Selina Wiesmeth (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)
Selina Wiesmeth's Master thesis was awarded with the Prize for the Best Plant Science Master Thesis, which was carried out at University Erlangen-Nueremberg (FAU) in the year 2025 with the title:
Genetic analysis of CRISPR/Cas9-edited Solanum lycopersicum lines targeting resistance loci against Cuscuta reflexa
Through whole genome sequencing, Wiesmeth was able to exclude and narrow down candidate genes that are likely involved in the resistance of the tomato Solanum lycopersicum against the parasitic Cuscuta reflexa.
The tomato plant Solanum lycopersicum is characterized by its exceptional resistance to the parasitic plant Cuscuta reflexa. The signaling pathway of this defense has only been partially deciphered until this day, and this work deploys a major contribution to understanding the underlying mechanisms in the future. Through whole-genome sequencing of CRISPR/Cas9-edited Solanum lycopersicum lines that have lost their resistance to the parasite, it was possible to exclude genes that are not involved in the immune defense against Cuscuta and to analyze other candidate genes in more detail. Elucidating the signaling pathway will provide the basis for the development of targeted strategies to contain and combat the parasite in the long term.
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Selina Wiesmeth conducted this work at the Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology in the working group of Prof. Dr. Markus Albert.
