Latest News

We were thrilled to welcome Professor Gregory Martin from the Plant Pathology And Plant-Microbe Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, to the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security and our lab. Professor Martin, a long-time colleague and friend of our own Professor Guido Sessa, has been collaborating and exchanging knowledge with our team for many years.

During his visit, Professor Martin gave an insightful seminar on his key research findings in the field of plant-pathogen interactions to the School members. With a focus on the molecular basis of these interactions, his work provided valuable insights into the role of plant resistance genes, specifically the Ptr1 immune receptor, in plant defense mechanisms.

In addition to the seminar, Professor Martin spent time with our research team, sharing his expertise and providing valuable feedback on our ongoing projects. We thank Professor Martin for taking the time to visit our lab and share his knowledge with us!

In this publication Guy shows that tomato receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase Fir1 may modulate plant immune signaling by interacting with a negative regulator of jasmonic acid signaling.

Plant cells detect potential pathogens through plasma membrane-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) and activate pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). PRR-mediated MAMP perception is linked to PTI signaling by receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs). In tomato, Flagellin-sensing 2 (Fls2)/Fls3 interacting RLCK 1 (Fir1) is involved in PTI triggered by flagellin perception. Fir1 is necessary for regulation of jasmonic acid (JA) signaling and is involved in pre-invasion immunity.

This work was supported by the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) and by the National Science Foundation.

Sobol, G; Martin, GB; Sessa, G (2023). Tomato receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase Fir1 interacts with a negative regulator of jasmonic acid signaling. microPublication Biology. 10.17912/micropub.biology.000736.

Sessa Lab members spent a day with our fellow researchers at Herods Hotel!

Our School is one of Israel's biggest and most diverse institutes for Plant Sciences. We work together as a dynamic and cooperating community, sharing the goal of advancing knowledge in plant biology from the basic theoretical level to applications in biotechnology, agriculture, environmental conservation, and plant responses to climate change.

At the School Retreat at Herods, Prof. Guido Sessa proudly presented our lab's work. We also learned about the other lab's most recent advances while enjoying a great selection of food and a Tel Aviv signature sea view from the conference hall.

 

The ADAMA Center for Novel Delivery Systems in Crop Protection in Tel-Aviv University, which is operating in the School of Chemistry, in collaboration with the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security and the Faculty of Medicine, granted scholarships to 4 new exceptional student fellows of the ADAMA Center, including our Ph.D. Student Ksenia Leo.

The center, established in 2020, is a trailblazing model in Israel and globally, brining together Academia and Industry to train the next generation of experts in crop protection formulations. The scholarship recipients are graduate students from a broad range of disciplines (chemistry, life sciences, plant sciences, biotechnology, and dentistry).

Our Ph.D. candidate Guy Sobol gave a final talk summarising his Ph.D. research journey. His concluding lecture for the members of the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security and Life Sciences Department was titled on 'Dissecting signaling cascades of plant immunity'.

We asked him how did it feel, and he said: "It felt great to present my findings and bring to a close all of our hard work over the last five years. It's been a difficult but rewarding journey, and I'm grateful for my advisor's and colleagues' help. Looking forward to the next phase of my career!". We all wish Guy a lot of success in his professional future!

Our Ph.D. candidate, Guy Sobol, has just published a first-author scientific paper in Plant Physiology. In his research Guy demonstrated that demonstrated that Tomato receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase Fir1 is involved in flagellin signaling and preinvasion immunity. This is a remarkable accomplishment that showcases Guy's tireless efforts and commitment to the advancement of the field. Our entire team is thrilled for Guy and we extend our heartfelt congratulations!

Guy Sobol, Bharat Bhusan Majhi, Metsada Pasmanik-Chor, Ning Zhang, Holly M Roberts, Gregory B Martin, Guido Sessa, Tomato receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase Fir1 is involved in flagellin signaling and preinvasion immunity, Plant Physiology, 2022;, kiac577, https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiac577

The Institute for Cereal Crops Research, ICCR, was established in 1970 with the goal of preserving the variety of wild grasses relatives of cereals crop plants, which have evolved and grown in Israel and the surrounding region. During the course of domestication, many genes were not transferred to cultivated plants. Therefore, wild plants represent a rich source of beneficial traits, such as genes that can protect plants from pathogens or harsh environments. Such traits are now badly needed for production of disease and stress-resistant varieties.

Read more on the ICCR's webpage:  https://en-lifesci.tau.ac.il/iccr

Sessa Lab is welcoming Ksenia Leo, our new Ph.D. candidate! Together with Andrea Carrobi, our Ph.D. candidate in her final year of study, Ksenia will be working on the intricacies of the plant pathogen P. agglomerans type VI secretion system. The research will be conducted in collaboration with Salomon Lab, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, TAU. We wish Ksenia success in her studies!

Our Ph.D. candidate, Andrea Carrobi, has just published a first-author scientific paper in Envinromental Microbiology. In her research, conducted in collaboration between Sessa Lab and Salomon Lab, Andrea demonstrated that Pab T6SS1 is an antibacterial system delivering a lysozyme-like effector to eliminate competitors, and indicated that this bacterium contains additional novel T6SS effectors. This publication is a testament to Andrea's hard work and dedication, and we are all proud of her achievement. Congratulations Andrea!

Carobbi, A., Di Nepi, S., Fridman, C.M., Dar, Y., Ben-Yaakov, R., Barash, I. et al. (2022) An antibacterial T6SS in Pantoea agglomerans pv. betae delivers a lysozyme-like effector to antagonize competitors. Environmental Microbiology, 24( 10), 4787– 4802. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16100

​