Legends of IS-MPMI
The Legends of IS-MPMI series features in-depth talks from internationally recognised leaders whose work has shaped the field of molecular plant-microbe interactions.
Featured speakers are researchers whose contributions have defined how we think about plant immunity, pathogen biology, and the molecular dialogue between hosts and microbes.
All Legends sessions are held at noon UTC-3, hosted live on Zoom, free and open to the public, and recorded for the IS-MPMI YouTube channel.
Speakers
Roger Innes
Indiana University Bloomington, USA
June 17, 2026 — Noon UTC-3
“Leaf surface RNA: How does it get there and what does it do?” Foundational contributions of the Innes laboratory include the biology of resistance genes and the roles of extracellular vesicles and RNA in defence. Roger is a former IS-MPMI president and the 2025 IS-MPMI Outstanding Achievement award winner.
This seminar was sponsored by the New Phytologist Foundation.
Jonathan Jones
The Sainsbury Laboratory, UK
September 30, 2026 — Noon UTC-3
The Jones laboratory has made pioneering contributions to our fundamental understanding of the plant immune system and crucial contributions to implementing this knowledge to enhance resistance in crops.
Jane Parker
Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Germany
January 27, 2027 — Noon UTC-3
“TIR-generated nucleotide signals at the heart of plant and bacterial immunity networks.” The Parker laboratory has done ground-breaking work on the Enhanced Disease Susceptibility 1 (EDS1)-family proteins as a central signalling hub in plant immunity.
This seminar is sponsored by Agrisera.
Xinnian Dong
Duke University, USA
May 2027 (exact date TBD) — Noon UTC-3
The Dong laboratory is renowned for their field-defining research on salicylic acid signalling in defence responses and systemic acquired resistance.