Dr. Tolga Bozkurt

Biography

Tolga Bozkurt at Imperial College London specializes in plant-microbe interactions and cellular defense mechanisms. His innovative work has advanced the understanding of pathogen interference with plant immunity, particularly focusing on autophagy and membrane trafficking. He has introduced groundbreaking methodologies for studying autophagy, discovering pathogen effectors that manipulate these processes, and developing autophagy inhibiting peptides using AlphaFold-Multimer to discover new autophagy modulators for both plant and human pathogens. His research has revealed that chloroplasts accumulate at the pathogen interface, contributing to basal immune responses. Bozkurt's work on engineering plant disease resistance genes has attracted funding from global companies and UK organizations like BBSRC. As a founder of Resurrect Bio, he aims to translate research into real-world solutions for stronger plants. His lab, founded in 2014, is focused on dissecting the intricate interactions between plants and pathogens. The group combines traditional and cutting-edge methodologies, employing cell biology, biochemistry, and genetics to study plant immunity and the evasion mechanisms used by pathogens. Their primary research utilizes haustoria-forming oomycete pathogens and select fungal species, broadening the scope to understand host-pathogen interactions better.

Research Interests