological aspects.