Matt did his PhD in the Angenent Lab at Cornell University, where he studied how novel robust, interconnected metabolic networks can be shaped in the microbial communities of anaerobic, open-culture bioreactors. His postdoctoral work was mostly carried out at the Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, where he found that microbe-microbe interactions play important roles in shaping leaf microbial communities in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Matt is since November 2017 a Junior Research Group Leader in the Plant Microbiosis Lab, which is enbedded in the Institute of Microbiology at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. His research interests focus around how and why microbial communities form in natural systems, especially the roles of microbe-microbe interactions. His research currently focuses on plant-associated microorganisms.

He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, especially when it gets him outdoors.

E-mail: matthew.agler (at) uni-jena (dot) de 

Phone: +49 (0)3641 9 49980 

Changfeng earned his Ph.D. at Utrecht University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Marcel van der Heijden and Assistant Prof. Dr. Roeland Berendsen. His doctoral research focused on microbial communities associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their roles in supporting plant-mycorrhizal symbiosis. After completing his Ph.D., he joined Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher under the supervision of staff scientist Dr. Erin Nuccio. There, he investigated nationwide distribution patterns of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in deep soils and used metatranscriptomics to study the dynamics of mycorrhiza-associated bacterial communities. In 2026, Changfeng joined the Plant Microbiosis Lab as a postdoctoral researcher. His current research explores how the phyllosphere microbiome protects tree leaves against recurrent drought in a forest undergoing a long-term experimental drought treatment.

He enjoys spending time with his family in his free time. 

Email: changfeng.zhang (at) uni-jena (dot) de

Yao holds a Master of Science in Botany from East China Normal University (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Yina Jiang). During this time, Yao studied plant–microbe interactions, including the regulatory mechanisms underlying plant immunity and symbiosis, with a focus on tomato–Botrytis cinerea interactions and Medicago–arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. In the Plant Microbiosis Lab, Yao studies how chemical communication between plants and microorganisms shapes microbiome assembly and spatial structure, especially during early stages of plant development. The project aims to understand how plants influence microbial recruitment and how microbial communities contribute to host protection. 

In free time, Yao enjoys exploring new places, staying active outdoors, and spending time with friends. 

Contact: yao.zheng (at) uni-jena (dot) de

Samuel attained both his Bachelor's and Master's degree at the FSU Jena. His MSc thesis was in the plant microbiosis group where he studied the effect of gramine, an indole alkaloid found in barley (Hordeum vulgare), on the plant's associated bacteriota. His PhD project is co-supervised by Dr. Agler and Dr. Franziska Beran at the Leibniz Institute for Horticultural Sciences (IGZ). In it, he investigates the effect of complex microbial communities on the phenotype of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and its responsiveness to attack by a chewing herbivore. His aim is to elucidate how microbial communities can be used to aid their plant host in ways not seen in single strain treatments.

In his free time he practices martial arts and also cooks, being happy to try out new recipes and ingredients.

Contact: samuel.schuck (at) uni-jena (dot) de

Jisna did her Bachelor’s in Biotechnology (Multi-major) at the University of Kerala and Master’s in Plant Science at the Central University of Kerala, India. Her research experience includes an internship at the Banaras Hindu University with the focus on Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Withania coagulans Dunal from in vitro grown plantlets and its effect on withanolide biosynthesis under the supervision of Dr. Rai Shashi Pandey. Her Masters thesis focused on the background effects on SWEET gene induction by Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae, supervised by Dr. Ginny Antony. She also worked on two other projects in the same group: Functional analysis of putative genes in Arabidopsis thaliana using CRISPR/Cas9 mediated multiplex gene editing and identification of novel effector genes in Phytophthora palmivora using CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene knock-out.

In the Plant Microbiosis Lab, Jisna will study what, if anything, makes A. thaliana leaf microbiota resileint. Her goal is to use forward genetics methods to generate abnormal endophytic leaf microbiota, and to use this abnormal microbiota to understand the mechanisms of balanced leaf microbiome recruitment and the importance in disease susceptibility. 

In her free time Jisna enjoys dancing (basically Indian classical dance), practicing yoga and cooking. 

Contact: jisna.jose (at) uni-jena (dot) de 

Ali completed his Master's in Evolution, Ecology and Systematics at the Friedrich Schiller University o Jena in 2020. His thesis entitled 'Climate and humanity in focus: population responses to short-term changes in aridity and temperature' was supervised by Dr René Orth (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry) and Prof. Aletta Bonn (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research).

In addition to his Master's degree, he was involved in a project related to insect olfaction at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. The project uncovered the chemical ecology of a multitrophic interaction in the Hansson lab. The results have since been peer-reviewed and published. 

In the plant microbiosis lab, Ali will investigate how temperature and hosts together influence microbial assemblage in the phyllosphere. The project aims to investigate aspects of leaf colonisation, including but not limited to the influence of cold dormancy, the combinatorial role of temperature and glucosinolates, and the effect of temperature on bacterial isothiocyanate resistance. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the Gershenzon lab.

In his free time, he likes to read, binge Sci-fi, go to concerts and hang out with his friends. 

Contact: ali.raza (at) uni-jena (dot) de

Katja completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich in 2024. In the Plant Microbiosis Lab, Katja studies how bacterial glucosinolate metabolism affects plant immunity. The approach involves exposing Arabidopsis thaliana to defined microbial communities in gnotobiotic plant growth systems. 

In her free time, she enjoys long hikes in nature and drawing. 

Contact: katja.arnold (at) uni-jena (dot) de