Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski

Opposing scientific mainstream I have developed the moss Physcomitrella patens to a model species for evolutionary developmental biology, systems biology, and synthetic biology. Four of my scientific achievements with this species are the first identification of a gene function in plants by gene targeting, first functional identification of a protein pivotal for division of any eukaryotic organelle, first complete genome sequence of a lower plant, and identification of a novel mechanism for eukaryotic gene regulation. Further, I am co-inventor of the Moss Bioreactor.

We are interested in the identification of novel biochemical pathways, unravelling the signalling events leading to developmental decisions and to protection against abiotic stress, and in the production of complex biopharmaceuticals in the Moss Bioreactor.

10 selected publications:

• RecQ helicases function in development, DNA repair, and gene targeting in Physcomitrella patens.
  Wiedemann G, van Gessel N, Köchl F, Hunn L, Schulze K, Maloukh L, Nogué F, Decker EL, Hartung F, Reski R (2018).
  Plant Cell. 30(3):717-736.
• Enabling the water-to-land transition.
  Reski R (2018).
  Nat Plants. 4(2):67-68.
• Moss-produced, glycosylation-optimized human factor H for therapeutic application in complement disorders.
  Michelfelder S, Parsons J, Bohlender LL, Hoernstein SN, Niederkrüger H, Busch A, Krieghoff N, Koch J, Fode B, Schaaf A, Frischmuth T, Pohl M, Zipfel PF, Reski R, Decker EL, Häffner K (2018).
  J Am Soc Nephrol. 28(5):1462-1474
• A phenol-enriched cuticle is ancestral to lignin evolution in land plants.
  Renault H, Alber A, Horst NA, Lopes AB, Fich EA, Kriegshauser L, Wiedemann G, Ullmann P, Herrgott P, Erhardt M, Pineau E, Ehlting J, Schmitt M, Rose JKC, Reski R, Werck-Reichhart D (2017).
  Nat Commun 8, 14713.
• Origin and function of stomata in the moss Physcomitrella patens.
  Chater CC, Caine RS, Tomek M, Wallace S, Kamisugi Y, Cuming AC, Lang D, MacAlister CA, Casson S, Bergmann DC, Decker EL, Frank W, Gray JE, Fleming A, Reski R, Beerling DJ (2016).
  Nat Plants.2:16179.
• Chloroplast FBPase and SBPase are thioredoxin-linked enzymes with similar architecture but different evolutionary histories.
  Gütle DD, Roret T, Müller SJ, Couturier J, Lemaire SD, Hecker A, Dhalleine T, Buchanan BB, Reski R, Einsle O, Jacquot JP (2016).
  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113(24):6779-84
• Identification of targets and interaction partners of arginyl-tRNA protein transferase in the moss Physcomitrella patens.
  Hoernstein SN, Mueller SJ, Fiedler K, Schuelke M, Vanselow JT, Schuessele C, Lang D, Nitschke R, Igloi GL, Schlosser A, Reski R (2016).
  Mol Cell Proteomics. 15(6):1808-22.
• A single homeobox gene triggers phase transition, embryogenesis, and asexual reproduction.
  Horst NA, Katz A, Pereman I, Decker EL, Ohad N, Reski R. (2016).
  Nat Plants 2, 15209.
• Quantitative analysis of the mitochondrial and plastid proteomes of the moss Physcomitrella patens reveals protein macrocompartmentation and microcompartmentation.
  Mueller SJ, Lang D, Hoernstein SN, Lang EG, Schuessele C, Schmidt A, Fluck M, Leisibach D, Niegl C, Zimmer AD, Schlosser A, Reski R (2014).
  Plant Physiology 164, 2081-2095.
• Transcriptional control of gene expression by microRNAs.
  Khraiwesh B, Arif MA, Seumel GI, Ossowski S, Weigel D, Reski R, Frank W (2010).
  Cell 140, 111-122.