Reply To: Welcome! Let us know a little bit about you and your interest in plant sciences.

[Alan Wanke]

Hi everybody! I am Alan and I am currently working as a research assistant at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge (UK).

While I was born in the western part of Poland, life brought me to Germany, where I have studied Biological Sciences at the University of Münster. During my studies, I developed a fascination for theoretical biology & plant biochemistry. I did my PhD thesis on innate sensing of fungal cell wall carbohydrates at the International Max Planck Research School (MPIPZ) in Cologne. At the moment, I am working on the establishment of plant-microbial interactions and the evolution of symbiotic interactions with filamentous microbes in the lab of Sebastian Schornack at the SLCU.

Having worked in different types of “organisations” over time, I have a personal interest in changing working culture and experimenting with working methods (e.g. agile approaches) in academic contexts.

Beside my life as a scientist, I enjoy cycling (the best way of traveling!), dancing Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz, having friends over for dinner and working as a volunteer for Viva con Agua, a german NGO raising awareness for global water, sanitation and hygiene deficits.

Feel free to reach out to me here or via Twitter (alan_wanke).

• This reply was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by  Alan Wanke.