Indo-German workshop on Plant Microbe Interactions
“Implications for plant health and their interconnections”
October 27-28th, 2025
BITS-Pilani, Pilani, India
About the Workshop
The Indo-German Workshop on Plant–Microbe Interactions: Implications for Plant Health and Their Interconnections will be held on October 27–28, 2025, at BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, Rajasthan, India. This two-day event will bring together leading scientists, early-career researchers, and students from India and Germany to share the latest advances in plant–microbe interactions, plant immunity, plant–herbivore interactions, and sustainable agriculture. The program includes plenary and invited talks, thematic sessions, poster presentations, and student talks, offering a rich platform for scientific exchange and collaboration. With focused discussions on topics such as microbial infection strategies, chemical signalling, host immune responses, and symbiosis, this workshop aims to foster knowledge-sharing, highlight cutting-edge research, and strengthen Indo-German research networks in plant sciences.
Theme Areas
Resource Persons
Prof. Alga Zuccaro
Plant-Microbe Interactions
CEPLAS, University of Cologne
Dr. Alexander Förderer
Structural Engineering of Plant-Microbe Interactions
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology
Prof. Armin Djamei
Microbial Infection Strategies
INRES, Universität Bonn
Prof. Natalia Requena
Symbiosis & Beneficial Interactions
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Prof. Reinhard Fischer
Fungal Secondary Metabolites & Virulence
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Dr. Mariana Schuster
Proteases in Plant-Microbe Interactions
Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry
Dr. Prabodh Kumar Trivedi
Small Molecules in Plant-Microbe Interactions
CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow
Dr. Ashok Giri
Plant Molecular Defenses Against Insects
CSIR - NCL, Pune
Dr. Anupama Ghosh
Microbial Infection Strategies
Bose Institute, Kolkata
Dr. Sirsha Mitra
Plant Stress Acclimation
Savitribai Phule Pune University
Dr. Amey Redkar
Root Signalling & Systemic Infections
NCBS, Bangalore
Prof. Praveen Verma
Necrotrophic Phytopathogens
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Dr. Jyothilakshmi Vadassery
Plant Immunity & Insect Interactions
NIPGR, New Delhi
Prof. Maitrayee Dasgupta
Symbiosis & Beneficial Interactions
University of Calcutta
Dr. Senjuti Sinharoy
Nodule Vascular Strands Regulation
NIPGR, New Delhi
Dr. Sagar Pandit
Plant Chemical Ecology
IISER, Pune
Prof. Shilpi Sharma
Disease Suppressive Soil Microbiome
IIT Delhi
Dr. Balakumaran Chandrasekar
Glycobiology of Soybean-Macrophomina Interactions
BITS Pilani
Dr. Santosh Satbhai
Iron-deficiency Signaling & Root Growth
IISER Mohali
Dr. Matheshwaran Saravanan
Chromatin Remodeling & Fungal Virulence
IIT Kanpur
Workshop Schedule
Day 1: Monday, October 27th, 2025
8:00 - 9:00 am
Registration
9:00 - 9:30 am
Inauguration
9:30 - 10:15 am
Plenary Talk: Alga Zuccaro, University of Cologne
"Reprogramming Root-Microbiota compatibility through microbial synergism"
10:15 - 10:45 am
Tea/ Coffee break and Photo Session
10:45 - 11:15 am
Info Session on the DWIH and Max Planck Office India Initiatives
11:15 - 11:40 am
Natalia Requena, KIT, Karlsruhe - "The secret life of root colonizing fungi"
11:40 am - 12:05 pm
Maitrayee Dasgupta, University of Calcutta - "Adaptive Trajectories of SYMRK in the Evolution of Rhizobia Legume Symbiosis"
12:05 - 12:30 pm
Senjuti Sinharoy, NIPGR, New Delhi - "The dynamic interaction of bHLH proteins in nodule vascular strands regulation"
12:30 - 12:45 pm
Student Talk 1 - TBD
12:45 - 1:00 pm
Student Talk 2 - TBD
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Lunch, BITS Pilani Cafeteria
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Posters and Refreshments
4:00 - 4:25 am
Anupama Ghosh, Bose Institute, Kolkata - "Insights into the biological function of extracellular lipases in Ustilago maydis"
4:25 - 4:50 am
Armin Djamei, INRES, University of Bonn - "How to induce a gall - lessons from the smut fungus Ustilago maydis"
4:50 - 5:10 pm
Tea/ Coffee break
5:10 - 5:35 am
Amey Redkar, NCBS, Bangalore - "Insights into the interconnected root signalling landscape and its role in shaping systemic infections"
5:35 - 6:00 am
Praveen Verma, JNU, New Delhi - "Lifestyle of necrotrophic phytopathogens: Mechanism of survival under hostile host cell environment"
6:00 - 6:15 pm
Student Talk 3 - TBD
6:45 - 8:00 pm
Cultural Program
8:00 pm onwards
Gala Dinner
Day 2: Tuesday, October 28th, 2025
9:00 - 9:25 am
Sirisha Mitra, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune - "Solving the retrograde riddle of multi-stress acclimation in Solanum lycopersicum L."
9:25 - 9:50 am
Jyothilakshmi Vadassery NIPGR, New Delhi - "NBS-LRR receptor–mediated recognition of a Spodoptera litura effector triggers plant immunity"
9:50 - 10:15 am
Sagar Pandit, IISER, Pune - "Plant Chemical Ecology: Decoding the Lingua Franca of Plant Interactions"
10:15 - 10:30 am
Student Talk 4 - TBD
10:30 - 11:00 am
Tea/ Coffee break
11:00 - 11:25 am
Prabodh Trivedi, CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow - "Small but Mighty: Unveiling the role of small molecules in plant-microbe interactions"
11:25 - 11:50 am
Ashok Giri, CSIR-NCL, Pune - "Plant Proteinase Inhibitor based Peptides: Challenges and perspectives of their applications in plant protection"
11:50 am - 12:15 pm
Reinhard Fischer, KIT, Karlsruhe - "Alternaria alternata secondary metabolites - plant virulence factors and beyond"
12:15 - 12:40 pm
Shilpi Sharma, IIT, Delhi - "Deciphering the role of microbiome alchemists in disease suppressive soil"
12:40 - 1:10 pm
Industrial sponsor Talks
1:10 - 2:00 pm
Lunch, BITS Pilani Cafeteria
2:00 - 2:25 pm
Mariana Schuster, IPB, Halle - "Proteases in plant microbe interactions: immune proteins and virulence factors"
2:25 - 2:50 pm
Balakumaran Chandrasekar, BITS Pilani, Rajasthan - "Glycobiology of Soybean- Macrophomina Interactions at the cell wall Interface"
2:50 - 3:15 pm
Santosh Satbhai, IISER, Mohali - "Danger-associated peptide modulates Iron-deficiency signaling and root growth in Arabidopsis"
3:15 - 3:30 pm
Student Talk 5 - TBD
3:30 - 3:45 pm
Student Talk 6 - TBD
3:45 - 4:15 pm
Tea/ Coffee break
4:15 - 4:40 pm
Matheshwaran Saravanan, IIT Kanpur - "Role of SWR1 Chromatin Remodeler in morphogenesis and Virulence of Ustilago maydis"
4:40 - 5:05 pm
Alexander Förderer, MPI for Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam - "Structure-informed engineering of plant-microbe interactions"
5:05 - 5:20 pm
Student Talk 7 - TBD
5:45 - 6:30 pm
Poster Awards and Vote of Thanks
7:30 pm onwards
Dinner
Venue & Travel
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
Pilani Campus, Rajasthan, INDIA - 333031
Click here to view on Google Maps
How to Reach Pilani
By Air: The nearest airports are in Delhi (approx. 220 km) and Jaipur (approx. 235 km). Both airports are well-connected to major cities. From there, you can hire a taxi or take a bus to reach Pilani.
By Train: The nearest major railway stations are Loharu (approx. 26 km) and Chirawa (approx. 16 km). Loharu is well-connected to Delhi. From these stations, you can easily find taxis and local buses to BITS Pilani.
By Road: Pilani is well-connected by road. Regular bus services are available from major cities like Delhi (from ISBT Kashmiri Gate) and Jaipur (from Sindhi Camp Bus Stand). Taxis are also readily available.
Organizers
Dr. Balakumaran C.
BITS, Pilani
Dr. Amey Redkar
NCBS, Bangalore
Register Now
Click the button below to go to the registration page. We look forward to your participation!
Click here to registerContact Us
For any inquiries, please reach out to the organizers:
Dr. Balakumaran C: balakumaran.c@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in
Dr. Amey Redkar: ameyr@ncbs.res.in